Thread: Active Duty accepting prior service question

MPclk2006 is a recruiter on here that will answer your question but remember recruiters dont like working with prior service since they dont get credit for them. Is that right MP?

What rank did you ETS from?

well you could of stayed in the guard and tried to transfer. I took a reduction when I came from the Guard to Active but that was almost 7 years ago. With all your years invested, it will be hard to go in the private ranks again. But you should move up fast in promotion.

Got it trooper. Well MPclk2006 will be able to answer that question. But from my experience, reductions (voluntary and involuntary) do happen when transferring from the Guard to the Active component.

Originally Posted by valdar35

While in the guard i put in dd368 to go active and was denied because of deployment. after deployment i put in for active again and was denied because i was told the guard was short. the guard is really a load of crap in my personal opinion, but thats a whole different rant. Im just trying to find out if what i have been told about not accepting e-4 unless takeing rank reduction is a TRUE statement or if they just dont want to help because they dont get credit.

Yep - the Guard has its own mission to meet, and once you join they want to keep you. Not sure why you consider that 'a load of crap', but that's how it is. With the currently depressed economy, the Active Army has no shortage of non-prior service applicants, so prior service (who have to be paid more, are older and thus cost more due to larger families, often have health and sometimes disciplinary issues, and most of all are less likely to complete their term of enlistment) are much less of a priority.

Now that you've ETSed you don't have to get released from the Guard - you just have to find out if the Active force will take you as a prior service Specialist. Until the Personnel Policy Guidance changed in early 2009 (I think) it was fairly easy for a deployed Reservist or Guardsman to transfer over to the Active forces - but no more. Now, we have to demobilize and apply to transfer from M-Day status.

You can go to www.goarmy.com and fill out a contact form to have another recruiter contact you - but it looks like you've already gotten the same answer three times.

I wish you good luck!

I remember MPclk2006 posting something about the fact that there are no PS E-4s being accepted & you can't take a reduction to E-3 to get in. It's a harsh reality but Grunt Medic gave some good reasons behind the Army's thinking. I'm sure MP will be on to clarify this issue for you soon.

At this time with the Army not hurting for recruits whatsoever prior service people are a very low priority. In most cases thiose PS coming back in have to go with the MOS they're offered regardless which MOS you held before.

I got lucky. Six years in the Navy, out for 14 & came in as a SPC after being an E-6 but got promoted to SGT within 3 months. My contract said within 6 months so they even surpassed their word on that one. That was then - a long time ago when Recruiters were hungrier. Even though my Recruiter didn't receive any credit for my enlistment he did it as a friend as his office was next door to where I worked. We took our coffee breaks together for a few years & I got to know him & his colleagues well.

Sounds like this needs to be made a sticky, MPclk - "Joining as Prior Service" with appropriate references, updated regularly - would save you repeating yourself every time this question is asked. Just my 2 cents' worth.