The Pros and Cons of Being in The Army Reserves

Growing up, I always knew that I’d someday join the Army like my bloodline of relatives who have served. Never did I think I’d join the Army reserves, let alone did I ever know about it until I graduated from high school.

The training I received in basic training and AIT has been incredibly useful to me, and the drilling as a soldier has helped me keep myself in check.

There are pros and cons when committing to the army reserves and I hope this can help anyone considering joining the reserves make their decision.

The Pros of Being in The Army Reserves

Insurance

There are a ton of benefits of being an Army soldier, but one of the best ones is the life insurance policy that I get through being in the Army. It’s a way better rate than what I had as a civilian.

Deployments

Soldiers who join the reserves have to be ready to deploy at any time. If that’s what you’re looking for, you are more likely to go on one if you’re in the reserves.

Active-duty units need to be ready for the homefront, and the reserves need to be ready to step in overseas at any time. I really enjoyed my deployment and it helped me get financially stable.

School

The G.I. Bill has helped me go to school and not have to worry as much about expenses. My book expenses were paid for and I had more time to study and focus on my studies rather than working an extra job to pay for tuition.

Fitness

The Army has helped me maintain my fitness because I’m incredibly competitive when it comes to sports, competitions, or anything like that. I always do my best on my PT tests and I love to strive for number one.

Friends

Through the Army reserves, I have made friends that will last a lifetime. Everyone’s pretty open-minded and lives close to me. It’s reassuring to know that my buddies I deployed with aren’t too far. We experience things that no one else would understand and it feels like a family.

The Cons of Being in The Army Reserves

Monthly Training

If you’re someone who loves their weekends and can’t sacrifice one per month, then the reserves is not for you. The training schedule comes out at the beginning of every fiscal year, and you’re expected to attend all of them. Most training is Saturday/Sunday, but can sometimes be Thursday-Sunday. It’s hard if you’re working full-time.

Long Days

When you sign the commitment of being an Army soldier, you also sign a lot of your days away. Some training requires me to be up at 5 am and then I wouldn’t get home until 7 pm sometimes. The duration of training tests your resilience and it can be a grind.

Annual Three-Week Training

If you’re someone who loves to have their summers wide open, you’ll have to reconsider. Typically there’s a three-week training every soldier must attend to meet their reserve status requirements. You can basically bet on losing one month to go away from training every summer. Some are fun, some are not.

Certificates and Training on Your Own Time

Although you’re a reserve soldier, you still have to get your certificates for classes and training that are important to the Army's core values. Some people might not have extra time to complete tasks outside of their daily lives, and if that’s you, then it might not be a great fit.

Fitness

Not everyone has time to hit the gym and pass their PT tests. Or at least not a lot of people can commit to something like that. If you don’t want to feel irritated or frustrated by the Army holding you to fitness standards, it can be discouraging and bring you down.

Takeaway

The reserve life has been good to me in my four years of the entire experience. I would not change anything if I were to go back in time. In addition to my optimism, I plan on getting promoted to the rank of Sergeant by the summer of 2021 and that’ll be a great opportunity for me to grow.

These are just some of my quick pros and cons that I have in my four years of being a reservist and I hope that they’re able to help you make the decision on whether or not it’s for you.

Everyone has a different experience and by doing your own due diligence and considering the points I made, you’ll make the right decision.