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Comment by Mitch's_mom on February 16, 2015 at 9:13am

My son is a reservist and currently on hold in GL waiting for school to start. What is a CAC reader, and what is sgli?

Comment by Miss Conception on February 16, 2015 at 9:03am

Health insurance. They don't enroll you automatically when you check into your command. you have to enroll online using your ID. You can get sgli, still, too.

Comment by FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW on February 15, 2015 at 10:53pm

Miss Conception - Is that for health insurance or the SGLI? 

Comment by emilton on February 15, 2015 at 10:44pm

Hahaha gotta love that CAC reader! Seabee reserve wife. He has been in for 6 years and is an E-5. You don't do reserves thinking you get ALL the military benefits. But, I love our reserve benefits!

Comment by NavyMomofOnly1Girl Ship 9 DIV126 on February 15, 2015 at 10:39pm

Of course my daughter was devastated. She wrote this news to me in a letter three weeks into boot camp! She begged me to get her out of there. How could I have done that? Your daughter will find that it will all work out in the end. My daughter has been a a Reservist for over three years & she is going to college full time with the majority of tuition paid for by the GI Bill. But, she had accepted an Active Duty position & did that for six months. That really helps in getting better benefits. Good luck. Your daughter will find her way around a complicated military way of life.

Comment by Miss Conception on February 15, 2015 at 8:35pm

I'm in the reserves, and basically your daughter will find that no one knows anything about the reserves if they are active duty. I did it for the same reason, and the benefits ARE there. I pay $50 a month for insurance, and we get approx $350 a month for college benefits, from what I understand. Corpsman school is about 18 weeks. That would have been in her contract, although sometimes that can change. I know what presentation she just sat through, and I doubt it is right. I had the same panic attack, myself at the time.
When she gets home from training, she will need to apply for insurance herself. She will need to do it using a cac reader. The reserves is great and everything she wanted from it. Active duty people just don't know.

Comment by tori'smom on February 15, 2015 at 8:24pm

Thank you! I appreciate your help. Was your daughter devisated when she heard? I don't know how to ease her disappointment.. She feels she's there for nothing. I guess I will resure her in a letter but feel so bad for her :(. Thank you again

Comment by NavyMomofOnly1Girl Ship 9 DIV126 on February 15, 2015 at 8:17pm

Tori'smom, I completely understand your disbelief, anger & frustration. My daughter, a Navy Reservist & a Master At Arms, was told during her third week of Boot Camp, that as a Reservist, she wouldn't get anything! As in your situation, my daughter was told that she would get up to 75% of the cost of a private college for education benefits. Also, not true. The key to the whole thing is to go active duty for at least six months. They'll get tuition, a monthly housing allowance & money for books. This comes under the Montgomery GI Bill Post 9/11. As a reservist, she can get a monthly benefit under the Montgomery GI Bill for Select Reservist. The best source of info, as discussed in previous comments is www.benefits.va.gov. It is quite complex & involves online applications/forms. Her college also has to be proactive for VA benefits. Good Luck.

Comment by tori'smom on February 15, 2015 at 6:36pm

well got that first phone call and let's just say my heart is broken.... I was prepared for the upset voice on the other end of the phone but shocked at what I heard.... My daughter went in as a navy reservist and corpsman. Her recruiter told her as a reservist she would still get all the same things as if she enlisted- college assistance, health insurance and a medical certificate- and A school would be about 3 months so she could be home to return to school. I kept saying this was too good to be true but it's what he said. My daughter finds out there that there's no insurance, no assistance for college and A school is five months with a certificate as an EMT. Along with wanting the military experience. She was hoping for the things she was promised... Now she's deflated and feels like she was tricked into signing as a reservist. Anyone have suggestions or experienced in this? There's no way to express the heartache I feel knowing her dream has been crushed and knowing she feels she is there for nothing... I did try to build her up telling her that she doesn't need the insurance or tuition (never did but she wanted that independence) and that nursing was still an option and how wonderful it will be to come out with a military background... I said all the right mom things but I'm so sad and mad right now!!! Another week or so before I can see if she's ok and give her any additional advise... Please help if you have any thoughts... Heartbroken mom sitting here...

Comment by Navy AC on February 9, 2015 at 3:03am

http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/mgib_sr.asp also on this page it tells the form she will have to fill out, and a little more information about it. When she gets to her reserve unit they will be able to help her with the paper work to get it started.

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