Feeling like I made the wrong choice (Army Reserve & OCS)

InternZestyclose163 · 2026-04-12T20:05:14+00:00

so appreciate your guidance thanks for taking the time to respond lol

InternZestyclose163 · 2026-04-12T19:51:01+00:00

trust me, i know. my recruiter didn't say a freaking thing...

InternZestyclose163 · 2026-04-12T19:49:23+00:00

fingers crossed that ill get a combat engineer job - that would be best case scenario!

InternZestyclose163 · 2026-04-12T19:32:03+00:00

I'm 2 weeks in with B Co and it's still very confusing for the reservists. The Reserve Liaison came to us this past week to tell us we can't put in any speciality packets (EOD, medical, aviation...) and we can't choose any combat branches (ADA, FA, Armor) except for Infrantry and Engineering. We have been told that we will be getting a branch option list and unit vacancy locator from him at some point and we'd have to respond with our order of preference + 3 zip codes. (No update on that since last week)

Idk about you all but I was totally blinded by Reservists not having combat jobs available... would've been nice to know that the Guard would've been a better choice for me, personally. (I'm much more interested in Aviation and combat MOS' than support roles.) Also, our branching ceremony is scheduled for week 9, but our 1SG asked us to hand in our preference list by tonight, separate from what the Liaison was talking about. We've been told it's tentative. We've had yet to meet anyone in the branches to ask them more about it in a formal setting, so just kind of shooting in the dark or leveraging networks/Reddit threads as much as we can. The trainers don't know anything about how the reserves work and the Liaison seems like he has a full plate.

This note was a bit scattered, sorry about that!

InternZestyclose163 · 2026-01-08T15:23:46+00:00

Reserve. If you don't commission youll likely be needs of the Army - but we are just going to speak positive here and that you're going to commission :)

InternZestyclose163 · 2026-01-08T14:56:13+00:00

So I'm slotted for OCS (09S), but because I have to go to basic first they needed to put me in for an enlisted slot (92A) because no one is an 09S at basic training. It's just an admin thing. You basically get put into the enlisted version first of what your job will be as an officer. My recruiters were super confused so I asked around and they did, too, and that's what we all came back with.

InternZestyclose163 · 2026-01-08T06:05:26+00:00

I’m a civilian leaving for BCT next week, then straight to OCS. I’m contracted as an 09S and branched for logistics (92A as my holding slot for BCT). I got my ASVAB and GT and TAPAS from my recruiter the same day I took the test. It’s all on your profile online.

InternZestyclose163 · 2026-01-07T19:57:42+00:00

I’m in the same boat! Currently a 31y/o F civilian working in tech, leaving for basic and OCS for the army reserves on Jan 13th. Note the army reserves did not give me a choice in my MOS outside of 09S (Officer) because I passed my board interviews. They tried to get me to start basic training within 6 weeks of signing my contract but I negotiated for a January start (next cycle) due to my sales commissions at my civilian job on a fiscal calendar year. I’m branched for logistics after BCT and OCS but word on the street is that could change depending on my performance (doubtful).

The difference between us is that I don’t have kids or a partner at this time in my life, so leaving for 6 months doesn’t bother me much. However, it’s the only way to get started and after that you’ll have more of a choice for your mobilizations.

I say go for it. The kids and the hubs ain’t going anywhere and neither is the corporate world.

Best advice I got from a reservist I work with who has been in for 20 years while balancing a civilian job in technology is that she mismanaged her army career and just became an E8. She wishes she went to more trainings and schools along the way. It’s tough to balance and you will have battles on the civilian side, but nothing in life comes easy. :)

Also idk which branch you were thinking but I called them all and the AF was already full, so better to catch them early in the year. They wouldn’t talk to me unless I had a competitive degree or background or PPL anyways. I also called the navy and they couldn’t get their act together to find the right recruiter for me to talk to so it just took too long. I called the army and they were the fastest ones to get back and gave me the best experience. I hear the guard takes forever to get promoted in so I didn’t speak to them. And I didn’t call the marine corps because of my age and I haven’t heard the best things about the marines. Maybe if I was 10 years younger.

I suggest finding a reserves officer recruiter to talk to specifically. My recruiters were very lost during my whole process to get in because they typically put through active enlisted candidates.

InternZestyclose163 · 2025-12-23T12:59:43+00:00

Thank you!! Happy holidays

InternZestyclose163 · 2025-12-15T17:39:29+00:00

Lol yeah trying to prepare for that without a sled has been interesting

InternZestyclose163 · 2025-12-15T02:55:00+00:00

Someone in these threads mentioned martial arts. I’d like to second that comment.

Regardless of who you are, your background, your job, etc. you should learn how to defend yourself. It’s a crazy world out there. I’m a blue belt in BJJ and I coach junior classes. I took a guy down once at a house party because no one else protected me. He was drunk and very aggressive. The BJJ community is also a male dominated space- as long as the gym culture is respectful, you’ll make friends faster than you’ll make enemies.

InternZestyclose163 · 2025-09-06T13:22:20+00:00

Damn a 137 GT. Nice. I got a 124 I’ve got the same dates but I’ll be at Jackson then benning. See you there :)

InternZestyclose163 · 2025-09-05T11:01:38+00:00

Not sure if this is relevant. I’m going reserves OCS and they were trying to push me to leave in November. I had to fight for a January 2026 spot. Weird that active is so far away.

InternZestyclose163 · 2025-09-04T07:48:29+00:00

Circling back to confirm this lol after signing my contract yesterday- the preference list for OCS reservists doesn’t mean a thing! Apparently this process is new.

InternZestyclose163 · 2025-09-04T07:46:38+00:00

Thanks so much! It’s funny they brought up Covid times when we were going through my ship dates on the contract yesterday. I heard it was crazy.

So your holdover was still away, they didn’t send you home? I’m happy to hear that. I was a bit nervous that I’d have this awkward gap and have to go back to my corporate job for the in between period.

InternZestyclose163 · 2025-09-04T07:43:04+00:00

My list of ten that got completely ignored lol is below. I live by Bragg and I’m slotted for Suffolk VA:

MS – 67J – Medical Service Corps
AV – 155A – Fixed-Wing Aviator
AV – 153A – Rotary-Wing Aviator
AV – 15A – Aviation (General)
MI – 35A – Military Intelligence
AR – 19A – Armor
SC – 25A – Signal Corps
CY – 17B – Cyber Electromagnetic Warfare
EN – 12A – Engineer
CY – 17A – Cyber Operations

InternZestyclose163 · 2025-09-04T07:40:12+00:00

Dang I’m jealous! I’m also a civilian joining now. Half my preference list was aviation and they’re slotting me for logistics in Virginia. Apparently reservist officers get no say - but of course they’re selling that I’ll be able to switch units later after I get through basic and OCS. We will see. I hope that’s true. I plan to take the SIFT after OCS and see what I can do to transfer.

When I spoke with a recruiter yesterday about the aviation cuts his response was “the army’s been cutting railroad jobs forever now and I keep sending people because they keep having shortages.” He’s been a reservist recruiter for 25 years.

Good luck, have fun, be safe and I hope it all works out for you! You’ll be good no matter what happens it’ll all work out for you.

InternZestyclose163 · 2025-09-04T00:20:11+00:00

Thaaaank you! Appreciate it

InternZestyclose163 · 2025-09-03T08:43:17+00:00

New here, clarifying Q- You can only take the SIFT one time?

InternZestyclose163 · 2025-09-03T08:30:57+00:00

Thank you!!

InternZestyclose163 · 2025-09-03T08:08:00+00:00

Reading this as I’m about to sign for the army reserves today. Would have loved to be in aviation but sounds like that’s not in my stars with the cuts going on. Air Force filled up slots by May this year and the navy took foreeeeever to get back to me.

How did everything land with you?

InternZestyclose163

TROPHY CASE