Brothers and sisters, we have lost two of our own over the last couple weeks, at least in this area.

Sometimes there are signs and sometimes there aren't. Check in on your teammates and colleagues.

It kills me to see these things happen and the after effects on a small, tight knit team. It can devastate even the most efficient teams.

I’m currently active duty Navy and I’ve been seriously thinking about transitioning to the Reserves when my active contract ends in 2029. I’ll have around 8.5 years of active service by then, and ideally I’d like to finish the rest of my 20 in the Reserves rather than stay active duty.
My husband and I are also both active duty Corpsmen right now. He plans to remain active duty after I transition to the Reserves, so I’d be a Reservist married to an active duty service member. I’m especially interested in hearing from anyone who has a similar setup and how you manage PCS moves, Reserve units, school/civilian employment, and your spouse’s active-duty career.
My biggest reason is quality of life. I’m ready for more control over my schedule and my career outside of the military.
The plan I have in my head is:
• Transition from Active Duty to Navy Reserve
• Go to school for sonography using my GI Bill
• Work part-time/PRN while I’m in school if my schedule allows
• Drill with the Reserves and do my annual training
• After school, work full-time as a sonographer while continuing in the Reserves
• Eventually reach 20 years total service and qualify for Reserve retirement
I know Reserve retirement works differently than active-duty retirement and that I wouldn’t immediately start collecting a pension at 20 years. I’m more interested in whether this is a realistic lifestyle and career plan.
For anyone who went Active → Reserve around the halfway point of their military career:
How was the transition?
Do you feel like the Reserves actually gave you a better work/life balance?
How manageable is being a full-time student while drilling?
How often does “one weekend a month, two weeks a year” turn into more than that?
Did you have issues balancing a civilian healthcare career with Reserve obligations?
If your spouse stayed active duty, what happens when they PCS? Were you able to transfer Reserve units relatively easily, or did you end up traveling for drill?
And most importantly — if you were already around 8–10 years in when you left active duty, do you feel like finishing 20 through the Reserves was worth it?
I’m not expecting the Reserves to be completely hands-off. I just don’t want to stay active duty solely because I’m approaching the halfway point if I can still serve, finish my 20, build my civilian career, and have more control over my life.
I’d especially love to hear from prior-active Navy Reservists, Corpsmen, healthcare workers, or Reservists with an active-duty spouse.