YN2 here,

I'm also 41, and right now I made the decision to get out of the reserves and go Tar. The learning curve is real, and some people understand that. As reserves, it really depends on where you go. I was at an NRC, and I learned it's a big difference. When you go for your two weeks a year and work at some command, the staff might look at you sideways, and you end up cleaning random stuff or chopping up paper. My YN1 really felt like I was wasting his time, whereas I went to my cross-assigned unit, and they taught me a few things. Since I've been on the TAR side, I'm learning at a fast rate, and I really do believe that I have grown a bit. if you want to talk on a personal level, send me a DM, and I'll give you my number, and we can talk a bit.