[ReaganCowboy]

Since we're talking about joining a reserve unit, do something radical and insightful: attend a weekend drill of the unit you want to join, spend a half-day minimum with them, meet the commanding officer and first sergeant, and go to lunch with the troops. Call some of them in a week or two with follow-up questions.

All of this BEFORE you sign an enlistment contract.

I did 10 years active, three years in a drilling reserve unit, and am now on Active Guard and Reserve status. That's the approach I took before joining my reserve unit, and it worked very well for me. Gave me some good insights. By the time the slot opened up for me to join, it was nearly six months between my initial contact, the subsequent visit and my first real 'paid' drill. I got to know quite abit about standards and expectations before I ever joined the unit.

[LibertyThug]

That is a good idea. If I could ask, what type of work are you doing in the Reserves?