Active or reserves
Hey there, looking for some advice and opinions. My back story and history, I’m a 35 year old male, single without kids. I’ve been in industrial maintenance and millwright work since I got out of high school. Also did a year as a biomed for a dialysis clinic which I didn’t really enjoy and the pay sucked. I’ve got about 88 college credits through ACE and community college without a degree. Went to military school at 15 and have always wanted to join but never did.
I’ve been communicating with a recruiter for the past few months, made a 78 on the picat and got it confirmed, supposed to go to meps next week. I’ve had some trouble as a kid along with two duis so I’m anticipating waivers and trouble with clearances. The plan has been Army Reserves and maintaining my civilian job. My company hired me from 900 miles away and moved me here, payed for everything. I make between 120k and 140k with a bonus check each year included but I work 5-7 days and between 45-65 hours a week.
The problem is I’d like to move away from this kind of work to something more sustainable where I can have better work life balance and possibly a family one day. Which is where the ace credits come in, I’m interested in moving to management through an b.s in Electrical Engineering Technology, or moving to medicine through BSN and possibly PA later.
I’m in interested in a few MOSs, 38b, 68w, and 68c. I have an inclination to go active duty instead and live that life. Maybe move to reserves after the initial contract and try to get into OCS for RN or stay in 68w and maybe go warrant later as active. I know the post is long and I apologize but I’d like some feedback from people that have been in and possibly taken some of these routes. The idea of being an open book and letting big army tell me where I’ll live next is pretty exciting. I like to travel, put in the work, meet people, and do my best to excel in learning new things. At this point I’m still young enough to create a new chapter with the army despite being grandpa in boot camp.
-Would it be crazy to give up my job to go active duty?
-With what I make now and the potential for investing in retirement at that pay range be at all comparable to what I can achieve being active for 20 years at this age?
-Do you get to scratch that itch by joining the reserves without having been active duty before? Any thoughts or advice is appreciated, if you have opinions on what you would do in my situation that is also greatly appreciated.