Military Service Commitment

Active Duty service members serve full-time for four to eight years, depending on the service branch. They are usually assigned to a duty station in the U.S. or overseas. The average term includes four years of active duty followed by four years in a Reserve unit or in Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) — which means you remain ready to serve the remainder of the term, when needed, to support national security.

Reservists are part-time service members, attending monthly training and an annual two-week intensive program for three to six years. They can also be deployed to serve alongside active-duty service members for special missions, but typically remain living in their home of record.

Like Reservists, Guardsmen also typically remain living in their home of record but do drill one weekend a month and two full weeks a year. Their enlistment period is eight years, but they can serve as little as three to six years and spend the remainder in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR).

As the Military’s managers, officers often have longer service commitments. The typical term of service for officers ranges from four to 10 years, depending on their Service branch and commissioning source.

Accepting an ROTC scholarship usually comes with a future service obligation, meaning students commission and serve in the Military after school is complete. Typically, this means eight years of service: either four years of active duty and four years in the IRR, or six years as a Reservist or Guardsman and two years in the IRR.

When an officer receives a commission, they’re granted specific powers and responsibilities within the Military — generally, leading and managing a group of service members.

When students graduate from a Service academy, they receive a commission and are obligated to serve typically for a minimum of five years.