Profiles in Professionalism: AM1 Christopher Leas

Video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Mohr

Commander, Navy Reserve Force

May 14, 2021 | 1:29

At age 34, Christopher Leas fulfilled a lifetime goal by joining the Navy Reserve. Over his years before the Navy, he has held multiple and diverse careers. Now with 10 years of Navy Reserve Service and as an Aviation Structural Mechanic 1st Class, Leas said the Reserve has brought each of his careers into a singular focus as he learned the intricacies of his rate and how the Navy core values aligned with his character.

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Your assigned Navy Reserve Center (NRC) will contact you upon receipt of your orders to coordinate with you for your check-in date. They will also send you a Welcome Aboard package that will provide contact information, business hours, and instructions to access the facility.

If you have not received a Welcome Aboard package from the NRC within a few days of receiving your orders, then you should initiate contact with the command. Use this interactive map to find the Navy Reserve Center nearest to your residence and establish first contact: NRC Map.

Click the tabs below for additional information.

KEYS FOR SUCCESS
Whether you are new to the Navy (e.g., direct accession) or new to the Reserves (e.g., prior active duty), you will quickly recognize that the demands of the Navy Reserves can become overwhelming. However, a few key principles will significantly reduce frustration or stress and will greatly help ensure your success in the Navy Reserves:

•   COMMUNICATION
One of the biggest (and unnecessary) pitfalls faced by Reservists is the failure to communicate. This primarily occurs two ways:

•   FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE. Your chain of command should ALWAYS know about information that will influence your Navy Reserve readiness or ability to participate in scheduled drills or other orders. This includes, for example, major life events that may also affect your dependents, relocations, changes in your civilian career, changes in your health that require dedicated medical attention or changes in prescriptions. It is your responsibility to keep your unit leadership informed.

•   FAILURE TO COMPLY. Official correspondence will be sent to your contact information on file in NSIPS. It is the Reservist’s responsibility to update address information annually or as soon as it changes. A Sailor’s failure to receive or to respond to Official Mail and failure to keep the Unit CO or the NRC advised of the current home address WILL NOT prevent administrative processing.” (MILPERSMAN 1910-158.)

•   New Accessions. If you are new to the Navy, you WILL BE overwhelmed by the Reserve requirements, Navy customs, and terminology. Take it slow and ask questions.

•   Prior Active Duty Personnel. Those with prior active duty service initially struggle in the Reserves due to a false sense of comfort. You have been around the Navy, you know the language, and you are comfortable wearing the uniform. However, serving in the Reserves is completely different from serving on active duty and has its own unique terminologies, requirements, and demands. Don’t get over-confident or you will struggle. Find a mentor in your unit who can help guide you as you progress.

•   KNOW AND MEET REQUIREMENTS
Simply stated, you must know the requirements in order to fulfill them. It is each member’s responsibility to read all published requirement or directive. This publication consolidates information from multiple instructions and lessons learned into a single quick reference document. Link to official instructions, directives and manuals are included in this document so that you can read about that topic in detail.

•   PROACTIVELY BALANCE COMPETING PRIORITIES
As a Reservist, you face a multitude of competing priorities in your life:
•          Your family
•          Your personal life
•   Your civilian job/career
•   Your educational pursuits
•          Your Navy Reserve career

You will quickly discover that each of these place demands upon your time and energy and waiting until the last minute (on any of these priorities) will likely yield an impact on another priority. Proper prior planning, however, has been proven to mitigate many conflicts and thus greatly reduce your stressors. You are not alone in this effort. The Navy Reserve offers many benefits and programs for the individual Sailor and his or her dependents to utilize which are described in greater detail later in this document.
ACCESSION PROGRAMS
Some accession programs into the Navy Reserve have additional requirements and times lines for completions before the Sailor can be fully accepted into the Navy Reserve. Review the appropriate reference if you are a member of one of these accession programs:

•   New Accession Training (NAT)

•   Prior Service Reenlistment Eligibility-Reserve (PRISE-R)

•   Direct Commission Officer (DCO)
COMMON ACCESS CARD (CAC)
Ensure that your CAC is in your possession and up to date. Expired CACs should be replaced at the nearest RAPIDS facility. If you do not possess a current CAC and are unable to renew it for any reason, immediately notify your NRC sponsor for assistance. This may lead to additional coordination if the NRC is located on a military installation and a CAC are required for base access.
LODGING
Reservists (Officer and Enlisted) who reside more than 50 miles away are eligible for government-funded berthing the night prior to completion of two IDT periods the next day. (Example: To be eligible for berthing Friday night, you must complete two IDT sessions on Saturday.)
MEALS
Enlisted Sailors performing two drills are eligible to receive government-funded subsistence. Members receiving subsistence must sign meal rosters. Additionally enlisted Sailors utilizing contract berthing are authorized breakfast and dinner. Officers are responsible for their own meals.
NRC WEBSITE ADDRESS
All NRC command websites are hosted on the My Navy Reserve Homeport Website:
(CAC Required)
From the MYNRH main page, the Sailor can either search for the command in the search bar or navigate to the individual command via the “COMMAND” drop-down menu at the top of the page, followed by “REGIONS” to select the appropriate, and then the name of the NRC. Each NRC website provides a wealth of information specific to the command.
NRC WELCOME ABOARD PACKAGE
As part of your initial contact with the Navy Reserve Center staff, you will receive a Welcome Aboard Package that will provide basic information about the facility including:

•   Facility address and entry instructions
•   Command directory
•   Drill Schedule
•   Hours of operation
•   Instructions for Meals and Berthing
•   Holiday schedule
• Weather contingency plan
•   Website address
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Your first drill weekend is all about getting you checked-in with the appropriate systems. If you are able to speak with your command sponsor beforehand, ask which documents you need to bring. When in doubt, bring it! At a minimum, you should carry:
•   Navy medical and dental records
• Bank account information for direct deposit establishment
•   For DEERS and NAVPERS 1070/602, Bring the following
•   Marriage certificates
•   Divorce decrees
•   Dependents’ birth certificates / adoption paperwork
THE NAVY RESERVE ONBOARDING PORTALS
More information to come
THE NAVY RESERVIST (TNR) MAGAZINE
Navigate to this year’s TNR Almanac to hear from the Chief of Navy Reserve and the Navy Reserve Force Master Chief, learn acronyms and terms, and expand your overall reserve knowledge before your first drill weekend.
• Annual Almanac
• All Issues
THE PLAN OF THE MONTH (POM)
The Plan of the Month (POM) is required reading for all personnel. The POM is the primary means for the NRC staff to communicate with the individual Sailor and contains the latest information about Navy Reserve requirements, policies, etc.
UNIFORM AND GROOMING STANDARDS
•   If you have issued uniforms, wear your appropriate Service uniform for check-in. Instructions for wear can be found at this website: Uniform Standards
•   If you do not have uniforms, then dress in business casual attire, but adhere to all other grooming standards.
•   To be provided uniforms, you must be in a drill status in pay grades E1 to E6.
•   Navy grooming standards can be found at this website: Grooming Standards
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM YOUR NRC
•   The address and directions to the facility
•   Base/Facility access requirements (For instance, a Common Access Card (CAC), gate closures or other traffic controls)
•   Weather contingency plans
•   How to request Berthing (if you live more than 50 miles from the command)
•   How to sign up for Meals
•   Required documents and other items to bring