Posted on Sep 17, 2019
What are the pros and cons of the Reserve Psyop (338th) or CA (360th) units at Fort Jackson?
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Civil Affairs
PSYOP Specialist
Reserves
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 4
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Pros are you will never have to worry about being short of training days at end of fiscal year. You will get to do a lot of short missions, ie state department missions. You will get you deploy a lot if you want to. You can choose from a variety of real world missions.
Cons you will never have to worry about being short of training days at end of fiscal year. You will get to do a lot of short missions, ie state department missions. You will get you deploy a lot if you want to. You can choose from a variety of real world missions.
Basically what I’m saying is it’s all what you make of it. I deployed more as a 37F in the reserves than a lot of my buddies who stayed active duty when I got out originally. The majority of PSYOP strength is in the reserve component, so if you decide to go that route realize you will be utilized a lot. And that one weekend a month and two weeks a summer shit not so true for us, we are gone a lot more.
Cons you will never have to worry about being short of training days at end of fiscal year. You will get to do a lot of short missions, ie state department missions. You will get you deploy a lot if you want to. You can choose from a variety of real world missions.
Basically what I’m saying is it’s all what you make of it. I deployed more as a 37F in the reserves than a lot of my buddies who stayed active duty when I got out originally. The majority of PSYOP strength is in the reserve component, so if you decide to go that route realize you will be utilized a lot. And that one weekend a month and two weeks a summer shit not so true for us, we are gone a lot more.
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SSG (Join to see)
I’ll echo SSG Steven Chirco’s statement with a comparison:
9 years I was Active Duty as a 68WM6 and saw a great deal of the world in that part of my life: Washington DC, Landstuhl Germany, Kuwait, Iraq and South Korea....all in 9 years!
In just over 3 years as a 37F in the Reserves I have been to more bases in the U.S. than I ever was on Active: Fort McCoy, Fort Knox, Fort Irwin, Fort Dix, Fort Bragg, Fort Hood and a slew of Camps (the most awesome of any Fort or Camp being Camp Dawson, WV) and multiple missions including AT in El Salvador and most recently deployed to Djibouti.
For sure you can’t go wrong with going PSYOP/CA if you want opportunities to excel and step out of your normal day-job. But be forewarned, it can be taxing if that is not something you enjoy getting away from.
9 years I was Active Duty as a 68WM6 and saw a great deal of the world in that part of my life: Washington DC, Landstuhl Germany, Kuwait, Iraq and South Korea....all in 9 years!
In just over 3 years as a 37F in the Reserves I have been to more bases in the U.S. than I ever was on Active: Fort McCoy, Fort Knox, Fort Irwin, Fort Dix, Fort Bragg, Fort Hood and a slew of Camps (the most awesome of any Fort or Camp being Camp Dawson, WV) and multiple missions including AT in El Salvador and most recently deployed to Djibouti.
For sure you can’t go wrong with going PSYOP/CA if you want opportunities to excel and step out of your normal day-job. But be forewarned, it can be taxing if that is not something you enjoy getting away from.
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Why in the hell don't you google Pysop operations and Civil Affairs. There is a difference, and yet they often work together. As for advancement, you will have to check out the rank structure - it is a small community and much of it is in the Reserves.
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1SG (Join to see)
SPC Greg Gobert How can anyone answer that question if at don't know your ambitions. While both types of units work together for the same command, they are opposite sides of the same coin.
Both will have typically 14 to 21, if not 28 days AT. that's on top of 24 drill days, with range Qual, medical readiness, admin SRP and now the new ACFT thrown in (although that may be built into AT plans. I bet)
The only real difference is the type and location of missions. Out of Fort Jackson, you could find yourself in Africa, or SW Asia.
Both will have typically 14 to 21, if not 28 days AT. that's on top of 24 drill days, with range Qual, medical readiness, admin SRP and now the new ACFT thrown in (although that may be built into AT plans. I bet)
The only real difference is the type and location of missions. Out of Fort Jackson, you could find yourself in Africa, or SW Asia.
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SFC (Join to see)
YouTube has a video series by Army recruitment called Starting Strong. They have one episode about Civil Affairs.
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SFC (Join to see)
1SG (Join to see) The the 350th CA BDE in the South East US is responsible for Central and South America. The BDE in the North East is responsible for Europe. I don't know anything about the Western States locations AOR.
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1SG (Join to see)
SFC (Join to see) thanks for the clarification. West region is part of Indio-Pacom
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I can't speak for FT Jackson or directly about 37 or 38 series as I am the Senior Medical NCO for a Reserve CA unit in Florida for the past 5 years. What I can say is that if you are planning on going CA we as a whole fall under USACPOC not SOCOM in the Reserves. We are a conventional force that uses our civil specialities more then tactical. Doesn't mean you can't support a SOF unit but usually that will fall in the 95th.
As someone entertaining the Reserves from AD you get assigned to a Unit and eventually they will send you to school. You do not go through the pipeline at Bragg you end up going to a condensed course at 1 of a couple of places. ( Knox or Hunter Liggett not sure where else) no language school no Airborne unless you go to one of the actual Airborne units. You are authorized to take the DLAB and if you score high enough you can try to go to DLI in California. You get language pay based on your DLPT score. CA deploys as a 4 person teams thought-out the world.
PSYOP or MISO does there own thing.
Hope that helps with a general understanding.
As someone entertaining the Reserves from AD you get assigned to a Unit and eventually they will send you to school. You do not go through the pipeline at Bragg you end up going to a condensed course at 1 of a couple of places. ( Knox or Hunter Liggett not sure where else) no language school no Airborne unless you go to one of the actual Airborne units. You are authorized to take the DLAB and if you score high enough you can try to go to DLI in California. You get language pay based on your DLPT score. CA deploys as a 4 person teams thought-out the world.
PSYOP or MISO does there own thing.
Hope that helps with a general understanding.
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