Posted on Feb 27, 2014
Can I join the Army Reserves or National Guard if I am currently collecting compensation from the VA?
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I have been collecting disability compensation from the VA since October 2012 and I am also using my Post 9/11 GI Bill to attend college. I really miss the camaraderie and brotherhood I felt while in the military. I really want to join the Army reserves or the National Guard so I can still attend college but be part of the military again. Would I have to cancel all of my disability compensation? Is that even possible? Some one help me out. Thanks.
Prior Service
Disability
VA Claim
Army Reserve
Army National Guard
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 279
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<P>One of my Battalion Commanders works for the VA and gave us a pretty authoritative answer. I had a number of Soldiers who were drilling for points only in order not to jeopardize their disability pay. He let them know that they cannot receive military duty pay and disability pay for the same DAY. Therefore, you can receive disability pay for 28 days a month and then thier military pay for two days covering their Battle Assembly. Two days of drill pay should be much better than two days of disability pay.</P>
<P> </P>
<P>Really glad to hear you are rejoining the ranks!</P>
<P> </P>
<P>Really glad to hear you are rejoining the ranks!</P>
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TSgt Michael Newman
This is mostly correct. They will give you the option of which you would prefer to receive. Most choose a drill check. Sometime after the completion of the fiscal year the VA will send you a letter (VA Form 21-8951). It will ask you to verify the amount of training days for that fiscal year. Note that a standard drill weekend is a MUTA 4. That counts as 4 training days and not 2. So the average NG soldier would have 48 training days for drill and 15 annual training days for each year for a total of 63 training days. They will then "withhold" 63 days of disability.
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CPO Chris Zwolinski
It depends on the amount of disability whether you can join again or not. If drilling as a reservist, you cannot receive disability pay while drilling as a reservist but this only related to the actual drill pay dates. For example you drill the weekend and receive 4 days drill pay, therefore you are not eligible for 4 days of disability pay. So if you were getting $100 a month for disability, you should be docked $100 x 4 / 30 = $13.33 for the month.
There is a ton of confusion over this and when I started drilling again after coming home with 10% was told that I couldn't receive any pay until I was in a nonpay status. After going into nonpay status I found that they stopped my full payment erroneously.
There is a ton of confusion over this and when I started drilling again after coming home with 10% was told that I couldn't receive any pay until I was in a nonpay status. After going into nonpay status I found that they stopped my full payment erroneously.
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MSG (Join to see)
It also depends on what the disability. If you are unable to do certain things you may need a waiver. You still have to be fully deployable.
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BG (Join to see)
SPC M W - You'd have to look at the specific requirements for being an officer which are a little more stringent than enlisted. I suggest you talk to a Recruiter and ask for a physical eval.
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Listen here. I'm not going to sugar coat this.
Why the hell..would you come back in the army?
Seriously. I don't know what happened to you for you to be drawing disability. It honestly doesn't matter. What matters here is that lets say you come back in as a PFC? You were a 13F? you think you can continuing working that as a PMOS? Lets say you pick up one of the softer jobs in our military. How limiting in your disability? Can you preform basic lower level joe tasks? can't lift an amount of weight that would be expected of another similar in your rank? stand around for x amount of time?
Yea I understand you miss the comaraderie but you coming back in while already broken. Now you're going to go into a unit and fill a slot that could have went to a completely healthy E3. Remember the commonly joked slaying "lift with your Privates, not your back" cause it is true. Bottom of the totem pole, manual labor heavy labor is to be expected. If you can't preform even that much. You're a weak link, you're dead weight now to your battle buddies.
Yes there are a lot of people in our ranks that are broken. Broken permanently but remain within the ranks. The good majority though are SMs with years upon years of time in the service and can still be utilized positively by the army due to their experience and developed skills during service.
Do yourself a favor. Do a favor for those soldiers you would have came back in to work with. and just stay out. You want the camaraderie back? Get yourself involved in veteran groups.
Don't read this like I'm calling you some shitbag- I'm not. You joined the army, served your time, deployed, got hurt and then got out on an honorable discharge. Thank you for your service. But be honest with yourself. Hard deep look at yourself. Can you come back in and be a beneficial asset to your gaining unit?
Why the hell..would you come back in the army?
Seriously. I don't know what happened to you for you to be drawing disability. It honestly doesn't matter. What matters here is that lets say you come back in as a PFC? You were a 13F? you think you can continuing working that as a PMOS? Lets say you pick up one of the softer jobs in our military. How limiting in your disability? Can you preform basic lower level joe tasks? can't lift an amount of weight that would be expected of another similar in your rank? stand around for x amount of time?
Yea I understand you miss the comaraderie but you coming back in while already broken. Now you're going to go into a unit and fill a slot that could have went to a completely healthy E3. Remember the commonly joked slaying "lift with your Privates, not your back" cause it is true. Bottom of the totem pole, manual labor heavy labor is to be expected. If you can't preform even that much. You're a weak link, you're dead weight now to your battle buddies.
Yes there are a lot of people in our ranks that are broken. Broken permanently but remain within the ranks. The good majority though are SMs with years upon years of time in the service and can still be utilized positively by the army due to their experience and developed skills during service.
Do yourself a favor. Do a favor for those soldiers you would have came back in to work with. and just stay out. You want the camaraderie back? Get yourself involved in veteran groups.
Don't read this like I'm calling you some shitbag- I'm not. You joined the army, served your time, deployed, got hurt and then got out on an honorable discharge. Thank you for your service. But be honest with yourself. Hard deep look at yourself. Can you come back in and be a beneficial asset to your gaining unit?
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SPC Justin Berry
The old broken guys from my old unit used to just show up and hang out. Wasn't nothing said about it. They got the comroderie, just not the check.
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LTC Charles T Dalbec
Contact your local DAV,American Region, bring your DD214 with you and enjoy what you do with Veterans like you.
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LTC Charles T Dalbec
Apply on USA jobs for federal/state jobs and wait out for referral interview etc..
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Thank you so much everyone for taking your time and sharing some knowledge with me. To follow up on this, I did pursue joining the army again but I can not join the ranks due to my disability being a seizure disorder. It was pretty discouraging but it is what it is. Im still very thankful for the time I did serve and I am thankful for you that all continue to serve. Best damn job Ive ever had. PFC Corcoran out.
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PO1 (Join to see)
I will second the motion to join one of the fraternal orgs. Or all of the ones you are entitled to join. I, for instance, am a member of the DAV, VFW, and the AL. These groups for the most part are stuggling to stay relevant in some locations, and can use all the help they can get.
Please think about it. Thank you for your service.
Please think about it. Thank you for your service.
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SP5 Rich Levesque
MSgt (Join to see) - Veterans organizations are always looking for people to both fill out their numbers and to fill leadership positions. From where I sit, DAV/VFW/Legion are the premier groups out there. On a cautionary note: While you can go as far and as fast as you want, people being what they are, you may run into hostility, or the usual cliques that seem to control groups such as these.
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COL Ron Quiett
You can do both if you are still medically qualified. You can not draw both a disability and certian active duty pay as in long AT or call up.
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