Haven't seen this answered in detail, looking for someone who may have done this recently or is in the current process:

I enlisted 12/31/08, was given $20K bonus to be paid lump-sum after IET due to taking a slot in a critical unit (they were deploying to Iraq). I don't leave until 10/13/09 for 19D OSUT, so I will graduate next March and get my bonus within a few months after that.

Now that the wife has finally agreed to be ok with me wanting to go eventual active duty...

I'm curious how long after being awarded an MOS you must continue to be an M-day soldier before being eligible to apply for a conditional release, but not lose/pay back your bonus. I've heard 6 months...9 months...24 months. I would be attempting to go active duty for an OCS slot (95 on ASVAB, already have my bachelor's and master's degrees).

At worst I serve out my 6 years and instead of re-upping I simply go active at that point, but that's a long time to wait. 19D is not a critical MOS in Texas, plus the Guard is so overstrength right now I'm wondering if it might be easier now than it may have been in the past.

Anyone gone through this recently or can cite current memos/regs on the subject, especially in terms of what it means for SRIP?

I know you can keep your bonus (but forfeit any remaining bonus payments not yet paid...mine is lump sum though) if you go OCS through the NG as long as you don't commission before 1 year of finishing IET, which is an easy requirement since the state OCS is 18 months long. But I would want to commission as active duty, and I know if you commission in the Guard it's very difficult to get a release to active because the NG has a major shortage of officers.

Thanks.

Give your enlistment bonus agreement a good looking over. There is a section in it that spells out the conditions under which the bonus is suspended/terminated and when monies paid will be recouped. If there is any lock-in period, it will also be noted in your agreement.
Also, if things don't go well for the Mrs while you are away for IET, don't be surprised if she backs away some from going active duty.
Good luck; cul8r.

quote:

Originally posted by roppd:
Give your enlistment bonus agreement a good looking over. There is a section in it that spells out the conditions under which the bonus is suspended/terminated and when monies paid will be recouped. If there is any lock-in period, it will also be noted in your agreement.
Also, if things don't go well for the Mrs while you are away for IET, don't be surprised if she backs away some from going active duty.
Good luck; cul8r.

Yeah, not concerned about the Mrs. She comes from a long history of military in the family.

Yeah still need to go back and read the bonus addendum in my enlistment contract.

Curious thing is in the SRIP - it says that if you are released from your contract, bonus is recouped, but also says no recoupment if your contract is terminated for accepting a commission.

Problem is that it doesn't specify whether that commission has to be in the National Guard.

But of course, then again, if I was able to switch later to active duty and qualify for some big bonus, could use that bonus to offset the recoupment. Or if worse comes to worse, I do my 6 years in the Guard and then go active.

plano2001, my view on the National Guard and remember this is dated from 1980's:

Conditional Release, they would not sign it in the early 1980's until so many months had elapsed after enlistment and/or AIT. I had to wait two years from enlistment to get mine signed. It varies by state and NG.

I did not have to pay back any bonus even though they said I had to in the regulations. What your reading there in the bonus restrictions is basically for the no-go's that get booted out of the NG. They want to prevent folks from enlisting, scooping up the bonus then never showing up to Drill (thats a release too if you look it up).

If you transfer to the Regular Army, the National Guard looks at you as if your progressing your career NOT that your being released from anything (even though you are being released from a NG contract). Your NG unit still should stay pretty friendly with you because their attitude is you might come back after ETS (if they are smart about it). My NG unit was smart and maintained contact after I left.

This was my experience in 1984, it might have changed. I would be surprised if they made you pay back any bonus for transfer to the RA, more then likely they will halt the existing bonus payout and the Regular Army might and I say "might" pay you another bonus for enlisting.

As for the Commission route.....can't tell you. The NG and Army both needs officers, in this case same deal as enlistment. I would be surprised as a bonus payback requirement for NG to RA.

Also, with a Conditional Release to go RA, they do not extend your IRR, it remains the same as what you enlisted and served with the NG contract. So if you enlist for 6 years NG and serve two years NG then transfer to RA, you only owe 6 years IRR not 8 years all over again. Again this was 1984, I am fairly certain the IRR deal has not changed but you need to ask a Recruiter.

Last, when you actually do the NG to RA transfer they might tell you that your not eligible for the GI Bill at the MEPS but circle back and do one more check after your on Active Duty. I found out the MEPS was incorrect in my case and I got the $40k College Fund in 1984.
The Army paid 80-85% of my College and I graduated without any student loan debt in Dec 1990.....which was awesome. Still is. I'm 45 and was just talking to a 35 year old collegue at lunch yesterday. He will be paying for his degree until 2018 via student loan payback. He has two kids to send through school yet.

Again, my experience is not recent. gojero, if you run into him online. Did a NG to RA transfer last year (2008). He had not been in the NG that long and he got another RA bonus. He did not have to repay what the NG gave him from what I remember.

Thank you for the insight. Don't really care about the IRR time, if I can go active I want to make a career out of it and earn my pension. Don't really care abou the GI Bill...I already have my bachelor's and master's degrees. It would be nice though to earn the new post-9/11 bill and be able to transfer the unused benefits to my kids though.

I'll keep an eye out for gojero...it sounds like he would be the person to talk to for recent experience on going NG to active.

Thank you.

Im currently undergoing this process and according to my recruiter... I got 10k out of my 20k for critical unit bonus... you get 1 half when you get out and 1 half when you deploy or your third anniversary. Anyhow recruiter says after one year the first 10k is yours they dont take it back however... The second 10k youll never see. The process takes months and is stupid difficult.

I have a question for anyone that can give insight. My husband is currently in Army National Guard (going thru AIT right now)and wants to go active when he is done. We have heard different scenarios about the time frame to do this. Originally we were told that he would have to wait 6 months after completing AIT to go active and recently we were told that he could go earlier. I know that it is also contingent of his commander's authorization as well. Does anyone know whats going on.