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Service Branches

Army Reserve

The Army Reserve offers you the opportunity to work in your civilian career or attend college full time while serving near home. Army Reserve Soldiers receive the same training as active-duty Soldiers. After Basic Combat Training (BCT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT), Army Reserve Soldiers return to their civilian lives and spend one weekend a month and two weeks per year training to keep their skills sharp.

Learn more: Army Reserve

Quick Facts

Part-time service
189,250 reservists
More than 120 career specialties

Transcription

Dae McDonald: Army Reserve Broadcast Specialist and Aspiring Actress

McDonald: Hi. I’m Sergeant Dae McDonald. I’m the Broadcast NCOIC at the 222nd Broadcast Operations Detachment. We are a public affairs unit. And so that means we cover stories. It’s fun. I love it. We tell other service members’ stories, about their deployments, about their life. Anything that has a military tie‑in, we tell a story about it. I love interacting with people. I love to network. I love to kind of gauge and interact and figure out the way people think. And telling service members’ stories kind of give me the chance to do tha‑- You know, everyone is so interesting, in their own way. So telling their story kind of makes me feel like I’m giving something back, more than just being a soldier. My civilian life and my military life always goes together. Because on the civilian side, I’m an actress.

M1: Hi. Who you here for?

McDonald: The audition, at 2:00.

M1: OK.

McDonald: Being in the Reserve, as an actor, is perfect for me, because it insures that there’s always money coming in. And I’m always learning things. Like, by default, I became a stunt actress -- and fitness. I just fell into those niches, because those were the things that I did naturally, in my training in the military.

McDonald: Hi, I’m Dae McDonald. And I’m reading for the role of Laura.

McDonald: I think my chain of command is really pushing for me to succeed in the acting world. Because we have our own Army marketing. And if there are jobs that come down the chain, they’ll always push it. “Hey, Sergeant McDonald, did you hear about this?” So I think they really want me to succeed. Getting that call from my agent is -- it’s one of the best days. I love when my agent calls me. Because I know it’s a booking. And so it makes me feel great. Like it’s my dream! And everybody, in life, wants to accomplish their dream. And there’s no better feeling than having done that. It makes -- it makes it feel like your [02:00] life has purpose.

Connecting Army Reserve Soldiers with Civilian Companies

Talley: The Army Reserve has provided cutting-edge civilian and industry-based expertise to the force for more than a century. But today’s complex and growing security challenges can’t be solved by government alone. It’s going to take government and the private sector. The Army Reserve’s private-public partnership -- or as we like to refer to it P3i -- allows industry leaders to leverage the civilian capabilities and military leadership of our citizen soldiers. Startup companies to Fortune 100 companies partner with the Army Reserve and hire our citizen soldiers because they make great employees. The thought is how do we work together -- government and the private sector -- to create a program that really allows to help those companies and at the same time help improve the readiness of our soldiers, leaders, and units in the Army Reserve.

Mercer: Kenai Drilling is one of the largest privately owned drilling contractors in the United States. Everyone goes, “Why do you hire Army Reserve soldiers?” And really you want to say, “Well, because everybody loves soldiers. We hire soldiers because we owe them, and there’s a great service.” And that’s true, it’s completely true. However, it’s selfish too. Any employer wants good people. And the Army Reserve provides that. They bring both soft skills -- they bring hard skills. They have the ability to identify hazards. They have leadership qualities that are just exceptional in comparison to civilian counterparts.

Mallory: This is a unique environment in that there are extremely short turnaround periods. You need to be decisive about the decisions that you make. You need to be confident the decisions you make are good ones. The soldiers that we’ve had here are able to do all of those things and more. They have a confidence that really helps them thrive here.

Murga: What the military has taught me was discipline. Being prepared. Really looking at a problem and trying to find out how to solve that problem. And all those skills come into play when you work for any company.

Simmons: In my line of work everything must be very exact. A commercial has to air when it’s supposed to air. We have to be on on time. We have to be off on time. Army Reserve soldiers, like any military men, have that discipline. The people I’ve met throughout the military, and the Army especially, are so well educated, and so prepared, and so on top of their game. It’s really impressive to see the people that are leading our military today.

Despaignes: I learned core leadership skills being an officer. And you want that type of employee to be in your business to help it grow and flourish and to work more efficiently.

Mosci: For anyone that’s looking for mission accomplishment with resilience, with values, with discipline, and with a ton of technical skills, I don’t see why they wouldn’t go to the Army and tap the Reserve. Help develop them and reintegrate that back in the society after their missions. So when you talk about win-win, here it is.

Talley: Private sector helps us to be better soldiers, while we help them to succeed by sharing the skills and experiences we’ve learned for more than a century. Here’s an excellent opportunity to help your Army Reserve develop solutions to some of our nation’s greatest challenges.

Before Serving in the Army Reserve

To enlist in the Army Reserve, you must be between 18 and 34 years old (17 with parental consent). You cannot be older than 34 years. You must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien. A high school diploma is preferred, but a high school equivalent such as the GED may be accepted. You must also take the ASVAB test and a physical fitness exam.

All Army Reserve Soldiers must complete 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training, the same boot camp attended by full-time Army Soldiers.

See more eligibility requirements

Sergeant | Paris Bledsoe Army Reserve

Army Reserve Careers

The Army Reserve can be a great way to develop career skills and serve our nation while maintaining a civilian career. More than 120 Reserve jobs are available for qualified applicants. If you think you might be interested in a full-time career, get information about service in the Army. You can also serve part time through the Army National Guard.

Explore: Army Reserve Careers

Explore: Army Reserve Stories

Army Reserve Benefits

The Army Reserve offers an array of employment benefits, including bonuses, money for college, student loan repayment and low-cost health and life insurance. Army Reserve Soldiers develop leadership and problem-solving skills and confidence, and work as a team toward a larger goal. These capabilities are valued in the civilian workplace.

Find an Army Reserve Recruiter

Types of Military Service

The U.S. Military consists of six active-duty Service branches and their respective Guard and Reserve components. Together, they offer a broad variety of ways to serve.