"Break in Service" Explanation?

[Guest Safe&Clear]

I'm separating from Active Duty but haven't specifically picked a Guard or Reserve Unit. In my searches/ conversations/ interviews, however, I keep getting told to avoid a "Break in Service" as if is a terrible thing and will adversely affect me, but I can't really get a solid explanation as to why.

My financial situation allows my wife & I to comfortably take a few months off and travel, researching various units in the meantime.

Why can't I be on "IRR" status until I've picked a unit and done the paperwork? How will this hurt my future Guard/Reserve career? Or, for that matter, an Active Duty career should I later decide to join the pilot recall program?

[JarheadBoom]

I took 2 1/2 years off between the Marines and the AFRES. Big things I remember:

1. There's FAR more paperwork to be done if you have a break in service, because you're basically re-joining the military. I even had to go to the MEPS.

2. Your pay date and date of rank will slide to the right for however long your break is. My pay date was originally early '93; it's now mid '95 because of my "vacation".

[Gov]

I'm separating from Active Duty but haven't specifically picked a Guard or Reserve Unit. In my searches/ conversations/ interviews, however, I keep getting told to avoid a "Break in Service" as if is a terrible thing and will adversely affect me, but I can't really get a solid explanation as to why.

My financial situation allows my wife & I to comfortably take a few months off and travel, researching various units in the meantime.

Why can't I be on "IRR" status until I've picked a unit and done the paperwork? How will this hurt my future Guard/Reserve career? Or, for that matter, an Active Duty career should I later decide to join the pilot recall program?

One of the things officer promotion boards look at is break in service. To keep this from being a big deal, when coming up for a board, submit a letter of explanation to the board with the PRF and other paperwork. It's just something else that stands out when the board is shuffling through all the candidates, but any explanation (short of being in jail for that break) will usually be good enough. As far as enlisted promotions, it generally is not a factor.

[amcflyboy]

Here's a little something something to add to this conversation:

I agree that a break in service is BAD. Believe it or not, when you join a Guard/Reserve unit, the paperwork takes FOREVER to process. We had a guy just come to us from the Navy flying P-3's up in Washington. It took one freaking year for his paperwork to go through, and for him to get sworn in. If you're all about taking time off with the wife and family, then get the paperwork rolling, and then take your time off. Guard units typically understand about taking time off, and not coming to UTA's because you're waiting for paperwork and getting caught up with lost time with the family. Keep the break in service to the shortest amount of time as possible.

As for the above example of a pilot completely changing services, that might be the reason for the long delay. But then again what do I know? Just my .02, take it for what it's worth. Good luck!

[TacAirCoug]

I started my paperwork with my ANG unit about 3 months before I left active duty, and was off active duty for another 3 months before it was all done and I was officially "in the unit." Fortunately, because I started early, they back dated all of my paperwork so I did not have a break in service and all of the ass pain that can go along with it. My advice, put in the legwork now and take your vacation once you're in a unit. You'll be glad you did.

[Guest Pony]

At least stay in the IRR. When I came to the Guard from AD USMC I did not go into the IRR. I thought it would just be one more hurdle I would have to get out of while waiting for my transition to get through Guard Bureau. I had 3.5 months where I was completely out. That break in service after 10.5 years of AD got me demoted back to Capt. With a break in service, the Guard reqired 11 years of AD for me to come back in at my previous rank. I had to get two good Guard years before I could get promoted back to 0-4. Dude, that was a fair amount of cash over that time, not to mention the two years longer that it would take to make 0-5. What I didn't know really ended up hurting me. I will say that being a ten year captain in the Guard was a license to steal, so it wasn't all that bad.

[Guest WNFRED]

I'm separating from Active Duty but haven't specifically picked a Guard or Reserve Unit. In my searches/ conversations/ interviews, however, I keep getting told to avoid a "Break in Service" as if is a terrible thing and will adversely affect me, but I can't really get a solid explanation as to why.

My financial situation allows my wife & I to comfortably take a few months off and travel, researching various units in the meantime.

Why can't I be on "IRR" status until I've picked a unit and done the paperwork? How will this hurt my future Guard/Reserve career? Or, for that matter, an Active Duty career should I later decide to join the pilot recall program?

Here is my personal experience. Being in the IRR is great paperwork wise. It really should only take a couple of weeks to a month to put you back in the roster. The biggest PROBLEM is once you have a break in service greater than 90 days your aeronautical orders expire. This is a gigantic pain in the ass to get back. It took me well over six months and that was with my unit really working with me. If you are not going back to flying then don't worry about it, but if you are then make SURE those 90 days don't elapse. Of course the AF being the AF things could have completely changed in the last two years Anyway good luck and feel free to PM with any questions.

[BFM this]

IRR should keep the pay clock running--it did for me.

[Guest Safe&Clear]

Here is my personal experience. Being in the IRR is great paperwork wise. It really should only take a couple of weeks to a month to put you back in the roster. The biggest PROBLEM is once you have a break in service greater than 90 days your aeronautical orders expire. This is a gigantic pain in the ass to get back. It took me well over six months and that was with my unit really working with me. If you are not going back to flying then don't worry about it, but if you are then make SURE those 90 days don't elapse. Of course the AF being the AF things could have completely changed in the last two years Anyway good luck and feel free to PM with any questions.

Yep, you are exactly right-- I wish I had logged on to BaseOps.net at some point over the last 10 months and seen your reply! I am stuck in a swirling vacuum trying to get my AO back. They keep asking for more paperwork. And then more. And then for paperwork I sent 6 months ago that apparently has since been "lost"!

Oh, well, my "few months" turned into well over a year, but it's been a great year. I accidentally started a business which was so successful I had to buy my own plane. But just to be on the safe side I also nabbed an airline job which I'm starting this month.

But as well as it's going, I still wanna fly for the Guard/Reserve, so every week or so I play the Big Blue game and send in some more papers... We'll see what happens. Thanks again!

[matmacwc]

Anyone have any positive or smooth paperwork stories when they switched? I'm trying to get an ART position off AD, I'd like to leave AD on a Friday and show up at the unit on monday and get paid, is this possible?

[Danny Noonin]

Anyone have any positive or smooth paperwork stories when they switched? I'm trying to get an ART position off AD, I'd like to leave AD on a Friday and show up at the unit on monday and get paid, is this possible?

from what I know that may be tough for an ART job. The problem is with the GS

half of the job not the mil part. Probably not a specific enough answer to be helpful to help you but i've heard several anecdotal stories that make it seem like a pain in the ass. Recommend you start the paperwork early and aggressively push the rope

[Guest Safe&Clear]

Anyone have any positive or smooth paperwork stories when they switched? I'm trying to get an ART position off AD, I'd like to leave AD on a Friday and show up at the unit on monday and get paid, is this possible?

If you have everything already lined up with your Reserve unit, they will produce paperwork that indicates a transfer exactly one day after your separation. The transition of your *military* service is seamless, which is the most important part. Your unit will then take care of the "ART" aspect later.

My scenario is different because I didn't have a unit selected before I left AD.