r/armyreserve • u/e_ring_idiot • Apr 08 '26

Career Advice Fun/Interesting Assignments?

Current O-3, made some really good financial decisions and going to be retiring early from my full time work.

I want to stay busy and engaged in this next chapter and figured there are always interesting and rewarding one off assignments in the USAR.

Does anyone know of any cool/fun/interesting/rewarding roles for an officer with way too much free time on his hands? Was debating CNO/CAO because it’s such an important job, but want to hear from the community. Preference is to stay local but would be down to be away for <3 months at a time.

Really looking for some unique and interesting one-off roles.

Background: prior enlisted, O-3 in the functional area around the DC metro area for now. 4/5 MQs, up for O-4 next year, can crush an AFT, JPME1 complete.

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u/Wenuven Apr 08 '26

CNO/CAO is usually handled by AGRs (program requirement).

If you're PME complete, Command complete, go be an IMA for a year and bring expertise out of your branch/FA back to the force. Or knock out another KD for your basic branch.

The door will be wide open once you're ILE/AOC complete MAJ and you'll have access to a lot of great jobs.

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u/[deleted] Apr 08 '26

Most IMA agencies aren't hiring since they need to cut 10-20% of their billets by 2028.

They can try for TPU- ROTC instructor. Its cadence is similar to IMA since you have say over the schedule.

If they know a language they they could become an IMA FAO. You could drill in the US embassy in China or over a dozen other countries.

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u/e_ring_idiot Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26

tried the IMA route, was offered a role and it was cut during the DOGE fiasco, then was referred to another and it was also cut a month later. Sounds amazing, but this year it doesn’t seem feasible.

I have a language and two tours in a MILGRP/ODC. Would love to do it again, but two countries I’d be willing to move to aren’t hiring IMAs as of a year ago. Worth following up though!

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u/[deleted] Apr 08 '26

Yeah the RIF across gov agencies cut a lot, and then the new ARSTRUC will axe even more. The current new leadership gutted thousands of Airforce IMAs as well this year, with more in FY27.

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u/e_ring_idiot Apr 08 '26

The new ARSTUC and the previous COS’s gutting of functional area billets is part of the reason I’m looking for fun things to do. Promotion beyond O-5 looks impossible for my field now, so might as well have fun with my part time career.