STRAP, Army Reserve, and "Boots on the ground"

[MaxDesMer]

I am a 4th yr matching into EM. I have been really looking into the STRAP program with the Army (correct me if I am wrong: the Navy and Air Force do NOT have a program where the payback is reserve duty).

I have asked them 3 times about the length of deployments and they have consistently answered that for the Reserves (not active duty folks) max time boots on the ground is 90 days and total time away is 120 days with mean time b/t call ups being just short of two years (this is can very much live with)

Can anyone confirm or dis-prove this information? I saw a thread that said that this does not apply if the President makes some declaration.

I am very happy to serve, but I do NOT want to be away from my family for extended periods of time. I would appreciate some honest perspectives from those in the Army Reserves Medical Corps.

My physical is in a few weeks, so I have a bit of urgency to get the first hand opinion on this.

Thanks so much!

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[73BARMYPgsp]

I am a 4th yr matching into EM. I have been really looking into the STRAP program with the Army (correct me if I am wrong: the Navy and Air Force do NOT have a program where the payback is reserve duty).

I have asked them 3 times about the length of deployments and they have consistently answered that for the Reserves (not active duty folks) max time boots on the ground is 90 days and total time away is 120 days with mean time b/t call ups being just short of two years (this is can very much live with)

Can anyone confirm or dis-prove this information? I saw a thread that said that this does not apply if the President makes some declaration.

I am very happy to serve, but I do NOT want to be away from my family for extended periods of time. I would appreciate some honest perspectives from those in the Army Reserves Medical Corps.

My physical is in a few weeks, so I have a bit of urgency to get the first hand opinion on this.

Thanks so much!

If you find a way to join the Army (Reserves, National Guard or Active duty) and only deploy for 90 days, you have hit the jackpot. Deployments in the Army, no matter what your affiliation prior to mobilization are averaging 15 months. That's the deal.

 

[DogFaceMedic]

MD's have a very different deployment pattern, than my blessed infantry. MD's have not been deploying for a year, there are always exceptions. Infantry do not deploy for less than a year, there ar exceptions.
So, best advice is to to go to a Reserve medical unit on their drill weekend or talk to Reserve docs. THe USAF has been doing 90 deployments for their reserve docs, but in war things change.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

I know two EM reservists. Each of their last two deployments was 90-120 days. Previous to that, one of them deployed for 10 months. I'm not sure how much of that was voluntary.

 

[apotheman]

From what I have been able to dig up, you are deployable for 90 days boots on ground (not including mob and demob time-up to an addition month or two) ONLY if you are not 1) sitting in a command position and/or 2) not a doc in a mobilized MTOE unit.

If you are sitting in a command position and/or you are assigned to an MTOE unit and your unit is activated, you are deployable for the entire length of the deployment.

I also heard the line that alot of the 90 days docs volunteer to extend their deployment--Translation: They severely pressure you to stay on until your replacement arrives and/or force you to stay.

Remember, although the army MAY try to abide by the order, the needs on the ground take precedence and so you may be SOL...

 

[Kris1]

How does participating in STRAP affect your employment after residency? It seems like groups wouldn't want to hire a doc who could be deployed for months at a time. I'm an EM resident by the way.

 

[DeadCactus]

I do NOT want to be away from my family for extended periods of time.

Then stay far away. It's really that simple. It's the US Government. They can draft private citizens and tell them they are going to Iraq for a year if they really wanted to.

Is that very likely to happen? No. But signing up for the military without an understanding that a 15 month trip to a war zone is possibility just doesn't make a good decision.

 

[notdeadyet]

Then stay far away. It's really that simple. It's the US Government. They can draft private citizens and tell them they are going to Iraq for a year if they really wanted to.

This guy hasn't posted in almost two years. He's safe...