Reserve Component Advisor (ACRC) assignment as a broadening assignment?

2015-10-16T21:06:04-04:00

I'll be leaving company command next summer and I am considering my next assignment. I would like to complete a two year broadening assignment then move into a primary battalion staff job (S3 or S4). I'm Medical Service so I can't do an ROTC assignment, but have received recommendations on pursuing an ACRC position for broadening. Any advice or feedback on the pros and cons to this type of assignment would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 16 at 2015 10:53 PM

2015-10-16T22:53:08-04:00

I've never seen a good experience with ACRC be prepared for a significant difference if you take the assignment. RC units march to the beat of their own drum. the two previous ACRC Major's I've had the misfortune to work with could never grasp the concept that your civilian employer comes first and it created a very toxic environment. (The ACRC concept had such problems the AGR program was launched to correct the problems.) If you are prepared and open minded it could be a great toolkit further in your career.

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Oct 17 at 2015 1:19 AM

2015-10-17T01:19:59-04:00

Going into it will be different. While I was in the 7th ARCOM in Europe, we had active duty soldiers working with us, along with AGR. It was a good experience for them as well as us. I had some conversations with one while I was 1SG. He told me is was a very enlightening assignment as he better understood the Reserve system and how we worked. He was glad he took the assignment.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 17 at 2015 2:54 AM

2015-10-17T02:54:20-04:00

MAJ Samuel Weber funny I just came out of command and I am assigned to the XVIII Airborne Corps from the Army Reserves as my broadening assignment. It is a change and good to see how "the other side" does things. It also shows that we can all work together and have a good solid knowledge base. If it is out there sure take the ACRC and see what else is out there before going S3. You want S3 more than an S4 job and the S4 typically in my experience for a battalion is a CPT slot anyway.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2018 2:02 AM

2018-12-03T02:02:10-05:00

I would like to point out that this is a three year assignment for enlisted personnel, so I imagine it's quite likely a three year assignment for officers as well.
In talking to officers who have taken AC/RC positions, their biggest complaint was that not all the RC personnel who fill those positions are necessarily broadening their careers and you can end up working with a few lugs. The other issue is that you may take an assignment far from an AD post and find that the AD support can be a bit lackluster...for example, you may have to explain and prove to your finance that you are eligible for certain entitlements they are not familiar with.