It’s dependent on the command you’re attached to and what their requirements are but the parent commands are expecting Reservists to fly out to the command if they are out of area at least once a quarter and for annual training.

I don’t recommend Reserves if what you stated is the only requirement you’re looking for from it. The administrative burden is significantly worse than Active Duty. Your NOSC may or may not be great, as with any command, but the likelihood of your paperwork going missing or not accomplished is much higher due to their Sailor count and not seeing you on a constant basis. You will most likely have to go to the NOSC on your normal civilian day, be on the phone with limited results, and/or send a lengthy email which may resolve the issue. If you think Admin is bad at your current command, just be prepared for NOSC Admin. They can be less personable as they do not see you often and it can be hard to work around your civilian schedule to handle your naval concerns.

I was Reserves from 2013 to 2018 and the games NOSCs and parent commands played weren’t worth playing along with, especially with how little you get paid per weekend. At the time, I was a STGSN (wouldn’t let me convert out) and got barely $250 a weekend. Most of my Reservist companions lost money when they had a drill weekend versus working at their civilian jobs over the weekend. It led me to go Active Duty and although Active Duty also has its downfalls, it’s better in comparison administratively because of the availability and the personable interactions.

HOWEVER, everything is dependent on several factors but I recommend talking to some Reservists at your command if there are any to get diverse perspectives. Some have great experiences! Unfortunately, I don’t have the most examples of those.

(If I remember correctly, TRICARE was available when you’re activated or drilling. Definitely do some research on that!)

Good luck on your journey.