# Thinking about joining the reserves



## CIRUS454 (May 6, 2012)

I work in South Florida as a FF/Medic and I am thinking about joining the reserves and trying to be a Corpsman. Can anyone out there shed some light on what service is the best for me to do this and how it works in the Reserves being a Corpsman? My passion is really to be a Flight Corpsman/Medic but I don't know if that is possible. I talked to a recruiter in the Army Reserve and he said that he thinks it's possible if I got put in an "Air Unit" but you have to go through basic first and all the other hoops that goes along with being a newbie. Any information will be great. Thanks!


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## DrankTheKoolaid (May 6, 2012)

Go Navy and become a Devil Doc for a Marine unit.  Or go Coast Guard


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## RocketMedic (May 7, 2012)

+1. Avoid the Army, CG is probably the best option. Great deployments too.


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## airborne2chairborne (May 7, 2012)

What's with the "avoid the army" comments? It really depends on what you want to do, and reserves does limit that. If you wanted to be a medic in a civil affiars unit you'd have to be a :censored::censored::censored::censored:ing retard to go navy or CG because they don't have them.
anyway here's my opinion with pros on cons:
army- deployments can suck and you rarely get to go somewhere cool (unless you consider afghanistan cool), however it's a lot easier to get a guarnteed medic slot in the army. There's also no combat units in the reserves, you can go nasty guard if you want but the only experience I had with those clowns was they were about as competant as 8 year olds running around playing with their daddy's gun. Closest thing to a combat unit in the reserves is PSYOP or Civil Affairs, both of which do get some pretty cool deployments. 
navy- hard to get a slot guaranteed, especially on the reserves side. also no way of having a guaranteed slot to attend FMSS so you can't really choose to end up with the marines or not. you either luck out and get a slot offered or you don't. you do get the best travel out of it though.
coasties- you cant even pick a rating until several years in, until then you're a generic coastie. 
air force- unless you're going for PJ, they dont have any field medical positions... so you'll work in a hospital or a plane.

No matter what branch you join, the majority of your reserve drills will be spent on admin stuff, not on medical/field/etc training. If you want that then go active duty. Figure out exactly what you want to do, see who offers it, and go from there.


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## airborne2chairborne (May 7, 2012)

forgot to put this in: the navy is A LOT better at getting you civilian certs than the army is (I'm talking about in unit, not during MOS school), but if you're looking for field experience you have a lot more chances of ending up somewhere where you'll get that in the army (reserves included).


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## RocketMedic (May 7, 2012)

Pretty much every navy reserve unit only deploys for cool sufficient, airborne. Active Army here, recommend any other branch.


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## CIRUS454 (May 7, 2012)

Well I just found out that the max age for the Army active duty is 35 and I am turning 34 this month. I thought it was late twenty something and that's why I thought to do the reserves instead. I know for a fact that I want to be a Flight Corpsman in an Air unit but I have heard many different stories on how long it will take to get that position.


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## Nathan (May 7, 2012)

If you wanted to be a medic in the military, join the National Guard. There are more infantry units (therefore more medic slots). However, if you are unwilling to do what the infantry does, don't join the military. No matter what branch you join, you are expected to be willing to kill. Having any other intentions is putting your life, and your battle buddies lives in jeopardy. Not saying the rant applies to you. However, in like a year when an 18 year old goes searching being a medic in the army on Google and comes across this, it does apply to him.


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## airborne2chairborne (May 8, 2012)

Nathan said:


> If you wanted to be a medic in the military, join the National Guard. There are more infantry units (therefore more medic slots). However, if you are unwilling to do what the infantry does, don't join the military. No matter what branch you join, you are expected to be willing to kill. Having any other intentions is putting your life, and your battle buddies lives in jeopardy. Not saying the rant applies to you. However, in like a year when an 18 year old goes searching being a medic in the army on Google and comes across this, it does apply to him.



I kinda face palmed at this. First off there's not more infantry units in the NG than the regular army, and secondly why would you want to be with an infantry unit that doesnt even spend a week a month working on their skills?  Also "being willing to kill" isn't doing what the infantry does. A cook could be a complete motard about killing, but that isn't going to put him on daily raids and patrols...I used to agree with the whole "if you're not willing to kill don't join thing" then I grew up and realized that of the 150 enlisted MOSs in the army, only about 15 exist for combat, and less than 30 more have any reason at all to leave the wire (it is a non linear war so anyone who leaves the wire is capable of getting hit). However you have plenty of MOS's that will never leave the wire when deployed. There's no reason at all for a financial management technician to be "willing to kill" because, unless we're talking about flies or time, it's just not going to happen.

Anyway, age restrictions for branch are branch wide, they apply to both active and reserve. the cut off age for the navy is 34, if you want to do army you have to ship off to basic training before your 35th birthday. The cut off age for coast guard is 27 or 32 depending on if you're eligeable for an A school or not. Air force is 27 also. That kinda limits you. Anyway to be a flight medic in the army here's the requirements: http://usasam.amedd.army.mil/fmc.htm . Keep in mind that's on paper, unless you end up going to an aviation unit that is short on flight medics it's something you'll most likely have to reenlist for, which would be about 3 years down the road if you do a 4 year contract.


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## Nathan (May 8, 2012)

O rly? in comparison, the guard has way more combat arm units than the reserves. If OP wanted to be a medic in the military then I think we both could agree that the active duty route would be the way to go, considering you train a little bit more than a weekend a month. A medic like it or not is a combat arm MOS. Most of the vacancies in the Reserve component (Guard/Reserve) for 68w is for infantry units. For some odd reason they need them more. I stand behind what I said, I would rather not herp derp with someone that is not able to have my back whether he is a 92a or a 99z (ninja). 

Anyways, good luck getting flight medic, apparently it is an EXTREMELY hard slot to get into, and its generally only filled by medics with combat experience(s) and with plenty of time in service. I did meet one guy at MEPS who got a flight medic slot, BUT he had to relocate from Sacramento, CA to Clearwater, FL, had his paramedic and had years of experience so I am thinking civilian experience does play a part in the selection.


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## airborne2chairborne (May 8, 2012)

I'm pretty sure I said regular army has more than the guard... incase you don't know "regular army" is interchangable with "active duty army". the only infantry unit in the reserves is a single battalian in hawaii.

and no, medics are not a combat arms mos. you can argue that some are in a combat arms position (line medics) but that is far from most medics. even if you consider every medic in a combat arms battalian to be combat arms (which is far from true, the only ones who truly fit the description is the 1 line medic per platoon), you're still only talking about a total of 128 platoons of "combat arms" medics in the entire NG (4 combat arms units per brigade- 2 armor/infantry/combined/etc, 1 arty, 1 RSTA x 4 BCTs per division x 8 NG divisions). 
On the other hand there are 3-7 medical companies, each with 2 platoons of medics, per medical battalian. There are 3-7 medical battalians (or CSHs) per brigade, and a total of 9 medical brigades in the reserves. Even if each only had 3 companies/battalians, that still comes out to 162 platoons. That's not even including the medics in the reserve support units.

do you really think that CSH medics are out there kicking in doors and patrolling the AOs?


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## Nathan (May 8, 2012)

Ever read a post at like 2am and misread something? I totally thought you said reserves... So I am going to stfu. 

HOWEVER, for the most part, any male after 68w school can bet on being attached to an infantry unit, at least that is my understanding of it. However, it is my understanding as well that most young males after 68w school want to either see a hell of a lot of combat or be attached to a hospital starting lines and what not. I haven't met one who is in the middle.


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## EpiEMS (May 8, 2012)

Nathan said:


> However, it is my understanding as well that most young males after 68w school want to either see a hell of a lot of combat or be attached to a hospital starting lines and what not. I haven't met one who is in the middle.



Where on that spectrum might working at a BAS be? I would think somewhere in the middle - close enough to possibly take fire, and able to help plenty of casualties with advanced skills?


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## CIRUS454 (May 8, 2012)

airborne2chairborne said:


> Anyway, age restrictions for branch are branch wide, they apply to both active and reserve. the cut off age for the navy is 34, if you want to do army you have to ship off to basic training before your 35th birthday. The cut off age for coast guard is 27 or 32 depending on if you're eligeable for an A school or not. Air force is 27 also. That kinda limits you. Anyway to be a flight medic in the army here's the requirements: http://usasam.amedd.army.mil/fmc.htm . Keep in mind that's on paper, unless you end up going to an aviation unit that is short on flight medics it's something you'll most likely have to reenlist for, which would be about 3 years down the road if you do a 4 year contract.



Great info. Especially the website!!!!! Thank you. It says that you have to be Active Component in the grade of E-4 through E-5. How long does it take to get to this level? It also says you need a GT Score of at least 107. What does that mean? One more thing. Does taking this course automaticaly make you a Flight Corpsman or do you still need to be in an Airborne unit to be elegible? Sorry for the ignorance, but all this service talk is new to me.


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## Nathan (May 8, 2012)

E4= 2 years from the time you ship out to Basic as long as you pass PT tests, no Article 15s (military's form of a write up)


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## airborne2chairborne (May 9, 2012)

I wouldn't say a male can bet on being sent to an infantry battalian, there's plenty of hospitals, support units, clinics, etc he can go to. I'd say chances of ending up in a BCT are about 50/50 for a male, but he's just as likely to end up in the support side of it as the infantry side. What you want doesn't really matter, the army puts you where they need you.

working at a BAS is kind of the middle, it depends. infantry/etc battalians run their own aid stations with their medics that are not line medics. Those are on the same FOB/PB that that battalian is operating out of, but there's not a lot of threat working on base. You're not going to get shot at, you might get mortared every now and then but for the most part that's no big deal. We got mortared twice a day and nothing happened, most didn't even land in the FOB. A BCT's BSB also runs an aid station, but it tends to be further back and has more capabilities (labs, xrays, etc). It kinda depends on if you'll help plenty of casualties working in a BAS or if you're just doing sick call, just from what I saw more casualties go straight to the CSH than they do the aid station unless you're evaccing by ground.

Anyway, you can enlist as an E-4 if you have your BA. Otherwise it's 18 months to 2 years in. a GT score of 107 isn't hard to get, it's one of the scores on your ASVAB. If you passed paramedic school I can promise you're GT will be above 107. 

Yup, soon as you pass the course you're going to get sent to an aviation unit to be a flight medic. Airborne is a different skill set, it's jumping out of planes. There are flight medics in airborne units (like the 82nd), however it's not a required course to be a flight medic.


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## CIRUS454 (May 9, 2012)

airborne2chairborne said:


> Yup, soon as you pass the course you're going to get sent to an aviation unit to be a flight medic. Airborne is a different skill set, it's jumping out of planes. There are flight medics in airborne units (like the 82nd), however it's not a required course to be a flight medic.



So once you put your time in and get to the rank of E-4, you just request to go to Flight Medic school and they send you, or is the other hoops to pass through.


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## airborne2chairborne (May 9, 2012)

You have to get aproved for the school, unfortunately it's not as easy as filling out a request and going. It boils down to your unit (funds, slots, etc) as well as open slots in the school. For the most part if you want to attend a school (airborne, flight medic, air assault, etc etc etc) once you're in you'll most likely have to reenlist for it. However if it is a school that is a needed for you to fill a needed slot at your unit (like in your case if you went to an aviation unit and they were low on flight medics) they'll be more inclined to send you if you request it. The good thing about reserves is that you can pick your unit (assuming that unit needs your MOS).

Also one thing you might want to check on is if that flight medic cert transfers to civilian certs. For the most part what you could do in the military as a medic doesn't transfer to civilian side at all, with the exception of whatever level of NREMT you get there. It especially applies to things you learn how to do in unit but it also applies to 68W school. For example in 68W school you learn how to do needle decompressions, crics, they used to teach chest tubes I don't think they do anymore though, IV's, blood draws, injecting meds, and a lot of other stuff. You get out with just your NREMT-B cert 4 years later and that goes out the window.


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## CIRUS454 (May 10, 2012)

Talked to an Army recruiter today about the possibility of joining and he said that 34 is the cutoff not 35. Even for the reserves. I don't know if this right or not. Alot of individuals have told be it was 35.


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## airborne2chairborne (May 10, 2012)

My understanding of it is you must ship out for basic training by your 35th birthday, so technically 34 is the oldest you can be when you leave.


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## CIRUS454 (May 10, 2012)

That's what I thought and have read on the discussion boards on Army's site. I don't think he was paying 100% attention when I was talking to him. He first asked me my age and I told him I was turning 34 next weekend. He immediately said "well that's a problem", your too old. You can be 33 turning 34when your in basic but you can't already be 34. I told him that I thought it was 35 and he said no. Oh well. I'll call and speak to a new one tomorrow lol.


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## airborne2chairborne (May 11, 2012)

always a good idea, I talked to at least 3 different recruiters from different offices for each branch and did a lot of research before I finally chose army. I would cite the regulation (AR 601-210) HOWEVER the last publication was in 2011 and it still says the max age is 42, the regulation in print hasn't caught up to current enlistment standards yet since the switch from 42 back down to 35 is pretty recent. I'll try to dig around for the memorandum and if I find it I'll post it


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## mycrofft (May 11, 2012)

See if Air Guard Parajumpers is available for you. Need a local unit, meet stringent physical qualifications, and pass a hard school. Undoubtable get a deployment. (I saw some of my old rescue wing folks at Kandahar, but they were all in jr high by the time I retired).


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## airborne2chairborne (May 11, 2012)

mycroft- the cut off for air force is 27 (unfortunately out of CIRUS's age range), also last I heard air gaurd PJs are only accepting prior active duty personel with combat experience with slots going to prior active duty PJs first.


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## mycrofft (May 11, 2012)

Thanks. Now even harder to get in, but entirely appropriate for the current situation.


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## airbornemedic11 (May 25, 2012)

You might be able to get into the Army reserves or National Guard with a waiver, regarding your age. See if your paramedic training will help.
If they give you a waiver I would go Guard. I'm pretty sure Active won't take you because of the recent budget cuts. Regular army is really slimming down. But, Guard has Combat Aviation units, that means flight medics.
I did a deployment with the reserves 2 yrs ago. After we got back I waited 2 months and started looking around for a different unit to take me on another deployment. 36th ID in Texas had an aviation unit that was deploying 6 months later and they offered me flight medic school, immediately. Instead, I went with a civilian contractor. But the point is, the training NCO with this aviation unit was ready to sign me up. Apparently they are incredibly shorthanded regarding flight medics. You might have to do some time first and be just a regular Joe Medic, but it's worth it. Hooah.


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## RocketMedic (May 30, 2012)

Another good field would be Coast Guard or Border Patrol. They do far, far more than the average medic ever will and the BP makes much more money.


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## jgmedic (May 30, 2012)

Rocketmedic40 said:


> Another good field would be Coast Guard or Border Patrol. They do far, far more than the average medic ever will and the BP makes much more money.



BP has EMS trained agents depending on the sector, but unless you are BORSTARS(their specialized rescue unit) you are just a field agent with a jump bag. CG is awesome but as far as being on a heli, when I looked into it last year, the only flight medical personnel are rescue swimmers.


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## airborne2chairborne (Jun 3, 2012)

see above post about the OP being too old to enlist in the CG...


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