What is the difference between inactive and active reserve

This may be in times of war, in a national emergency, or as the need occurs based on threats to national security. Their presence can be called upon to serve either stateside or overseas. The primary job of the Reserve is to fill the gaps in stateside service positions when the active duty forces ship overseas. Members of the Reserve are required to participate in training drills one weekend a month and two weeks per year.

While federally funded, the National Guard is organized and controlled by state. However, in times of war, the National Guard can become federalized and deployed. The National Guard engages in a number of activities. Active-duty service members are often granted basic choice in where they will be stationed after recruit training and military occupational specialty school - called Advanced Individual Training AIT for Army soldiers. Active-duty enlistees can be stationed anywhere within the United States or abroad, depending on the duties and mission of their respective unit.

Reserve status members will be stationed near their home and only be subject to international station in the event they are called for active duty. Leave and liberty are forms of "vacation" for active-duty members.

Leave is accrued at a rate of 2. Active-duty members coordinate their leave with their units, and such leave is subject to the approval of the unit's commanding staff.

Liberty is any period of time when active-duty members are technically "off from work," such as weekends and holidays where you are absolved from duty unless otherwise instructed. Liberty is commonly available for 24, 48, 72 or 96 hours and comes with restrictions related to the distance members are allowed to travel and corresponding to the length of liberty granted.

The longer the liberty, the farther members can venture away from their duty stations. Reserve members are not subject to normal leave and liberty conditions, as they are only obligated for two days per month and one Field Training Exercise FTX per year.

In the event that reservists are called into active-duty service, their leave and liberty will mirror the requirements and conditions of those normally serving active duty. Active-duty members receive full medical and dental benefits as well as unlimited post exchange and commissary access.

Active-duty members may be stationed within the United States or abroad. They can retire with full benefits after 20 years of service. Reservists receive full medical and dental benefits only if called for active-duty service.

They are afforded unlimited access to post exchanges and may be limited to 24 commissary visits per year. That said, IRR members are reminded that they may be subject to weigh-ins for other duty-related purposes and are required to maintain fitness standards accordingly. Those serving on the Standby Reserve program in the Coast Guard are considered inactive. Connect With Us facebook instagram pinterest twitter youtube. Close Modal. Related Articles. Members of the Reserves and National Guard typically perform duty one weekend per month, plus two weeks of training per year.

The average National Guard or Reserve enlistment contract is six years. A Reserve or Guard member may expect to spend two years of their enlistment period performing full-time active duty. Each of the military services has a Reserve branch. Like the active-duty forces, the Reserves fall under the auspices of the Department of Defense, meaning that they are federal agencies. The primary purpose of the Reserves is to provide additional support and manpower to the active-duty forces in times of need.

When a person joins the Reserves, they first attend basic training and military job school full time. Upon completion of basic training and military job school, reservists return to their home, resume their civilian lives and jobs, but train drill with their unit one weekend per month.

Once per year, they receive 14 days of full-time training. The President and Secretary of Defense have the authority to recall reservists to active duty at any time to support military missions.

In fact, at any given time, about 65, reservists are performing active duty in support of military contingency operations. Active duty of this type does count toward veterans benefit service requirements. The main difference between the National Guard and the Reserves is that the Reserves belong to the federal government, while the National Guard units belong primarily to individual states.

Like reservists, National Guard members attend basic training and military job school full time under ADT active duty for training. They then return to their homes, where they drill with their units one weekend per month inactive duty training [IDT] , plus 15 full-time training days per year. The governors of individual states have the authority to call National Guard members to active duty in response to state emergencies, such as disaster relief or protection of property and people.

Usually this happens when such events are beyond the scope of local law enforcement agencies. State duty does not count toward veterans benefit service requirements. The President or Secretary of Defense may also call National Guard members to active duty in support of military contingency operations. During any given month, about 40, members of the Air and Army National Guard are performing federal duty. Some members of the Reserves and National Guard perform full-time active duty, just like active-duty members.