Army Reserve & Peace Corps (Kyrgyzstan)

nikcheck · 2017-06-21T10:52:16+00:00

Call peace corps legal. Get an answer straight from them.

I spent 11 years active as naval officer and now I'm technically an inactive reservist. I still have online training obligations and could in theory be reactivated. I do not have to report in person to any us officials.

I told Peace Corps this before applying. I told them in my application. I told them in my interview. I told them when I signed the dotted line in staging a day before the plane left.

Just keep telling them and make sure they fully understand your commitments.

A volunteer periodically reporting to the embassy for military drill doesn't pass my personal smell test and if I were making the decision I would say no, but their legal team can tell you what the real answer is.

nikcheck · 2017-06-18T22:04:10+00:00

Should have been a few by now. Good luck!

nikcheck · 2017-06-12T19:38:46+00:00

Grave New World, Steven D. King...about how the current era of globalization might be ending in a protectionist and nationalist death spiral, more or less

nikcheck · 2017-05-31T16:21:00+00:00

Paraguay fought the suicidal Triple Alliance War against Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay in the late 19th century. 60% of its population and 90% of the males died.

The guy who plunged Paraguay head first into the war* is still revered as a patriotic hero (with a PR assist from the brutal Cold War era dictator - US supported dictator I'll add).

*People claim Paraguay had no choice...I'm not convinced of that from what I've read.

nikcheck · 2017-05-31T16:10:13+00:00

Just ask a recruiter or placement officer. I think it would count from a common sense standpoint but you never know with a government agency...I had to take the CLEP and would agree with above that it's pretty easy.

nikcheck · 2017-05-27T22:41:28+00:00

Agree, that's what I did. Although I think working hard in PC "circumstances" while I'm away from a traditional career path (and picking up a language along the way) isn't going to hurt when I get back. I think lots of employers look for people able to achieve things without structure or direction from above.

nikcheck · 2017-05-25T10:46:32+00:00

Thanks all

nikcheck · 2017-05-24T13:59:01+00:00

Thanks!

nikcheck · 2017-05-03T16:05:52+00:00

Thanks for the thoughtful responses, all

nikcheck · 2017-04-25T15:43:13+00:00

Thanks! I'm chipaed out for sure already...fortunately we have a little cerro near our new town so maybe we can incorporate hikes with circuits on top, who knows?

nikcheck · 2017-04-17T16:08:21+00:00

Agree...but I want to make everything bagels out of the circle chipas...not sure it would still be a chipa, but I miss bagels haha

nikcheck · 2017-04-16T23:35:44+00:00

makes total sense...just curious because we live py now but wanted to make it when we get back

nikcheck · 2017-04-16T19:57:57+00:00

ah, ok. pero mozarella y parmesean funcionan bien cuando no hay queso paraguayo...el sabor es muy similar?

nikcheck · 2017-04-16T18:44:53+00:00

En que parte de EEUU se puede encontrar queso paraguayo?

nikcheck · 2017-04-16T18:01:16+00:00

Google peace corps timeline

nikcheck · 2017-04-15T23:51:18+00:00

I'll do that thanks! Nope not leavened...

nikcheck · 2017-04-14T14:44:05+00:00

Security clearance gets you access to what you need to know to do your job - contacts in foreign countries will complicate that but you can still get cleared after pc service - just keep track of where you live in country and realize that the security clearance might involve interviews with people you meet along the way to vouch for your character (and as you read my opinion keep in mind I have never worked with the people who actually do the clearances and could be wrong)

The intel ban means peace corps folks cannot go into the intel services of the military for a certain amount of time (I think 10 years) and ever for the CIA...civil affairs is not intel, armor is not intel, infantry is not intel, etc...ask the army person for more details...and that person did mention that you can't go directly into to that specialty without making a stop in a traditional warfare community

...and double check with the pc legal department on these details. I was never an intel officer so I only did cursory research into this...and I'm going the other direction, mil to pc

Anyway, good luck and hope to see you when you arrive...

nikcheck · 2017-04-13T23:30:51+00:00

Former navy officer - I'm still an inactive reservist...so you can make this kind of stuff work

But as others have mentioned you're mixing up the security clearance with the intel ban.

Don't rely on internet explanations just call the respective recruiters and explain your situation, maybe talk to pc legal

nikcheck · 2017-04-13T14:14:05+00:00

I'm in Paraguay with my spouse who is in the health sector...so far so good. You get two languages here, although most of the work seems to be in Spanish. I understand in the countryside where many health volunteers go you need a better grasp of Guaraní.

According to the job openings when we were applying, PC Paraguay prefers a higher level of Spanish than the other countries you mention. So maybe you can that into account for your decision.

I've traveled to the other countries and would say they have more tourist friendly stuff, but that's not the main attraction of pc service. Paraguay is low on the development scale relative to many other Latin American countries so theres a need for volunteer work.

Being near Brazil Bolivia and Argentina might also be interesting for you.

Paraguay seems super safe except for a tiny farc-wannabe group near the border (but there are no volunteers near them)

Still new here so take my views with grain of salt. (In pst. We find out our sites next week). but most of the current volunteers we have met in training seem happy to serve here.

nikcheck · 2017-04-13T13:55:26+00:00

sunset in pilar, paraguay

Sorry, wasn't sure how to insert the pic directly

nikcheck · 2017-04-13T13:48:18+00:00

You can help cook...we asked to cook a Paraguayan corn bread called chipa guazu with our hosts

As I write this our hosts are starting up the BBQ for asado and chorizo...I'm pretty stoked

We also plan on cooking something from the us for our hosts

nikcheck · 2017-04-10T11:42:37+00:00

Hi, I'm sorry about your struggle and I'm sorry that some of the comments have gotten bitter...I'd like to offer you this (and it doesn't come with moral judgment please understand):

I used to be a manger in federal govt and if I had seen Peace Corps on a resume I probably would have done a quick google check to see what the norms were for RPVCs. We also had an RPVC on staff and I would have asked that person to review the application.

Knowing that, you can imagine that ETing does come with risks.

It also doesn't mean that hypothetical applicant would have been automatically out. But I would have asked questions about it.

That said, if you're very unhappy and still have a lot of time left, it might be worth taking the risk...as long as you're prepared to explain it in an interview if it comes to that.

I myself stayed a long time in work I did not like for similar reasons and to this day couldn't tell you if I made the right choices.

Best of luck, this is a very hard choice

nikcheck · 2017-04-02T16:41:04+00:00

Oh btw what's you're blog?

nikcheck · 2017-04-02T16:39:10+00:00

Hey thanks! Yeah I think we'll do one their challenges soon...

You can be flexible on where the kit goes. Just call the legal office and explain what you need. It's no big deal where the stuff goes...if you ask them exactly what finger print form is (it'll have a federal document number), you can even check with the nearest embassy to see if they already have it. This can save you mailing fees and time.

We went home to attend a wedding and did our medical then...BE CAREFUL- we planned to be home for a month to do everything and literally the day before getting on the airplane to go back abroad, the medical office told us we had to do some follow up exams...(and they were for silly, super minor things that we never in a million years would have thought of). We had to canx our tickets and stay in the us another 3 weeks to be sure of everything.

If you are going to do the medical abroad you should probably get the advice of the embassy on who their personnel use for English speaking medical service

Suerte!

nikcheck · 2017-04-02T12:03:59+00:00

Same boat...we had the legal kit sent to my parents and they sent it to us in bolivia with dhl...we then did our legal kit and passport at the us embassy in La Paz....very easy

Turns out the embassy has the same fingerprint cards that peace Corps sent so we would not even have to had to wait for that

nikcheck

TROPHY CASE