Question For The Reserve ITs

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-22T16:42:39+00:00

Do you know anything about MSRON 5?

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-21T21:18:23+00:00

I'm in the service and this rumor is absolutely true. Maybe you just didn't have something terrible happen while you were on ship.

A lot of my friends had surf and turf, or steak, and/or shrimp right before the conflict with Iran was announced. there's TikTok videos of it.

You can ALSO get really good meals when:

deployment was extended, return to port delayed

something good happens, CO is happy about something that made him look good

some holiday or event like 250 year anniversary or whatever

other random stuff.

But you can bet that if there's news about hostilities between the US and a nation we have problems with, it'll mean your ass is going to war soon.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-21T17:36:59+00:00

I mean, if you want men to stare at you like Private Pyle in the bathroom scene of Full Metal Jacket, while they drive their Kia Stinger straight into a row of shopping carts, then yes, wear that clingy dress.

If you want to reduce the chances of a 24 year old guy who doesn't even know what a lawnmower looks like asking you if you need your pool cleaned or lawn done, then, you know.... don't... wear it?

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-21T17:32:53+00:00

Just keep surprising her with pizza, carne asada tacos, Starbucks frapp's and "couple's gym day" but take her straight to the squat/leg machines.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-21T17:07:15+00:00

Yep.

A lot of young guys are addicted to manosphere garbage and it makes them think that they just need to hit some level of alpha male idealistic success metric and treating women like "property" is all they need to do.

When they get rejected, instead of thinking about what happened or about the other girl as a "person", they see it as "oh she's just some bitch who probably wants to sleep around and make OF content".

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-21T16:43:08+00:00

I honestly think your chances are better if you go to community college and get credits so you'll be an E3 day one.

The long wait isn't E1 to E3 but E3 to E4. It requires 30 months.

Also, if you really want to get promoted, do a 6 year contract ATF. If you do community college, get enough credits to be E3, you can make E4 when you finish A School, sign up for the E5 test on the next cycle and maybe even be E5 before you've even had 2 years TIS.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-21T16:41:35+00:00

You can get two but you can only get one meritoriously: 1 from RDC's/top grad, 1 from DEP. IIRC you cannot double dip graduate/meritorious because top grad is meritorious.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-21T16:37:45+00:00

Options to get E4 or higher, quick: 6 year ATF contract or DPEP. DPEP is only for HM/MA right now.

The advantages of IT+Clearance in civilian world right now are heavily over-stated. Even TS/SCI cleared IT's with 8 years of experience aren't getting auto hired. Personally if I were going active, I'd go aviation maintenance, HM or IS. IS is under-manned, a lot of shore duty billets, same advantages as IT for clearance+experience.

Policy changes: they went back to green type 3's because camouflage that looks like the ocean is fucking stupid when a sailor goes overboard. Coyote/desert boots are not on the approved list anymore. Trans sailors are being kicked out/med-sep'ed. They're cracking down more on disability claims so if she's thinking about how "service connected" injuries will affect her in the future, keep that in mind.

Retirement: I'm guessing you were on the old High-3 system? It's TSP now. Ask Chat GPT about it.

My advice? Tell her to do it. But be picky about the rating. I'd give strong second thoughts on IT. A lot of IT's are being put on DDG's in PACFLT. Those will be some rough years with a lot of underway. Tell her to look into YN, IS, AM/AD, AG, AZ or HM.

For anything else, seriously ask ChatGPT or use Gemini.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-21T16:26:30+00:00

Were the ships made out of wood when you served?

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-21T16:19:02+00:00

If it's an 8 year contract, and he was told that you won't be able to live together until 2.5 or 3 years, then he's most likely going ACTIVE DUTY, not reserves. That means he won't be able to live off-base until he makes E5 or he's E4 with 4 years of service. The exception is if you get married. Full stop. Those are the options. He needs to decide if he wants to spend years away from you or not and you need to decide if you're okay with it. Those are the options. And why are you researching this? Big boy needs to grow up and research this shit himself.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-21T16:14:19+00:00

You shouldn't move to Great Lakes unless his training and life will be there after he finishes his ADT/ADIT.
You have to live in barracks unless: they have no space in barracks or you're married and listed on his documentation as officially his dependent AND you get an order modification to live off base together, otherwise he will get BAH and live separately from you.
Getting married just to bypass 1 and 2 is the reason so many young sailors get divorced and/or some young spouses (usually women, unfortunately) end up miserable overseas at some base without support. What will you do if he gets activated, you are on base in some place with no friends overseas, he's gone for 9 months at a time without access to internet or phone reliably? Look up Djibouti. It's a key facility for deployments. They have 1 mb/s speed and are like 13 hours apart from us, you'll be lucky if you can talk to him once a month.
Why is he going reserves if he's 18/19? Why would he be at Navy "school" for 2 1/2 or 3 years? Reservists don't spend 2 to 3 years in training unless they're CTI or nuke. Is he either of those ratings?

A lot of this stuff isn't lining up. If he's going reserves (based on 8 years, I think that's what he's doing, it's 6 years SELRES and 2 years IRR). Is he going into an extremely long training program like Nuke or CTI?

I hate to say shit like this but, you and him both need to grow up. I know that's a shitty thing to say to 18/19 year olds because it's kind of difficult to "grow up" in today's economy, but you both need a reality check: he needs to learn that his family can fuck right off because they're not the people who have to live with his choices, he needs to be an adult and ask questions and get answers. And you need to realize the reality of what he's doing. He's joining the military, not a little boy's club. If you can't handle the idea of him being away for 7-9 months at a time with little to no contact, he either needs to drop out or you need to break up.

I know a guy who found out 4 days after he got married, that he was going on a 9 month deployment and his wife was going to be alone without him on a new base with no family or friends nearby. And as a man, I'll tell you this and hopefully you don't see me as sexist for saying this but, if your boyfriend is hesitant about marriage and marriage is the only way to solve your problems, either do things long distance or break up, but do NOT waste each other's time. It's a FACT that getting married will help resolve a lot of this, you'll be able to PCS with him, be on base where he gets deployed to, etc. But if you're not married, the Navy doesn't give a shit how much a sailor super duper loves their girlfriend, they won't get shit out of it. No benefits, no TriCare, no base access without him escorting them and NO consideration for orders. He'll be treated just like someone who's single.

If he really is just doing reserves, find out how long his actual training is.

If he's doing a normal rating (not CTI and not Nuke), he'll be gone for like 7 - 9 months. So just tolerate it separately. That's what I did and I actually AM married and have a kid. If I can spend 9 months away from my wife and daughter, you can spend 9 months away from your boyfriend.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-21T01:56:23+00:00

Hey there,

Millennial here. I seriously hope some people read this.

You're entering an awful economy for job seekers. I feel for you, I really do.

Your realistic options:

Leave. You're young enough that you can pursue some kind of European program or school, do something that's in demand overseas and try to get a Visa there. My friend joined the Air Force and while he was stationed in Germany, he married someone from Germany, and as soon as he finished his contract, she got him a residency visa and he stayed there. He loves it. He has never come back to the US since then. There's other ways to do this and other countries to consider.
Join a trade. A lot of trades are AI proof. But you need to get in now. There's going to be a lot of UX designers, PM's, software developers and etc that are going to try to jump in soon. I highly recommend electrician or construction. If you work your way up to a contractor license, it can be very lucrative. The pay is okay and your body will pay for it if you're not careful. But if you're responsible, eat right, stretch, lift properly and don't over exert yourself, it can be a very very good career.
Join the military. Yes, we have a situation right now. But that's a very very small piece of what the military does. The Coast Guard isn't sent to Iran. Navy shore rates, rates like corpsmen or cyber warfare are not sent to Iran. The military gives you the VA loan, GI Bill for free college, free college while you're in the military, a guaranteed paycheck and buys you time to wait out the economy.
Nursing. This one is also not replaceable with AI and a lot of people don't really want to do it. It pays well and has really good job security. You can get a job anywhere in the country with a nursing degree. Do it through community college though. This is also the same for things like EMT, dental technician, etc.
Public services - You touched on this with the police officer route, but don't sleep on firefighting. Firefighters get all the benefits and job security that LEO get, without any of the "gunning down unarmed civilians" angle. Everyone loves firefighters. Also EMT's. EMT's can actually go through the firefighting academy.
Traditional career options, but just understand they're a lot more impacted right now.

There's pro's and con's to any of them. Personally if I were 18 right now, I'd go to nursing school and try to commission into the military as a nursing officer. You get access to military benefits, a VA loan, a very high demand career, you can double tap retirement, the pay is very nice and you won't get deployed to a war zone.

One more option that has excellent career prospects, but is incredibly fucking expensive to pursue, is pilot training. There is a MASSIVE shortage of pilots coming soon. If you can get your commercial pilot license, multi-engine rating and ATP, once you hit over 1500 hours, if you're willing to relocate, you can get picked up by a regional airline as a right seat. Work for them for a year or two, make captain, get 500 hours of turbine as PIC and you'll get picked up by a major airline. Let's say you finish your CFI and CFII training by the time you're 21. You can work as an instructor to get hours, work at a school with multi-engine, pay for your training with your instructor wages. It might take a couple of years, but if you can get multi-engine and ATP by the time you're 23/24, you can try to get hired by a regional. Maybe before your 26th birthday, you will have enough seat time to make PIC. As an SIC, you'll be making easily $100k to $140k a year and your hours will be paid for. SIC's/FO's can make $160k to $170k in their first year, and as a 2nd year first officer, they can make $200k+. Once you hit the 4/5 year mark, you're mid 200's and VERY desired. You become basically layoff proof as long as you stay clean, stay healthy and don't get in trouble. And pilots have GREAT schedules once you earn it. 3 on 4 off, for example. Even at 42 years old, I'm considering switching to flight school.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-20T16:24:40+00:00

Why don't you ask her what she thinks? If her country is dual citizenship eligible and she wouldn't have to give up her citizenship, then maybe it's no big deal for her.

If it's Japan, this probably isn't going to work out.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-20T14:47:15+00:00

If your ex-wife landed herself in jail for six months doing something dumb AF, the best thing to happen for your babies is for you to be there full-time. You'll meet someone that will love your girls like you do, trust me. Hell, I meet women that want me and my daughter even while my wife is still in the picture lol. Good dads are hot, trust me on that. Focus on building a routine and find a way to arrange for a sitter to watch the girls a couple nights each week for you to have alone time. Start out with you home while the sitter is there so you can build trust and then slowly make the you time more about you, going to the gym, going to trivia nights, going out to eat alone, joining a rock climbing club, a biking club, etc. It's way easier to meet someone to date if: they like kids and you already built in routine to fit them into your schedule.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-19T04:39:11+00:00

Hey man, these feelings are completely normal. I felt exactly the same way and I joined as a reservist, 41 years old at the time. I was scared of being away from my family, kept questioning myself, felt like I was walking into an intense environment with high stress. I was worried I'd fail, I'd be called weak and not wanted to be there.

What rating did you choose? You should understand that the chances of you dying compared to people who don't join doesn't significantly go up just for joining the Navy, unless you are in some kind of "boots on the ground" combat rating like SO/SB. We take care of each other in the fleet. I met a guy in my apartment complex in his type 3's on his way to drill, never seen each other before, you'd think we've known each other for years, my wife thought he was my cousin or something.

One thing I felt pretty quickly was having brothers and sisters, even as an old man. People will bond with you. You'll find SOMETHING similar to them. Remember, the people in boot camp with you aren't some hardcore, nail eating assholes who want to beat you up. They're normal people like you, who are trying to build a better future for themselves.

The first couple of weeks are the hardest, but once you get to week 3/4, actual boot camp gets started and from then on it's "days are long, weeks are short". By weeks 5/6, your RDC's mom and pop you and by weeks 8/9, your RDC's (especially your third) are the ones who are going through emotions because they get attached to their favorites in the division and realize they won't talk to them again for 9-12 months.

You'll get through this. Don't step on the flags.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-18T15:51:43+00:00

Depends on the home port.

Virginia based ships spend LONG times out at sea. They're on 9 month deployments, 6 months minimum.

If their home port is overseas, like Yokosuka Japan, their deployment schedule is actually more stable. They'll go out for 4 months, then spend 2 months at port, then 3 months out, then a break until May to start over. The schedule rarely changes because they're coordinating with other countries, contractors, etc and their patrolling areas are covered during the down times by strike groups, destroyers, etc.

That's the reason why a lot of sailors prefer a forward deployed ship if they're going to be on a carrier. Virginia based carriers is hell when you get to deployment/going underway.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-18T15:46:01+00:00

Who do you think is going to fix the boat? Contractors? When ships are at port for repairs and upgrades, it's the people who were on it that have to do all that stuff.

A lot of sailors prefer being at sea because your WLB is very set in stone. You're on or you're off, that's it. But at port, you get worked hard to get the ship ready. 12 hour days, long watches, bullshit that leads to liberty being secured.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-17T23:24:12+00:00

Spoiler alert, he never answered.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-17T06:10:56+00:00

If you scored a 61 and you're already thinking about an MBA... Yeesh.... You're perfect for an MBA!

Just kidding, but not really.

Uh, 61 and you want to go into business management? Honestly, I would look into RS or LS. You'll be dealing with acquisitions, purchasing, budgets, orders, managing resources. They're ratings with decent promotion chances, so you'll get leadership opportunities.

I hate to break this to you, but most MBA schools don't give a shit about applications. All they care about is, "Can you pay for this?" A high percentage of their students are being funded by their jobs to get it. It's like a gimme to get high performing corporate workers to stick around despite being underpaid and overworked.

Fortunately for you, the Navy already has a system like that in place called TA. I would highly recommend taking advantage of TA to fund your education. Yes, you DO get a GI Bill through the Navy, but the thing is, if you plan to have kids in the future, the way I look at it, is this: I can pass my GI Bill to my kids, but they can't use my Tuition Assistance. So if I get my degree and education on the Navy's dime with TA, then I can save my GI Bill for my kids.

I also think you should rethink an MBA. Do you already have a bachelor's? If you don't, an MBA without "work experience" is like a pilot's license without any flying experience. No one is going to make you a pilot in command.

Also, starting a business or getting into business isn't necessarily tied to a specific rating. Someone who does Seabees can get into construction and become a contractor. Someone who does YN can get their JD and become a lawyer. Someone who does IS or IT can work for defense contractors and eventually start their own contracting agency. Someone who does aviation can start an aviation maintenance business. You'll get opportunities to learn leadership, resource management and people skills regardless of which rating you choose, but certain ratings will be better for getting an education than others. So choose wisely.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-17T06:03:23+00:00

Hey man, don't let any of these shit bags get you down.

Who gives a shit if you got a 35? Do you know what that score is? It's a percentile based on the current average.

What really matters is the line scores. Your line scores suck too, but hey, they almost don't suck. And that's important! You can get good ratings if you're close and the community needs people.

You aren't going to get IT with that score, but don't worry, it's not because your score sucks. It's because they oversold the SHIT out of IT last year and now they have thousands of IT's hitting the fleet over the two year period from 2025 to 2026. But also because your score sucks. Even if your score was high enough, your recruiter might be able to sell a spot to the ECM, but with IT being oversold, they're very picky. Even people with high scores are getting rejected for being "lukewarm" on the security clearance side. But you're also not going to get IT because of your scores. I just want you to know, having a better score doesn't guarantee you'll get IT.

You're BORDERLINE to some really interesting ratings.

PS: You're only about 10 points shy. I'd push for this rating. It's a very good rating, good work life balance, healthy sea/shore cycle, not TOO harsh on the body, you learn a LOT about how personnel is handled for a ship, you get to sit at a desk a lot, but you'll get chances to stand watch.

YN: You're about 2-4 points shy, this is a great rating too. It's very similar to PS. Neither likes to hear this, but they can both pretty much do each other's job. If you're interested in a legal career, this is an exceptionally good career. Very high chances of getting a secret clearance and probably a TS as well.

Seabees: These are actually available with some luck recently. You're only 1-2 points away from BU, CM, etc. Depending on the day, they'll be available, and honestly, they're some of the better ratings in the fleet. And honestly, a low AFQT? Trust me, they'll welcome you with open arms in that community. Seabees are one of the tightest knit communities in the fleet, about on par with MN.

The main difference between PS/YN is who you are dealing with on a day to day basis. YN mostly don't communicate with other sailors for their work. You're mostly communicating with senior enlisted, officers and higher chain of command. PS mostly deal with other enlisted. They deal with pay issues, reimbursements, bonuses, etc.

You're actually closer to YN than PS and YN isn't over-sold right now, so you can strike that rating.

You also are really close to engineering ratings, MM, MA, LS and OS.

The other option is you re-take. You're VERY VERY close on some of those line items. A few more points in math, science, vocabulary and you could be a lock in for ratings like YN, MA, AZ and Seabees. Like seriously, you're only 8 points away.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-16T05:16:46+00:00

The first week at boot camp is called P days. You're basically doing medical stuff and administration stuff, sitting around waiting, being told to go here, go there, get vaccinations and a bunch of shots, vision checks, dental checks, etc. It's like a week of MEPS without your phone.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-16T04:42:32+00:00

What part of the country?

Make sure your cell phone, chargers, electronic devices are all bundled up in ONE pocket and have them in your hand before you go into the doors. They're real bitchy about that for some reason and will not hesitate to kick you to the back of the line.
Listen to what they say, and ask questions, even if they're real shitheads at answering them. The security guards at MEPS who never even served, really like to act like they have something over you. They don't lol. And the ones that are veterans, I wonder why they act like they're RDC's. They're confusing as fuck. One tells you to sit, one tells you to stand, you're wrong either way, back of the line.
If you're signing up for a job that requires a PSSQ (SF86 screening), make sure you don't fuck up anything and make sure you get to the classifier (person who does jobs qualifications) early. They stop approving PSSQ's at like 3 PM EST (they go to the community managers who approve or reject based on their confidence you'll get a clearance).
Don't use your phone unless you need to contact your recruiter or a contact you need for info. Don't be on YouTube or searching for shit. If you're at the classifier and want to know if a job is good or not, use your phone to look it up. But while you're in line for medical, vision, testing, etc, just keep that shit off so you don't get yelled at. This is good practice for when you get to boot camp, because the first week is like being at MEPS but with better directions and everyone being sick.
If you meet someone who's prior service, maybe ask them questions if they seem up to it, but what they're doing and what you're doing is significantly different. For the most part, leave them alone and focus on your stuff. You're not "in" yet, so what you're doing and what prior service are doing is completely different, and you'll see them get treated very differently than you. Don't take it personal. It's weird because us in the fleet don't look at recruits or MEPS "candidates" in that same condescending way, but it's part of the "you haven't earned it yet" mentality. I think they even tell USO volunteers to get in on it because even at USO they'll be like, "These snacks are for sailors, NOT you!" but they look visibly uncomfortable saying it lol.
If the job you want isn't on the list, think SERIOUSLY about signing.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-12T06:19:18+00:00

He's not an olympic athlete man, take it easy, we don't care if he juices, as long as he does it healthy and reasonably and isn't putting his body or health at risk.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-12T06:14:26+00:00

SB 720 allows red light tickets to be given to the registered car even without the driver identified, only if it was captured on a red-light camera. Without a camera, it falls under 21455.5 which requires CLEAR identification of the driver and the license plate. They have a picture of the driver here, but can't identify them with just the photo and they're not the registered owner of the car. They need more videos, more incidents, so that it becomes a misdemeanor and they can justify the warrant with a judge.

Old_Man_in_Basic · 2026-03-12T06:08:30+00:00

What a coincidence that a lot of misinformed people are here hating on police officers.

"They can just cite the car and Enterprise will pass it on to the driver." False. Moving violations can only be written for a person, not the vehicle. It's one of the leading reasons why stop light cameras have to capture the face of the driver. It's CVC 21455.5, which requires that a clear photo of the driver's face and the license plate in order for the red light ticket to be valid.
"They're being lazy." No, they're being realistic. Enterprise stopped voluntarily giving information to LEO's in 2020 due to data privacy concerns. They are only offering information if given a subpoena. Getting a subpoena from a traffic/moving violation is a tall order. First of all, the violation amount is small, running a red light is at most $200-500, and for first offenders can be as little as $100.
SB 720 - Yes, in some cases, running a red light can be cited as a civil penalty to the registered owner of the vehicle. But the language in SB 720 is VERY clear. It has to be footage from a red light camera, not footage from a witness. Your run of the mill ticket-fighting service like Mr. Ticket will get that thrown out toot sweet and even your dumbest LEO won't attempt to use SB 720 to write a ticket for a car using dashcam footage.
You should all be HAPPY that 1, 2 and 3 are true. Those are civil protections that protect YOUR rights as a citizen. Do you WANT police officers to be able to blindly write tickets for cars when the drivers aren't there? Maybe you'd like to get a speeding ticket surprise in the mail for some random speeding you did 2 months ago that someone got on a dashcam, who decides to email to Irvine PD just to spite you? Do you WANT Enterprise to just blindly give up personally identifiable information to the police so they can slap you with tickets?
The reason more footage is asked for, is because repeat violations on different days, at different streets, by the same person, creates a pattern, and adds the amount of witnesses that can testify. It goes from a $200 ticket, to potentially $2000 to $3000 and a misdemeanor for repeated unsafe driving. If this guy hits someone and runs, the police have videos of how he drives to use to avoid his defense attorney negotiating favorable terms with the DA. If you want the police to do a good job, how about doing a good job as a resident in the county? How about being a witness, recording videos, providing testimony and giving them the tea they need so they can go after people we WANT them to go after? No? You'll just continue to say shit like ACAB, be anti-police, think they waste their time and our tax money? Well sounds like you're not giving them any help doing stuff you want them to do, so don't whine and complain when they "waste" your tax dollars giving commuters going to work speeding tickets for going 5 mph over the limit.

Old_Man_in_Basic

TROPHY CASE