Posted on Apr 22, 2020
What is the job selection process for prior service joining the Army Reserves?
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Will I sit down with a career counselor at MEPS and will they pull up the list for available E-5 slots in all of the Reserve units in my State? I was looking at the prior service business rules but I believe that only applies to prior service who are going back into the Active Army.
Posted in these groups: 
Prior Service
Prior Service Recruiter
Prior Service Prior Service Recruiter
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 4
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You basically find a unit that has a slot you want and join it.
I've been Active, Guard and Reserve and they are all different so look around and find what you want.
For Northern VA I recommend looking at the VA, DC, and MD (maybe WV) Guard as well.
Depending on what kind of job you want to do the Guard may be a better fit.
I've been Active, Guard and Reserve and they are all different so look around and find what you want.
For Northern VA I recommend looking at the VA, DC, and MD (maybe WV) Guard as well.
Depending on what kind of job you want to do the Guard may be a better fit.
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Prior service business rules are for active duty, you are correct. Your Reserve recruiter will also have access to see what Reserve E-5 slots are available. As opposed to the National Guard, however, the Reserve units have to be within a certain distance radius of your residence/home of record. It's been a minute, but I believe anything greater than 50 miles requires an ETP to be approved by the unit you're enlisting into prior to being able to sign the contract.
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SGT Eduardo Velazquez
I always assumed I'd have to go the career counselor but going to a Reserve recruiter is much easier to get a feel of what's available! Thank you for your quick reply!
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SFC Jeremy Boyd
SGT Eduardo Velazquez don't get me wrong, you'll still see the MEPS guidance counselor, because that's where you'll still sign your contract, but the Reserve recruiters can still access the vacancy reports for Reserve units in the recruiting Battalion footprint. Sometimes it enables you to save a little time and already have an idea of what unit you would like to go to and what slot you want to fill. The only drawback is that sometimes the vacancy reports aren't always up to date, so it's also a good idea for your Reserve recruiter to try calling or emailing the unit to verify the vacancies advertised are correct.
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SFC Jeremy Boyd
SGT Eduardo Velazquez I'm not sure what state you are currently in, but the other cool aspect of Reserve enlistment is that even if a unit is in another state, as long as you fall within the distance radius you can enlist into that unit too. Of course that is assuming you're close to state borders. If you're snack dab in the middle of Texas or something that wouldn't be an option!
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SGT Eduardo Velazquez
SFC Jeremy Boyd - This is really good information, thank so much! I actually live in Northern Virginia so my guess is, besides VA, MD might be an option for me as well which would be beneficial for me!
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I just thought of something else, how long were/have you been USMC and do you have IRR time remaining? If you have IRR time remaining you may have to go through an Army Reserve Career Counselor (79V) as opposed to going through a recruiting station, which actually can save you a lot of time in most cases; it's a more direct method of accession into the USAR. Once upon a time Reserve recruiters in Army recruiting stations could process prior service into the Reserve if they had IRR time remaining by submitting a DD Form 368 for conditional release from the IRR, but for a number of years that has now been under the purview of Army Reserve Career Counselors. I'm not sure if you're still in the USMC now or already out, but if you are out, check your DD 214, Block 6 (Reserve Obligation Termination Date). If it shows 00000000 then that means you have no IRR time remaining and can process with an Army recruiting station. If there is a date in there, provided it hasn't already passed, then you'll process with an Army Reserve Career Counselor.
*disclaimer, an Army Reserve Career Counselor isn't to be confused with a MEPS Guidance Counselor, they are two separate entities.
*disclaimer, an Army Reserve Career Counselor isn't to be confused with a MEPS Guidance Counselor, they are two separate entities.
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SGT Eduardo Velazquez
I probably should have mentioned in my initial post, my apologies, that I've been out since 2013. I had worked with an Army recruiter about a year ago with the intent of going Active. My paperwork was sent up and I went through MEPS for the physical and all was approved to re-enter the service. I was told the results of my physical was good for 2 years, so I have until the end of next January to go back to MEPS to rejoin. I'm looking into the Army Reserves and not NG simply because my fiancé lives in Germany and we plan on living there. But my move to Germany isn't until the end of 2021 or early 2022. I have a friend who drills and tells me that he's been in reserve units where a solider or two travels back and forth from Germany to the Sates or vice versa and they get at least half of their flights covered. So, I'm hoping to join a unit here where I can then transfer after my move to Germany.
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