Surface Warfare Officers who are considering leaving active duty should give full consideration to transitioning from full-time service to part-time service in the Surface Reserve Component.

Family obligations. Career aspirations. The desire to settle down and settle in. These are the things that lead many SWOs to leave active duty.  However, in the Navy Reserve, you can achieve all of the above and still continue your Naval career.  You can:

Pursue a career path that is outside the military
Live wherever you want to live
Choose where you want to serve
Enjoy the same freedoms that civilian life affords
Retain most of the benefits you enjoyed while serving on Active Duty
Continue to earn points towards retirement

At the same time, you can enjoy the sense of community that only time in the naval service creates; serve your country while continuing to serve your own interests; and, with flexible drilling options, perform some drills on weekdays – not just weekend - to meet your annual commitments as your civilian work schedule may permit.

For more information about the benefits of becoming a drilling reservist in the Surface Reserve Component, please review the Surface Reserves Brief.

How do I join?

If you are currently serving on active duty, and you are interested in becoming a drilling Reservist, contact the Career Transition Office at cto.officer@navy.mil or (901) 874-4192 to begin the process.

If you are currently in the Inactive Ready Reserve, or you have been off active duty for over six months, then you will need to work with a Navy Officer Recruiter to begin the process of affiliating with the RC.  You can locate the nearest Officer Recruiter by going to www.navy.com and clicking on the “Find a Recruiter” link, or by calling Navy Recruiting Command at (901) 874-9003.