Introduction - FORRTrES

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FORRTrES
Embryo
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Introduction - FORRTrES

Post by FORRTrES »

Howdy.

I was going to post my introduction yesterday, but thought I'd wait until today so I could administer an initial PT test to myself, as I had already done my PT for the day before my registration approval.

I was in the National Guard as an Avionics Technician from 99-05. I was part of CO E(-), 106TH Aviation Batallion.

During my initial enlistment, I was also attending college. My enlistment ended around the same time I graduated, and that was the end of my military career.

Fast forward to today, and I want to reenlist. It is something I have been thinking about for a while now. I am looking to get an Option 40 contract and have spent quite a bit of time researching that possibility. This forum was one of the places that seemed to have a fair bit of information that might help me in this endeavor.

I am 38 years old, and still in relatively good shape. I have always worked out, and mainly focused on calesthenics, or other things I can do outdoors with pull-up bars, dip bars, or antyhing else I can grab ahold of. These activities include muscle-ups, front levers, human flags, super-man dips, air squats, pistol squats, calf raises, etc...

While these exercises are great for general fitness, they aren't necessarily getting me in 'Army Shape.' About a month ago, I started trying to focus on a plan to get ready for the army again. I started running more, focusing more pushups and situps.

I still felt like I was lacking structure... to that end I figured I should start something a bit more formal, so a week ago I started doing the program listed HERE.

My current PT numbers from today(in less than ideal conditions):
67 - Pushups
66 - Situps
15 - pullups(pronated grip)
14:28 - 2 mile

To cut to the chase, I've recently contacted a recruiter to begin the process of reenlistment. I was initially worried that was not possible due to my age, but it appears I am good to go(with prior service time).

My current interests in the 75th Ranger Regiment are 15W and 25B. So now it's just a matter of how likely it is that I can get what I want.

I have read a TON of posts in the past few days on this site(and a few other places) that have already been helpful in understanding a bit of what I need to know.

I look forward to asking some questions in the near future!

FORRTrES
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Disinfertention
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Re: Introduction - FORRTrES

Post by Disinfertention »

Hey FORRTrES, welcome to ArmyRanger.com. Weird name, but who am I to talk.

I'm under the impression that prior service cannot get Options on their contract. I hope I am wrong. If I am not wrong, the 75th has started recruiting pretty heavily to soft-skill MOS places. So if nothing else, get the job you want and contact the recruiting team. I'm not sure of their current requirements for age if there are any in Regiment.

Thanks for your service and we all appreciate you checking in here letting us know you are lurking around. PT scores look pretty good.

What have you been doing for 13 years? Why now? Never a bad time, just curious.
USASOC 2015-2023
HHC 2/75 2012-2015
HHC & Cco 1/75 2010-2012
OCS Cadre 2007-2010
Cco 3/75 2003-2007
Ranger School 09-04
FORRTrES
Embryo
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Re: Introduction - FORRTrES

Post by FORRTrES »

Ranger Disinfertention, thank you for the warm welcome.

It does seem like a weird name for sure, it's actually pretty much my name, just a bit jumbled up!

I'm sure my age is good to go for regular reenlistment. According to my recruiter, I actually have a few years to reenlist also. I hope there isn't a special requirement for age in the Regiment, I scoured the website, and was unable to find any outside of the regular requirements?

You bring up an interesting point about being able to get options in the contract. It's a bit of a pickle, as I've read stories like THIS one or THIS one that suggests to hold out for what you want. HERE is ONE from a prior service member that seems to have gotten what he wanted.

My recruiter told me they wouldn't be able to assign me an MOS and reserve it for me before heading to MEPS, but that I'd have to negotiate all of that with the career counselor at MEPS myself.

So... I'm ready to play hardball if necessary and just leave if I can't get the contract, but that obviously may not be the best negotiating tactic if they actually CAN'T get me what I want.

If that were my only option, I'd be willing to enlist, and try to submit a packet to the Regiment afterwards, but obviously I'd hate to miss out on the opportunity to get it all in writing up front.

For the past 13 years, just working a normal job. I got a degree in engineering, but I've never really enjoyed those types of jobs.

Why now? I want to give it a go before I KNOW I'm too old, and am beyond that age limit. I REALLY fought with this decision 13 years ago after my enlistment, because I was interested in reenlisting, active duty, and wanting to join the Regiment back then. But, I guess I chose the other route.

It's one of those things I don't want to regret forever.
FORRTrES
Embryo
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Re: Introduction - FORRTrES

Post by FORRTrES »

UPDATE -- Post MEPS visit.

I just got back from MEPS. Good news is that I am physically able to reenlist. Received all GOs so no problems there.

Bad news is that the age limit is actually an issue. My recruiting office thought I was good-to-go, including several of the recruiters in the office that thought so. My packet prior to going to MEPS was also rejected due to my birth certificate needing to be re-uploaded(due to the way it was scanned), but they didn't reject it for age. For some reason, they still allowed me to show up and take the physical. It seems my PS doesn't count as AFS time, and I am technically 2 years beyond the limit.

After getting to the end, I go to the branch office, and they tell me that I have two choices.
1) I can reenlist in the reserves.
2) They can submit an age waiver and hope it gets approved to go on active duty.

I asked them to submit a waiver request for me. The guy in the office did tell me he thought approval was highly unlikely, and that he's never seen one come back approved.

The waiver hadn't come back near the end of the business day, so they just sent me home. I am still waiting to see what happens, so I would image I would hear from my recruiter by Monday.
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Re: Introduction - FORRTrES

Post by Disinfertention »

Not a great situation to be in I guess. Hopefully the waiver will come back approved. Being 38 ain't no spring chicken ... what was the cut off age?
USASOC 2015-2023
HHC 2/75 2012-2015
HHC & Cco 1/75 2010-2012
OCS Cadre 2007-2010
Cco 3/75 2003-2007
Ranger School 09-04
FORRTrES
Embryo
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Re: Introduction - FORRTrES

Post by FORRTrES »

@RangerDisinfertention...

I might be messing this up, but the way it was explained to me was that the cutoff age is normally 34. THey are giving me a year and change(~2 years) in AFS time off of my age(38), which means my enlistment age is 36. So this required a 2 year waiver.

Again, I may have misunderstood what I just explained above, but I do remember them saying they were submitting a waiver for me for 2 years. So whatever those numbers above should be, I need two years.

Since I am not getting much time for AFS, I wonder if I would be under the normal business rules for picking an MOS, since I have less than 48 months of active duty in my previous MOS? THis point is moot I suppose, as first I need to find out if I can even enlist.
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Re: Introduction - FORRTrES

Post by Disinfertention »

FORRTrES wrote: September 30th, 2018, 8:19 pm THis point is moot I suppose, as first I need to find out if I can even enlist.
I would agree with this. One step at a time here but once they give you an inch, never settle if you have the option... although clearly time is not on your side! 8)

Please keep us in the loop. Good, bad, or ugly as it helps build information on the site for others to follow. I'm hoping for good and keeping positive thoughts for you.
USASOC 2015-2023
HHC 2/75 2012-2015
HHC & Cco 1/75 2010-2012
OCS Cadre 2007-2010
Cco 3/75 2003-2007
Ranger School 09-04
KW Driver
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Re: Introduction - FORRTrES

Post by KW Driver »

Worse case, you could look at going SF Reserve Component. Once you’re successfully MOS-Q’d... you can reassess where you’re at and if you want to take activations or a path they could allow.
A Co & HHC 3/75 '93-'98.
RS 10-94.


200 meters of green shit next to a river in the desert does not qualify as a "Crescent of Fertility" -me

"The meek shall inherit the earth, one meter wide and two meters long" -Lazarus Long
FORRTrES
Embryo
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Re: Introduction - FORRTrES

Post by FORRTrES »

UPDATE -- email from my recruiter

So... waiver was not approved, I will not be able to enlist active duty from MEPS :|

My only choice now, seems to be to enlist in The Reserves. Or possibly like Ranger KW Driver suggests, enlist in one of the NG SF units. The latter is a new issue, as I would have to move near one of those units, currently I am not near one(Northern part of IL), and am not sure how hard it would be to go active after completing any training.

Some other things according to my recruiter...
  • It does appear that I will not fall under the Business Rules, and should have a reasonable pick of MOS'.
  • I can do a 'conditional release after AIT,' which will require my unit to release me. I am not sure if this is an easy thing to do?
  • Pick a job and drop an AGR packet. I have no interest in this as this does not get me any closer to my primary goal.
So... my recruiter is a nice guy and all, but he isn't really understanding what I'm trying to do. If I do enlist in the Reserves, I am mostly worried about how tethered I am to that unit? I do not know if being released is simply a technical thing, or if a unit might really decide they need that MOS and deny a release request?

I'm wondering if I would still be able to volunteer while at AIT for the Ranger Batallion if I am tied to a Reserve Unit? Seems like it might not be that easy to do if not in the Big Army.

There is also the can of worms that is MOS selection, while finding a unit that I can get too(might not be one in my state), assuming I am not released right away(if that even happens).

I will have to go have a talk with the recruiter, and one of the other guys in the office that only recruits for the Reserves, and see what my options are. Trying to set myself up for the best shot I can get given my situation.

Updates to come.
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Re: Introduction - FORRTrES

Post by KW Driver »

conditional release within or out of state shouldn’t be any kind of factor. If you move your civilian life, they can’t hold you to a geographical location.

If you just no-show to drills, they don’t make a big deal out of chasing you down, they just drop you from the rolls, and I’m not sure what kind of separation you’d wind up with. The RC seems far more lax with that than AD.

Reclassing from within the system strikes me as pretty easy and simple. That said, I haven’t been in the NG since ‘91, and my perspective is anecdotal convos with RC types
A Co & HHC 3/75 '93-'98.
RS 10-94.


200 meters of green shit next to a river in the desert does not qualify as a "Crescent of Fertility" -me

"The meek shall inherit the earth, one meter wide and two meters long" -Lazarus Long
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Re: Introduction - FORRTrES

Post by Disinfertention »

You need to be on active duty to volunteer for the 75th. I have a friend in one of the SF NG Groups. If you are really interested in that route, which seems like it would require you to move, PM me and I can see if they have some type of recruiter you can talk to.
USASOC 2015-2023
HHC 2/75 2012-2015
HHC & Cco 1/75 2010-2012
OCS Cadre 2007-2010
Cco 3/75 2003-2007
Ranger School 09-04
FORRTrES
Embryo
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Re: Introduction - FORRTrES

Post by FORRTrES »

Disinfertention wrote: October 4th, 2018, 3:03 pm You need to be on active duty to volunteer for the 75th...
@Ranger Disinfertention, based on what you know, it wouldn't be possible to volunteer to go on active duty while in AIT? I would HAVE to be released from the reserve component, which couldn't happen until AFTER any initial training and I return to my unit?

After this, would I then have to get into the Big Army, THEN submit a packet to get into the Regiment? Does that seem like the path I would have to take to get there?
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Re: Introduction - FORRTrES

Post by Disinfertention »

That does sound feasible but I am very ignorant with how the Reserves work. You can try to cold call a different recruiting station and see if you can pull some information out over the phone about how this may work. Your current recruiter should also be able to help you in this. It sounds a bit scheming so it feels unlikely it would work..but you never know. Honestly, we haven't had a recruiter on the site in years. He was a hell of an asset for situations like this.

I really hope you can find your way to your goals. Unfortunately I can't provide much insight other than to talk to people or call someone who is willing to answer your questions nearby if your recruiter is being a goof.
USASOC 2015-2023
HHC 2/75 2012-2015
HHC & Cco 1/75 2010-2012
OCS Cadre 2007-2010
Cco 3/75 2003-2007
Ranger School 09-04
FORRTrES
Embryo
Posts: 10
Joined: August 31st, 2018, 11:30 am

Re: Introduction - FORRTrES

Post by FORRTrES »

Hello again.

I could have updated this thread sooner, but maybe better late than never, in the case that someone else may find themselves in a similar situation in the future.

So just a recap, my plan was to join a Reserve unit, spend my station time there(1 year of which IT time counts), and get a conditional release from my unit to go active. I even to to speak with personel at the unit I would go to, and was told they would do whatever they could to aid me in the process to go active after doing my station time.

I figured my path would be to go to basic/AIT, return home, perform my unit station time, go active, attempt to apply to the Regiment. I figured my chances to get to where I want were 10% maybe? But even still, I could spend an enlistment or two attempting to get there.

BUT... what was eventually explained to me, was that when you go from Reserves to Active... what actually will happens, is that they will process you OUT, and reenlist you into active duty. As such, you still have to meet the requirements to go active duty in the first place. And in my case, I'd STILL require a waiver, which seems unlikely. I actually appreciate my recruiter figuring this out so that I didn't find out after reenlisting.

So long story short, I won't be able to ever go active, which means I won't ever be able to apply to the Regiment.

Sucks, as I am now in tremendous shape. I hate running, always have... but even still I've been doing a TON of running to get ready for BASIC again. My 2-mile time is down to 12:17. That's almost as fast as I ran it when I was in BASIC at 20 years old. Cardio was my biggest concern.

If some old idiot such as myself shows up in the future, looking to join the Regiment, with 6 years prior service( from a reserve component), at 38 years of age, this thread may be of use.
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