Originally Posted by
Grumble
It's easy, quit. You quit once you can do it again. Meanwhile Bates, you've lost years of seniority...
Weeeelll...
For many folks the reserves saved their bacon after 9/11 (and SARs, and mortgage bubble, and oil spike). When I was an O5 I had people who were senior to me by year-group coming back in as O3's and O4's, some of them just to get the retirement medical bennies their legacy had ditched at the BK drive-through.
A couple things are different now though. If there was ever a time when I would say "you're probably not getting furloughed" this would be it.
Also it's conceivable there could be a big economic crisis which would not involve war. In that case AD recall opportunities would not be available for all comers. But at least you'd some drill pay and medical, if it was bad enough they might eventually downsize SELRES/TR. But unless the fed was just flat broke (or couldn't borrow more money) I don't see the global situation supporting any less of a military.
I didn't participate after I left AD, but I kept running into old guys around town and they all said "are you in the reserves? Gee I wish I had done that and got the retirement". So eventually I signed up and darn glad I did. Different era, YMMV.
Just stuff to think about.