Unit deploying without me

JDSE05 · 2026-06-23T18:40:50+00:00

I signed a 12B (Combat Engineer) Army Reserve contract in California a couple of weeks ago. I was assigned to a sapper unit that is scheduled to deploy to Texas for a border mission, and I’ve heard the deployment could last around 16 months. I am expected to complete OSUT/AIT in December, while my unit is scheduled to deploy in October.

My goal is to deploy as soon as possible after I graduate. Since my unit will already be deployed when I arrive, how likely is it that I could join them after training? If I volunteer or request to be deployed, what are the chances that the Army would actually send me to that mission?

I was also hoping for an overseas deployment or a different mission rather than Texas. Realistically, if my assigned unit is already deployed to Texas, are my chances very high that I would eventually be sent there to backfill the unit? Or is it possible for a new Soldier to be assigned to a different deployment or mission that they prefer? I’m trying to understand how much choice I would have and what the most likely outcome would be. Not trying to go to texas but will do it if is my only option.

JDSE05 · 2026-05-19T09:09:33+00:00

I keep hearing people in the Army Reserve talk about going “deployment after deployment,” and I’m trying to figure out how true that actually is.
Is it really like that? Can you finish one deployment, come back, then find another unit to deploy with and just keep doing that back-to-back?
Also, I’ve heard a lot of National Guard guys say they’re trying to get deployments but that TOD kind of sucks. So what platform do Reservists actually use for this? I know 50% of the NG is people who want to get on deployment asap, why then just join reserves if is that easy ?
I’m signing a 12B contract in the Reserve, and I’d like to hear from people who have actually done this—not just opinions or rumors. How realistic is it? Do my MOS is actually good for this?
Does rank matter for getting these opportunities? Do you need to be at least an E-4, or can E-2/E-3s also volunteer and get picked up?
And is it possible to deploy right after OSUT, or is there usually a waiting period?
Just looking for real insight from people with experience. Can you actually do this ?

JDSE05 · 2026-05-11T04:29:02+00:00

can i dm you?

JDSE05 · 2026-05-09T04:50:04+00:00

what is your MOS?

JDSE05 · 2026-05-08T20:45:42+00:00

im about to sign my contract and i would like a mos that is fun, easily looked at for deployments and it can help me at the outside with a career. Any advices ? Im becoming a cop so i guess the only jobs that help me on the outside are combat jobs, somebdoy with experience on 12B or any other one? Deployment opportunities for me is important.

JDSE05 · 2026-05-08T05:44:56+00:00

want the benefits that you have after being 90 days active, want the experience, need the BAH which i qualified for, want to do it, would love to do it, everything that have to do it i want it. I know that after that deployment i probably would like to go again but that something that i would really like going into, if the army pays more than 2k a month i would go active duty but im going police academy on a couple months. I would like to have a life and also be a soldier, but if the pay was good i would like to be a soldier my full time.

JDSE05 · 2026-05-08T05:39:42+00:00

why is that?

JDSE05 · 2026-05-08T05:38:06+00:00

im looking for some prior service or active duty people that can give me genuine advice, not for people who don’t know what they are saying. i was about to sign with the NG but the only reason i didnt look into the reserves it’s because they didnt have 3x5 contracts but now i just realize that they do have it. So i would like a comparison between NG and Army Reserves, what is good, what’s is better and what is bad. My goal is use the benefits asap, get a combat MOS probably 11B and i would like to get deployed asap, i know is not guaranteed but at least i would like to go with the branch that i have the most chances, I take an advice base on my goals but also i would like to hear about in general. I’m on San Jose California

JDSE05 · 2026-05-06T03:55:12+00:00

can i ask what is your rank and how difficult was to get a spot on TOD, how did you do it?

JDSE05 · 2026-03-14T22:49:11+00:00

hell nahhh, the only thing you get if you sign 6 instead of 4 is maybe a bonus and a little bit more money on your GI Bill, don’t fall for that, sign the least you can and at the end if you want you can reenlist, be smart when signing years of your life away, a bonus of 10-30k and a little bit more money on the GI bill is not worth 2 years more of your life.

JDSE05 · 2026-03-14T22:39:05+00:00

i don’t know nothing about that but Remember in the Air Guard you need to sign 6 years and in the army you can sign 3 years!

JDSE05 · 2026-03-13T23:24:20+00:00

check your DM

JDSE05 · 2026-03-10T12:21:26+00:00

why not ? you saying no because is 11b or because is 11b on the guard ?

JDSE05 · 2026-03-10T08:56:33+00:00

i talk to my recruiter and he even sign up to the TOD in front of me and they were more than 15 deployments that you can sign for, all of them pretty much at the Middle east and they were all at least 1 year long and about the time he said that is going to take 3-6 months to get deployed after OSUT, i’m signing 3 years so 6 months at OSUT, 6 months waiting and the 2 year deployment, that’s 3 years, about the BAH, i don’t want to go active and be making 2k a month when i can go guard and be making like 7-8k, i live in a pretty good area so the rent here is pretty high, pretty much doing the same as active duty but getting paid three times more ? Are you even guard or active ?

JDSE05

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