So I've been a member of the IMA program in the Reserve for two years now, and I think it's a unique program that more people need to know about. It's a program where you effectively do your drill days and annual training whenever you want rather than on prescribed monthly dates. I just wanted to give a list of pros and cons for those considering the program.

Pros:

--You have flexibility in dates. You can do your drills and AT one day at a time or all at once. This year, I'll be doing 36 days straight. The rest of the year, I will have a beard and not worry a lot about the Army. It's nice.

--You have access to unique jobs. I'm in the Foreign Area Officer program, which is a job that is not really available as a TPU. That's a unique job experience you won't have elsewhere.

--You'll get to travel. TPU positions are more local, but IMA positions are all over the world. If you want a free trip to Germany, Korea, or Japan each year, it's worth it. If your flight is paid through an IBA, you can switch your flight dates to extend your stay and travel.

Cons:

--You are alone A LOT. You don't have just one admin person to deal with. You have many, and you often have to figure things out yourself. My email stopped working last year, and it took three weeks of emails and calls to get it back up. You have to figure a lot of shit out on your own.

--The Active Duty folks will not know what to do with you. This is especially true if you do everything all at once. You're the person who shows up once a year. You will feel lost, but help where you can. Last year, they needed me to inventory the supplies to know what they needed to order. I just sorted all their supplies and showed they didn't need anything. It seems minor, but it was a help to the functioning of the office. In other words, you may feel like the intern doing a lot of really mindless work. Don't be above it. Just do it because you are helping.

--There is no lodging-in-kind, or at least it's not guaranteed. You will have to pay out of pocket for hotel stays on your drill days. That can be a lot, so just be aware of it. You can deduct it from your taxes, but if you're OCONUS, that can be hefty.

I know this is a basic list, but you should know generally what you're getting into if you become an IMA. It's a lonely job, but rewarding in other ways. Please, if I'm missing anything, feel free to add.