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Random Question: Any realistic way to pause a Reserve/Guard commitment to do lengthy (9 - 12 months) work abroad? Apart from a deployment.
All Branch Topic (ABT) International Work and the Reserve/Guard
- Thread starter DeadCactus
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Yes, you can go ING status for a year, during which time the clock stops.
Common after your six year drilling status is up (or 12 if you're MDSSP, etc) Before the commitment is up, you'd need authorization from your command and I would imagine it ain't an easy sell....
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Had this on my mind again recently as I am coming up on the decision to take STRAP or not. Anyone have any first or second hand experience with this?
And to make sure I understand this right: If you you're not paying anything back, easy and basically at your will but good luck if you're in the payback phase of something like STRAP?
And to make sure I understand this right: If you you're not paying anything back, easy and basically at your will but good luck if you're in the payback phase of something like STRAP?
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What's your question, DC? I'm not sure I understand...
I came close to taking STRAP but ended up opting not to.
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My take away from your post was that if you've finished your initial obligation and are continuing on in the Guard with no long-term obligation, it's pretty easy to be switched over to ING status to go abroad for awhile and then resume normal drilling when you get back. But if paying back STRAP or something, you're probably out of luck as command has no reason to barter with you. Correct?
What about getting your drill and AT obligation condensed into a few months and just being excused from the regularly scheduled drill for a large chunk of the year? Probably equally hard sell...
What about getting your drill and AT obligation condensed into a few months and just being excused from the regularly scheduled drill for a large chunk of the year? Probably equally hard sell...
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Ah, gotcha. Thanks for clarifying.
ING is not hard to do when you are without obligation. The alternative would be resigning your commission.
When you are under STRAP obligation, it's up to your CO AND the State. I'd imagine they'd consider you taking a year off, though I can't think of why, particularly if your state is understaffed for docs (like almost every state).
You can SUTA your time, but in my state, the policy for SUTA is that you do it in the month for the drill you are missing. I don't know if this is state or federal policy. But you would not be excused for a year's worth of drill by SUTAing 24 days in one go. There is also the issue of having to notify your command that you will not be in the area for a year. You couldn't really be considered an active, drilling resource.
STRAP's lack of flexibility is the main reason I didn't take it. I had to think LONG and hard on this one, as I'm not planning on leaving anytime soon, so it seems like wasted money to not take it during residency. The two reasons why I ruled it out are:
1. Can't do ING if I decide to do international relief work or (more appealing) take a year off for round-the-world travel or whatnot.
2. Would have to defer HPLRP (since I can't take it while I'm paying back STRAP obligation) or keep pushing out my payback for STRAP by several years.
ING is not hard to do when you are without obligation. The alternative would be resigning your commission.
When you are under STRAP obligation, it's up to your CO AND the State. I'd imagine they'd consider you taking a year off, though I can't think of why, particularly if your state is understaffed for docs (like almost every state).
You can SUTA your time, but in my state, the policy for SUTA is that you do it in the month for the drill you are missing. I don't know if this is state or federal policy. But you would not be excused for a year's worth of drill by SUTAing 24 days in one go. There is also the issue of having to notify your command that you will not be in the area for a year. You couldn't really be considered an active, drilling resource.
STRAP's lack of flexibility is the main reason I didn't take it. I had to think LONG and hard on this one, as I'm not planning on leaving anytime soon, so it seems like wasted money to not take it during residency. The two reasons why I ruled it out are:
1. Can't do ING if I decide to do international relief work or (more appealing) take a year off for round-the-world travel or whatnot.
2. Would have to defer HPLRP (since I can't take it while I'm paying back STRAP obligation) or keep pushing out my payback for STRAP by several years.
