Chances of being deployed?

[coolfez]

So if I do the HPSP, and do my tour of 4 years active and 4 years reserve. How likely am I to be deployed? Also for my 4 years of reserve, can I be in inactive ready reserve?

Also after my tour is over and I don't discharge and just be in the inactive ready reserve, how likely am I to be deployed? Is there a method the military use for deployment from the reserves? Is there any way to opt out of it?

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[Tiankum]

So if I do the HPSP, and do my tour of 4 years active and 4 years reserve. How likely am I to be deployed? Also for my 4 years of reserve, can I be in inactive ready reserve?

Also after my tour is over and I don't discharge and just be in the inactive ready reserve, how likely am I to be deployed? Is there a method the military use for deployment from the reserves? Is there any way to opt out of it?

I've been told by both Army and Navy officers in their respective recruiting commands that it's pretty much a guarantee that you'll be deployed in either of these branches. The army deploys you for around 6 months out of every 3-4 years and the Navy does the same....unless you get assigned to a ship and then you'll be gone for much longer. I've been told by a few Navy dentists that were assigned to carriers that out of the 24 months they were assigned to those ships they were away from home for about 17 months. If you're not wanting to deploy then it's definitely not for you. On the other hand, it would be a pretty cool experience if you are able to get sent over to Iraq or Afghanistan. Good luck buddy!

 

[coolfez]

Thanks for the quick reply! Now when you say deployed, is this during the first 4 years (active duty)? Do the chances of being deployed go down when you are in the reserves?

Basically, what I am worried about is starting my own practice after my active duty and then having to drop everything because I get called to be deployed. Thanks

 

[Tiankum]

Thanks for the quick reply! Now when you say deployed, is this during the first 4 years (active duty)? Do the chances of being deployed go down when you are in the reserves?

Basically, what I am worried about is starting my own practice after my active duty and then having to drop everything because I get called to be deployed. Thanks

I'm no expert man, but from what I've been told by current officers is that it's an almost guarantee to get deployed during your first 4 years of payback. I've also been told that no dentist has ever been called back to active duty once you go IRR...(Inactive Ready Reserve). Although, I did talk to my dad yesterday (he's a retired dental corps officer from the Army) and he told me that anything is possible with todays world. It wouldn't matter if you've got your own life going for you (private practice, wife, kids) if they call you back you have to go. Also, I work pretty close an army base and the other day a guy came in and we got on the subject of the military because he's in the army. He said his friend was called back into active duty one week before his IRR status was over and was shipped over to Iraq for a year. Of course he wasn't an officer, but again, anything is possible man. I would talk to Maj. Mower about it..he would know more on the subject.

 

[teeth63a]

You'll pretty much deploy at least once within your active duty time. If you choose not to go into the traditional reserves or the national guard after your initial active duty obligation, you will enter the individual ready reserve, where not much is expected of you. Your name will be on a list of other IRR dental officers. As of yet, no dentist has been called back from the IRR since there are enough active duty dentists out of school coming on board, but there's a first time for everything, isn't there? The only time you'll be called on is to do "muster duty" where you'll report to a nearby army post, and for half a day listen to a pitch on how you can get back into the army or reserves. Read my thread "One Army Dentist's Story" for more info.

 

[coolfez]

Hi Teeth63a,

Thanks! I actually read your post during my search for my answer.

Regarding the NG, what are your duties? Does the years in the NG reserve count toward your retirement? And you won't be deployed? Thanks

 

[teeth63a]

Hi Teeth63a,

Thanks! I actually read your post during my search for my answer.

Regarding the NG, what are your duties? Does the years in the NG reserve count toward your retirement? And you won't be deployed? Thanks

NG Duties - It depends in what capacity. If you are in a "support battalion", you're a dentist in a medical company (about 40-50 people) and are basically the equivalent of a small medical/dental clinic, but you are attached to a "line" unit (ie regular soldiers) and will deploy with them if they deploy. In this type of unit I think you do more "soldierly" duty rather than dental work. If you are in the Medical Command (MEDCOM), you're in the equivalent of a small hospital type setting. I'm in this type of unit, and for our weekend drills we do the yearly dental exams (no treatment) for the other NG soldiers. The hierarchy and organization can be complicated to someone at first, I hope I made that clear. In any case, so position is safe from deployment.

Yes your NG and reserve years count for retirement. There is a point system where you need to make at least 50 points to qualify for a good year. Retiring from the NG or reserves will never net you more than retiring from active duty (I've posted that somewhere).

If you do join, do count on deploying at least once during active duty. If on reserves or guard, it all depends on where that unit is on the deployment rotation. You may come on board when they've just got back, which makes you safe for 2-3 years, or you may get on board just as they're about to deploy. It all depends on the unit.

 

[krmower]

So if I do the HPSP, and do my tour of 4 years active and 4 years reserve. How likely am I to be deployed? Also for my 4 years of reserve, can I be in inactive ready reserve?

Also after my tour is over and I don't discharge and just be in the inactive ready reserve, how likely am I to be deployed? Is there a method the military use for deployment from the reserves? Is there any way to opt out of it?

I disagree. I have been trying to deploy since last summer, and am having a difficult time. Hopefully in November. I have been in 8 yrs. One of the reasons deployments are harder to find is that things are changing. Iraq is decreasing, and Afghanistan is increasing. Depending on how things finally shake out, there is a good chance that fewer dentists will deploy in the future.

With that being said, current deployment rates for dentists are around 25-35%. So if you come in for 4 years you will have a 1:4-1:3 chance of deploying while you are in. Doesn't matter where you are assigned - there is no "safe base".

I can count on 1 hand the number of dentists that I have met that have deployed more than 1 time since 2001. Those individuals have volunteered to go a second time, or have volunteered to stay in a unit that went a second time. The normal thing to occur is once you deploy you won't go again unless you actively seek it out.

No dentist in the IRR has ever been activated. Other army officers and enlisted Soldiers do get called up. The IRR will not get activated unless the active duty guys can't handle it. Since we are still not using all our active duty dentists, we can handle it just fine.

 

[coolfez]

Thanks for all the answers! That was the only thing holding me back from the military since I don't want be have opened by practice 6 years down the road and then be called back into active duty.