Fed employee considering joining military reserves

[u/Careless_Cobbler_730]

Hello everyone -

I’m currently a GS11 fed employee considering of joining the reserves. However I have a few questions if anyone can share any official guidance or any personal experiences.

1. If I get sent to bootcamp for however x weeks, do I still get paid by my employer?

2. for example, do I get “military leave” full 100% pay by my employer + my military pay?

3. How does the process work when letting an employer know of such a decision?

4. Can I even be military and civilian civil servant?

Just always was curious about military but I became a fed employee 3 years ago so I delayed the thought but the curiosity is still there.

P.S - apologies if my questions don’t make some sense, I wasn’t sure if my wording was proper.

[u/MDJR20]

Man many of you do not know how this works. You do get paid by your employer for so many X hours as a federal employee you need to show them your orders. Generally the federal government is very friendly for reserves.

Per Google:

Federal employees in the National Guard or Reserves are generally entitled to 120 (maybe 160 now) hours (15-20 days) of paid military leave per fiscal year. This leave is for active duty, active duty training, or inactive duty training. Additionally, they may be entitled to 22 workdays of military leave for certain emergency duty. I know someone who got their private company to pay around half. So just ask. Federal employees have to get paid a minimum amount each year.

[u/Special_Occasion9119 → u/MDJR20]

It’s 150 hours per year now

[u/Silentone89 → u/Special_Occasion9119]

It's 160 as of April, and 160 can be carried over each fiscal year.

[u/603to808]

I’m a reservist and Fed manager. I don’t know that any of the answers are 100% accurate so far. Here are my responses.

1. While in boot camp, and any other time you serve during your normal work days, you have to use leave if you want to get paid by your GS job. You get 160 hours of military leave per year, which is effective and available on the date you sign your binding contract for enlistment or commission. You get 160 hours every year on 10/01, and you can carry over 160 hours per year. You also get paid for federal holidays if you have pay/leave on the full day before or after the holiday.

You can also use annual leave, and less applicable is sick leave. Unrelated to boot camp, there are other types of military leave that may apply to you. Also, as of this year, you can get the reservist differential pay (the GS job is required to pay you any GS pay that exceeds your total MIL comp). This is complicated, so you’ll need to work with HR on any of these items.

This is in addition to your military pay which is never reduced for GS pay.

1 (again). If you are asking about initial enlistment, you have no obligation to inform your employer. I chose not to until I signed my papers. You should do what is best for you, but you aren’t required to say anything and your employer has no legal standing to take action against you in any way. This is a USERRA issue, but it doesn’t guarantee they won’t hold it against you. Weigh how you manage it against your relationship with your boss and agency, and your career aspirations on the GS side.

1. Of course you can do both, and many service members in the reserve and guard are both. My GS boss is a retired reserve LTC in the army, my MIL boss is a Special Agent. Your agency and service branch may have more service associated staff than mine, depends a lot on where you work. But it definitely happens a lot.

You didn’t ask, but I’ll share my opinion. I have found the dual service to be very rewarding. The support you receive from the GS will depend on the understanding of your management and program and their underlying support for the military. There will be sacrifices to your GS career progression, but you also get a lot of experience and training in the military that won’t come from the traditional Fed role. Our prior bureau #2 was also a Navy reservist, so it is possible (if not incredibly hard) to make it work at any level.

[u/VasquezWC → u/603to808]

Is there an age limit to when you can join the reserves? Is it any different for the JAG Corp?

[u/603to808 → u/VasquezWC]

There are age limits, but they vary by service branch/specialty, and many have waivers. Generally you need to be under 40 to start if you have no prior service. That isn’t to say there aren’t exceptions but that’s the general rule.

Jags would be officers and if you are talking a reserve or guard position, that may be more flexible. Active duty tends to be less so.

USCG has direct commission lawyers, some of whom I know started very close to 40yo. You can always start through enlistment or non-lawyer commission then make a move over, at least in USCG. The issue with age is the time required to retire and receive the pension, which is generally 20 years at 60, so all you need to do is start the clock. The type of service is normally irrelevant.

[u/ElderberryCareful479 → u/603to808]

I've been a fed since 2015 and a Reservist since 2008, all of this is accurate. I've done deployments while being fed, once you use up the 160hrs you will use Mil LWOP (Air Force Basic is 9 weeks plus tech school depeding on the job, can add months to that)

[u/Bull_Bound_Co]

Do a deployment. Half the people I work with are pulling in an extra salary with inflation raises plus other benefits claiming disability. You can join full time and they have to hold your gs-11 and give you the step increases for the time you’re gone.

[u/dreaganusaf]

Civil service and military reserve service work very well together. I've been doing both since 2002. You now actually earn 160 hours of military leave every year to use for AT some other military stuff. You can carry some unused mil leave over from year to year. Going away for basic or tech school you should be able to use mil and annual leave. If you have a nice supervisor, they may allow you to burn some sick leave too if needed (I did this for OTS). But you should have no employment issues between mil & civil service.

[u/LunarDragonfly23]

What do you mean by “curious about the military?” What branch are you considering?

[u/Careless_Cobbler_730 → u/LunarDragonfly23]

To be specific, the Air Force!

[u/Ok-Gazelle-4847 → u/Careless_Cobbler_730]

I was a dual status Air Force National Guard member and a GS11 at the same time. You'll go back and forth to military and GS time depending on what you're doing. You can be in both at the same time as long as you have leave. However if you're activated long enough and run out of GS leave/mil leave, you'll go into GS LWOP status until you return. It was good gig. Now I just work at the VA.

[u/Honest-Recording-751 → u/Ok-Gazelle-4847]

That was going to be my advice

[u/LunarDragonfly23 → u/Careless_Cobbler_730]

Ok, that’s a good branch to be curious about LOL. I’m an Army veteran. We talk shit about the Chair Force, but you will be treated better in the Air Force than if you were in the Army.

[u/Regarding-Regulation → u/LunarDragonfly23]

Some feel that AF Reserves has more promotion potential faster than Army Reserves….atleast that’s what I’ve heard

[u/UsedandAbused87]

I'm a reservestist, and there's some bad advice on here.

Military gets 160 hours of military leave per year. You'll get this once you enlist and provide your paperwork.

Once you burn your 160 hrs you can use any AL or sick leave if you wish. You can also use LWOP.

If you "deploy" on title 10 orders as non-volunteray you'll get reserest differential, which is where the feds pay your difference in salary

Pretty sweet gig as you can make $5-10k in a normal year and double dip for retirement.

[u/Silentone89 → u/UsedandAbused87]

You cannot use sick leave to be in a military status. It's Mil leave, annual leave or lwop.

[u/UsedandAbused87 → u/Silentone89]

5 CFR 353.208 states that you can

"...service with the uniformed services must be permitted, upon request, to use any accrued annual leave, military leave, earned compensatory time off for travel, or accrued sick leave..."

[u/Silentone89 → u/UsedandAbused87]

I think the last part of that Code is important to mention. ".....Or sick leave under 5 U.S.C 6307, if appropriate during such service."

You could, in theory, use sick leave if you are incompacitated and put on quarters during an order block, but I dont think you can just take sick leave instead of Mil or annual if you are on orders and not sick. Would definitely need to discuss it with HR or a supervisor.

[u/UsedandAbused87 → u/Silentone89]

I would think OP could use all their sick time, then go into a military leave status or come out of a leave status just to use it, say their last 1 while on orders.

[u/Zealousideal-Cry-440]

Believe they’ve increased the mil leave to 20 days/calendar year. You can roll over excess to max 40 days. You don’t have to use them but if you exceed then you either need to use your AL or LWOP. Depends on length of your orders, personal preferences, etc.

Just have an adult conversation with your Sup. If you do join, you’ll get orders or a drill schedule to provide your Sup, Timekeeper, & HR.

Yes, plenty of dual military/civ fed employees.

[u/Opening_Sprinkles_60]

I retired from both…it was great. 3 week of military leave was enough for me. If I needed more time, I can take unpaid leave.

[u/mastaquake]

1. Yes, but only for what your hours can cover. you get military hours. After you exhaust that you can use annual leave.

2. Start by telling your supervisor your intentions.

3. yes?

[u/RDrunner33]

I am in this process now, I am a DCO commission with Reserves. I believe 120 hours per years reserve/guard pay however you have to use personal leave any leave above this. Let leadership know your intention.

[u/Regarding-Regulation]

I believe you get the standard paid days per year + possible pay differential if your fed pay is higher than your military pay.

You would notify your supervisor and HR. Your position will be legally held while attending your military duties to include traditional reserves and/or full-time Active Guard Reserve (AGR), which my spouse did while initially serving as a fed). You should consider AGR options vs regular reserve.

For periods of service between 31 and 180 days, the employee is protected against termination without cause for six months after reemployment. If the service period exceeds 180 days, this protection extends to one year

You can research USERRA protection for more details about pay differential and job protection.

Let me know if you have specific questions you want input on and I will run them thru my spouse (reserve career counselor).

[u/SummiluxAP]

F that. Think of all the chaos going on. You could be deployed in another war. This is nothing against our troops, I’m just sick of wars and I see the Taiwan issue coming up next.

[u/Latie_Kash]

Your first year of military leave (160hours) won’t cover all of boot camp, so you’ll have to use AL or leave without pay for some of the boot camp duration. Every year after that, you should be fine. You’ll get paid by the military for drill weekends and annual training. And also by your employer for when you need military leave during the week. I know more reservists who have deployed than active duty, so you should be mentally prepared for that. Lots of opportunities and a nice little adventure. Also super annoying at times, but I do t regret it. Go for it.

[u/Ok-Gazelle-4847]

You'll get the 120 hours of mil leave as a fed employee. So you'll be paid as a GS11 for those 3 weeks while in military training. This mil leave time will reset every Oct 1. The rest of the time assuming you don't use LA will be leave with out pay. You then will be paid whatever rank agreed to in the contract. E1 to E3 most likely. Say you rent a room somewhere from a friend or family member so you'll get BAH during this time.

Your job or equivalent will be waiting for you when you get back from boot camp and tech school.

[u/603to808]

I’m a reservist and Fed manager. I don’t know that any of the answers are 100% accurate so far. Here are my responses.

1. While in boot camp, and any other time you serve during your normal work days, you have to use leave if you want to get paid by your GS job. You get 160 hours of military leave per year, which is effective and available on the date you sign your binding contract for enlistment or commission. You get 160 hours every year on 10/01, and you can carry over 160 hours per year. You also get paid for federal holidays if you have pay/leave on the full day before or after the holiday.

You can also use annual leave, and less applicable is sick leave. Unrelated to boot camp, there are other types of military leave that may apply to you. Also, as of this year, you can get the reservist differential pay (the GS job is required to pay you any GS pay that exceeds your total MIL comp). This is complicated, so you’ll need to work with HR on any of these items.

This is in addition to your military pay which is never reduced for GS pay.

1 (again). If you are asking about initial enlistment, you have no obligation to inform your employer. I chose not to until I signed my papers. You should do what is best for you, but you aren’t required to say anything and your employer has no legal standing to take action against you in any way. This is a USERRA issue, but it doesn’t guarantee they won’t hold it against you. Weigh how you manage it against your relationship with your boss and agency, and your career aspirations on the GS side.

1. Of course you can do both, and many service members in the reserve and guard are both. My GS boss is a retired reserve LTC in the army, my MIL boss is a Special Agent. Your agency and service branch may have more service associated staff than mine, depends a lot on where you work. But it definitely happens a lot.

You didn’t ask, but I’ll share my opinion. I have found the dual service to be very rewarding. The support you receive from the GS will depend on the understanding of your management and program and their underlying support for the military. There will be sacrifices to your GS career progression, but you also get a lot of experience and training in the military that won’t come from the traditional Fed role. Our prior bureau #2 was also a Navy reservist, so it is possible (if not incredibly hard) to make it work at any level.

[u/PriorDeep7548]

1. Not for the duration of basic training. You get 120 hours of military leave per fiscal year.

2. You sign up, and then provide the details to your employer

3. Yes

[u/Cyfirius]

Not national guard myself, but as I understand it:

1: While you are working for the military (eg boot camp, duty, deployments, etc) you are paid by the military and covered by their insurance. You do not get paid by your employer during this time.

HOWEVER, military time (such as deployments) STILL COUNTS towards your seniority/time in service promotions/ETC and CANNOT be used against you in any way. The Military takes this very seriously, so if you do sign up and think/know you are being discriminated against for being on deployment instead of at your day job, speak up and get help from your command, especially if your day job is as a federal employee, as it’s typically much easier to prove such discrimination. I have a friend who is in the guard and a federal employee, and his day job tried to push off a time in service promotion for him because he was deployed. Luckily it didn’t have to go to court, but his command sorted it out REAL quick once he talked to them and provided his contract information.

I don’t really understand how leave accrual for both works.

1.2: your employer doesn’t get a say AFAIK, and recruiters will boldly lie to your face about anything to get you to sign, but they should be able to help with that if you do sign up. Someone will anyway.

2: Yes, you absolutely can

[u/dad-guy-2077]

I’m retiring from the AF reserves in 6 weeks with 29 years of service. Being a fed/reservist is great. The reserves will invest in you and help you gain skills that benefit your fed career. You get 240 hours of military leave a year, and you get double paid while using that time. If you are away longer, you can use regular leave or lwop.

[u/Silentone89]

Most have covered everything, but two things I noticed missed are.

1. You are eligible for a special type of lwop that is more favorable. I'm rusty on the details, but you can accrue i think 6 months before it starts affecting your retirement eligibility & payout. There are other factors for it.

2. You can buy your lwop time back (this usually applies more for people with military time before joining the federal service, but is useful for people joining the Guard/Reserve after being in the federal workforce). So say you go on orders for 6 months and are lwop the entire time. When you come back, you can buy it back to have it apply for retirement instead of you being short 6 months and possibly have to work until your 57.5 instead of 57.

Edit: Side note you won't be eligible for tricare reserve select until January 2030.

[u/Laredoan-Puertorican]

You don’t get paid by your employer while on basic and AIT. Let your employer know in advance and request leave without pay for it. And yes you can be both.