DD368 From Reserves to Active

[fatyellow]

I am about to sign on the dotted line to head to OTS for the reserves. My long term career goal includes going to medical school and joining the pilot physician program, which currently requires a DD368 release to active. I have all my prerequisites complete for medical school, but will obviously be spending the next few years focused solely on flying. Is my signing on with the reserves instead of active duty a death sentence to this goal? Am I better off abandoning this job (my dream aircraft/mission) to go for active duty which would not require a DD368?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Biff_T]

I have no idea what a DD368 is.   

If you have the dream job/aircraft lined up with the reserves, sounds like you've answered your own question.  

Don't go active if you don't have to.  You will have less control over your life and long term career goals.   Shit they may put you in helicopters on AD, then your life would be over.  

 

[nunya]

You'll close more doors than you'll open by going AD initially. AD will almost certainly be an option in the future if it's necessary to reach your goal.

[fatyellow]

1 hour ago, nunya said:

You'll close more doors than you'll open by going AD initially. AD will almost certainly be an option in the future if it's necessary to reach your goal.

That is exactly what drove me to reserves-- knowing I'll get to the mission and unit that I really enjoy. When is the right time as a FNG to let the unit know that my career goals entail requesting a release to AD at some point well before the 10 year mark?

Going just off of my enlisted experience, a request like that would not have been taken seriously. Granted, that was a whole different time and in a pretty poorly run guard unit. 

[Clayton Bigsby]

Remember on Billy Madison, when he grabs the chubby kid by the cheeks and tells him to cherish where he is forever?

That.

[nunya]

3 minutes ago, fatyellow said:

 When is the right time as a FNG to let the unit know that my career goals entail requesting a release to AD at some point well before the 10 year mark?

After you've done real work for them. Deployments, trips, exercises, alerts, whatever they do. Do that well and then you can consider other options.

[BONE WSO]

I have never heard of a release to active duty. I've been on active duty, in the ANG, and now an IMA in the AFRC. I think the only way to go back to active duty is under a VLPAD situation or by fulfilling MPA days, but both of those are short term AD options. I recommend you stick with your AFRC job and NOT go active duty.