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Being a Platoon Leader in the USAR, I have went many hours doing work unpaid. I am a full believer that if you want your soldiers to be taken care of as well as be successful, you have to sacrifice and work many unpaid hours. I wake up everyday thinking of how to make my platoon and unit better. Because of this, I am a full believer that being a Reservist, is active duty with less funds. Some leaders in reserves sign out one weekend and never think about their unit until the next weekend they have training. How do you become successful that way?
Army Reserve
Junior Officers
Drill
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 12
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Sir,<br><br>1. On a drill weekend you are on duty 24/7 for that period of time. The Army only has to let you sleep 4 hours a day. That's 20 hours per day of potential work, whereas most units are only at the armory or working for approximately 10 hours a day...<br><br>2. If it's a MUTA 4, you're getting paid for 4 days of work on a two-day drill weekend...<br><br>3. You should be happy that you can sit at home in your boxers looking up TTPs and creating spreadsheets to better your unit while your peers go home and forget the unit exists, because you'll shine having done the research and formulated a plan to execute successful training. That's the burden of being a good leader, get used to it. Every outstanding officer or NCO you encounter in your career spends the extra time and effort, if you would like to be outstanding than you will too.<br><br>4. Being Guard or Reservist means you have to have to accomplish a months worth of training in 2-3 days. That'll never change, and only gets worse as the amount of mandatory requirements goes up. Get creative how you use your time, because there is never enough.<br>
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In a way we are compensated, our drills days are MUTA (Multi Unit Training Assemblies), meaning on a 2 day drill weekend you are paid for 4 MUTAs = 4 days of active duty salary at your rank and service time. We are expected to do more in those two days and do things away from the unit. Depending on your role, more unpaid time is needed from time to time.
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Sir, I have a similar situation as RCSC for my unit (think battalion or regimental CSM). It is the reserve way of life. Extra hours with no pay because it is the right thing to do. It also the thing that makes it possible to achieve the state of readiness needed to answer the call when it comes. When I enlisted in the USCGR, we were a strategic resource to be used only when the inevitable war with Russia came. The last 15 plus years has turned us to a tactical asset, and that call is coming more and more frequently. Given the projected draw down across the board for all services, I anticipate that the recalls will continue at a steady rate for the foreseeable future.
Good on you for doing what's needed!
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