NROTC Commitment

I

informe

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NROTC scholarship holders owe back 5 years of active service and 3 years of reserve. I want to clarify the reserve duty commitment.
1) Does it mean they have to report for training once a month for 3 years and that is it?
2) Or during the 3 years of reserve duty they can be called back for active duty?
3) If they get called for active duty does the commitment end at a total of 8 years [5 year active +reserve months+the current active = 8 years] or for how long are they obligated to serve?

I am trying to learn the implications of service commitment.
Thanks.
 
@informe

Read more general info about USNR officer "life" at this link:
https://www.navy.com/about/about-reserve/roles-responsibilities.html

When you complete your active duty commitment after x years (your job is 24/7 Navy), you then transition to the active Reserve for y years, meeting annual training requirements for the required number of years. These can be the traditional one weekend a month and two weeks active duty, or more flexible combinations, depending on the needs of the Navy and you. Otherwise, you are leading a civilian life in the working world. As to deployments, please read website in detail.

Always keep in mind that any service is subject to needs of that service, and what is true today may not be in 4 years of school + 5 years active, in terms of what Reserve life looks like. Much depends on what's going on in the world, and to what extent Reserves are needed to augment AD. Your warfare specialty can also factor in, if it is in demand at a particular time. All commissioned officers serve at the pleasure of the President.

You may also find that you have no desire to leave active service and have the burning in the gut for command and a hankering for seeing the green flash at sunset from the bridge, surrounded by open ocean.

Good to learn as much as you can and be open to the journey.

Edit: Because I haven't seen a green flash in a long time, I had to go look some up...
https://www.google.com/amp/amp.livescience.com/26376-green-flash.html?client=safari
 
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@Capt MJ
Thank you for the link and the reply. So if you get called for AD while in reserve are you allowed to depart at the end of a total of 8 years of combined previous AD, reserve and the current AD or you have to serve beyond the total 8 years, until released by the Navy?
 
informe said:
@Capt MJ
Thank you for the link and the reply. So if you get called for AD while in reserve are you allowed to depart at the end of a total of 8 years of combined previous AD, reserve and the current AD or you have to serve beyond the total 8 years, until released by the Navy?
Click to expand...

I wish I had a crystal ball, magic wand and Magic 8 Ball to give you the definitive answer, but I don't. Your warfare specialty training pipeline may also impact when your "clock" starts ticking for the 5-year obligated service. It's not necessarily the day you pin on butter bars.

Hypothetically, you complete your 5 years AD (whenever that clock starts), then you complete your 3 years active Reserve (no matter how many AD days you perform during that status over the required minimum) and you should be able to request to resign your commission. "Request" and "Should" are the operative verbs, and are subject to all caveats above, and probably a few I have omitted.
 
@NavyNOLA
Are you able to answer this more definitively for OP? I answered to the best of my knowledge, based on currently serving USNR drilling officers I know, and other informal sources, but not the direct pipeline info to which you have access.
 
@Capt MJ
Ohh. Thank you for clarifying that. So it doesn't matter how many years of AD, you have to in addition serve 3 years of active reserve!!
 
informe said:
@Capt MJ
Ohh. Thank you for clarifying that. So it doesn't matter how many years of AD, you have to in addition serve 3 years of active reserve!!
Click to expand...

If you are asking me if you serve on AD PAST your original 5 year obligation, would you still owe the 3 years or portion thereof of Reserve - or would the Reserve time be superseded by additional AD - you have just exceeded my knowledge. That's why I pinged NavyNOLA, who is a respected poster on all things NROTC. I did straight AD, and learned everything I know about Reserve duty from the many Reserve officers with whom I worked and those I know who are current Reserve.

You must have something you plan to do after (4x365) + (5x365) + (3x365)!
 
The following applies to NROTC; I can not speak for USNA or OCS.

The current service contract being used by NROTC requires an 8 year Military Service Obligation (MSO), starting at your date of rank (commissioning). Of those 8 years, 5 years (Navy option)/4 years (Marine option)/4 years (Navy Nurse) are required to be spent on active duty. If an officer chooses to resign at the end of their active service obligation, they must spend the remaining 3 or 4 years in the Navy/Marine Corps Reserve in order to meet their 8 year MSO. A provision of the contract allows the SECNAV to authorize these officers to transition to the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) vice regular Reserve, and that has been the standard for many years. IRR requires no drilling, no commitment, offers no pay, etc. You could also choose to pursue the regular Reserves (SELRES, FTS, etc.) in order to meet the remainder of the 8 year MSO. Obviously you can also fulfill your MSO by simply spending the full 8 years on active duty, as many do.

So, bottom line, in the current environment, officers have the ability to separate after 5 (or 4 year) on active duty and transition to the IRR, whereby they have no requirements/commitments to meet.
 
I knew NavyNOLA would have the specific info as it relates to current NROTC. :)
 
NavyNOLA said:
The following applies to NROTC; I can not speak for USNA or OCS.

The current service contract being used by NROTC requires an 8 year Military Service Obligation (MSO), starting at your date of rank (commissioning). Of those 8 years, 5 years (Navy option)/4 years (Marine option)/4 years (Navy Nurse) are required to be spent on active duty. If an officer chooses to resign at the end of their active service obligation, they must spend the remaining 3 or 4 years in the Navy/Marine Corps Reserve in order to meet their 8 year MSO. A provision of the contract allows the SECNAV to authorize these officers to transition to the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) vice regular Reserve, and that has been the standard for many years. IRR requires no drilling, no commitment, offers no pay, etc. You could also choose to pursue the regular Reserves (SELRES, FTS, etc.) in order to meet the remainder of the 8 year MSO. Obviously you can also fulfill your MSO by simply spending the full 8 years on active duty, as many do.

So, bottom line, in the current environment, officers have the ability to separate after 5 (or 4 year) on active duty and transition to the IRR, whereby they have no requirements/commitments to meet.
Click to expand...
Question- the above answer you provided was from 2016. Is it still the norm today for the 5 years AD to he fulfilled and then proceeding directly to IRR vs regular Reserve obligations for the remaining 3 years?
 
This thread dates back 4 years. NavyNOLA left us awhile ago when he left his NROTC billet. This should be an easy one for the midshipman or prospective midshipman to research at primary sources or with the unit chain of command.

Feeling my inner Alexa:
The main NROTC website provides info on military service obligation, as do the FAQs. Most NROTC units have FAQ sections. And finally, here is the most recent copy of the NROTC contract I could find:

 
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Also depends on service selection. Aviation is 8 years from when you get your wings. It took my son 2.5 yrs to get his wings...then his 8; he will be in 10.5 years before his initial commitment is up.
 
A small point to remember per @Capt MJ is that as long as you "hold" your Commission you can be recalled at anytime and for any length of time by order of the President. The ONLY way to truly be out of ANY obligation is to resign your Commission and have you resignation accepted. I have a friend who is a Reserve Medical Officer (O-5) and has been recalled twice to AD AFTER completion of his MSO. So as long as you ARE Commissioned you are eligible for recall, as in the enlisted ranks if you retire you can be recalled.
 
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