Will,
From reading your post I get the impression that you may not fully understand the commitment that will be required of you to be an AF reserve pilot. Let's run down a plausible timeline that would meet the criteria you set forth.
Will is 26. Gets hired by a reserve unit in GA. Off the top of my head I think there may be C-130's, not sure but that's not really important. The selection process if pretty tough but since you are "competitive" you should have a good shot. However, any unit who hires a guy off the street is going to expect some serious up front time commitment.
Will goes to OTS for 12 weeks. Next he goes to UPT for 52 weeks. Following UPT he goes to his follow-on training for his aircraft specific indoc. This can last from 3 months to a year depending on what aircraft you will fly. Once Will shows up to his unit with wings on his chest 2+ years have passed since his PhD. Will is now 28+.
Next, your unit will want some payback on the investment they have made on you. I can't speak for all units but in the C-17 world new hires are expected to be on orders (read full time) for a majority of their first year or two. This allows the unit to train, equip and ready you for global operations in the hope that some day you'll be sitting in the left seat calling the shots.
At this point you are roughly 3 years from your start point in becoming an Air Force reserve pilot. In the meantime, you will not have been able to hold down a corporate job and the demands on your time from the Air Force will have been invasive. If all these thoughts have already been considered then I will say the guys above have done a good job of answering your questions and I have nothing to add.
Good luck in whatever path you choose!