Inactive Duty Training, usually called IDT, is the scheduled part-time training that Army Reserve and Army National Guard soldiers perform to stay ready for military operations. In the Army, inactive duty training is what most people mean by “one weekend a month”: a block of drill periods soldiers report to on a set schedule, earning pay and retirement credit for each four-hour period. The word “inactive” only signals that you are not on continuous active-duty orders; the training itself can mean weapons qualification, tactical exercises, medical screenings, or a full day of administrative catch-up.
How a Drill Weekend Is Structured
IDT is measured in Multiple Unit Training Assemblies, or MUTAs. One MUTA equals a single four-hour drill period. A standard drill weekend is a MUTA 4: four periods spread across Saturday and Sunday, two each day. You can earn pay and retirement credit for up to two IDT periods in one calendar day.1U.S. Army Human Resources Command (HRC). RPMD Retirement Points Team
Some weekends carry a heavier load. A MUTA 5 or MUTA 6 tacks on a Friday evening or a longer Sunday. Commanders set the schedule based on training requirements and must authorize all IDT in advance.
What actually happens during those periods depends on the unit and your military occupational specialty, but a typical drill mixes hands-on training with administrative work: weapons qualification, tactical exercises at the squad or platoon level, physical training and the Army Combat Fitness Test (which Reserve and Guard soldiers take at least once a year), health screenings and immunizations, personnel record updates, mandatory online training modules, and professional development briefings. The administrative side is where a lot of time quietly disappears, which is why the pace during a MUTA 4 can feel relentless.
What You Get Paid
Drill pay for each IDT period equals 1/30th of your monthly basic pay. A standard MUTA 4 weekend pays roughly four-thirtieths of monthly basic pay. Rates scale with rank and years of service, and the 2026 tables reflect a 3.8 percent raise over 2025.
For enlisted soldiers with two or fewer years of service, a MUTA 4 weekend in 2026 pays:2Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Reserve Component Drill Pay – Enlisted Effective January 1, 2026
- E-1 (Private): $320.96
- E-2 (Private Second Class): $359.72
- E-3 (Private First Class): $378.24
- E-4 (Specialist/Corporal): $418.96
- E-5 (Sergeant): $445.72
Commissioned officers at the same experience level earn more per weekend:3Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Reserve Component Drill Pay – Commissioned Officers Effective January 1, 2026
- O-1 (Second Lieutenant): $553.36
- O-2 (First Lieutenant): $637.60
- O-3 (Captain): $737.88
Longevity matters. An E-5 with eight years of service earns more per drill than one with two. DFAS publishes the full tables each year covering every rank and service bracket.
Retirement Points From Drilling
IDT is one of the main paths to a non-regular military retirement. You earn one retirement point for each four-hour IDT period, capped at two points per calendar day.4Headquarters RIO. Points A MUTA 4 weekend earns four points.
On top of drill points, every Reserve Component member gets 15 membership points per year simply for being in the Reserve or Guard. Points also accrue from active duty days, funeral honors duty, and approved correspondence or online courses.5Military Compensation and Financial Readiness. Reserve Retirement
To bank a “good year” of creditable service, you need at least 50 points in that retirement year. Twenty good years qualifies you for non-regular retired pay, which normally begins at age 60.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 12731 – Age and Service Requirements
Health Care and Life Insurance Access
Drilling reservists in the Selected Reserve can enroll in TRICARE Reserve Select, a premium-based health plan. For 2026, the monthly premiums are $57.88 for individual coverage and $286.66 for member and family.7TRICARE. TRICARE 2026 Costs and Fees Preview Compared with most civilian plans, those premiums are low for what you get.
For life insurance, Reserve and Guard members are automatically enrolled in Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) at the maximum coverage of $500,000. Coverage applies during the actual hours of inactive duty training, including travel to and from the drill site.8Veterans Benefits Administration. Servicemembers’ and Veterans Group Life Insurance Handbook If you are scheduled to perform at least 12 IDT periods per year that are creditable for retirement, you get full-time SGLI coverage rather than coverage limited to drill days. You can elect a lower amount or decline entirely, but the default is the full $500,000.
The VA Disability Limit You Should Know
VA disability coverage during IDT is narrower than most soldiers assume, and the gap catches people off guard. For active duty and active duty for training, VA disability covers both injuries and diseases that occurred or were aggravated during service. For IDT, VA will only pay disability compensation for injuries, heart attacks, or strokes that occurred during the inactive duty training period.9Veterans Benefits Administration. National Guard and Reserve A disease that develops or worsens during a drill weekend generally does not qualify unless it falls into one of those three categories. The disability also cannot result from willful misconduct or substance abuse.
If you get hurt during IDT, document it immediately. Report to sick call, make sure the injury lands in your military medical records, and put your chain of command on notice. A line-of-duty determination tying the injury to your IDT period is essential for any future VA claim.
Your Civilian Job Is Protected
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) protects your civilian job when you leave for military service, including IDT. Your employer cannot fire, demote, or deny you a promotion because of your military obligations.10Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. USERRA Frequently Asked Questions
You need to give your employer advance notice of your service. The notice can be verbal or written, and there is no required format. USERRA does not set an exact timeline, but the Department of Defense recommends at least 30 days when feasible. Notify each employer separately if you have more than one.
USERRA sets a five-year cumulative cap on military-related absences from a single employer for reemployment rights. Routine IDT and annual training required under 10 U.S.C. § 10147 or 32 U.S.C. § 502(a) do not count against that cap.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 USC 4312 – Reemployment Rights of Persons Who Serve in the Uniformed Services Regular drill weekends and annual training will not put you at risk of hitting the limit; the clock mainly ticks on longer activations and deployments. When you return, USERRA generally requires your employer to treat you as if you had never left, including seniority, pay raises, and promotions you would have earned.
What Happens If You Miss Drill
Missing an occasional drill is normal, and commanders expect it. The standard remedy is Rescheduled Training (RST): you make up the missed IDT periods on a different date approved by your commander. RST requests generally need to be submitted and approved before the missed drill, though unit policies vary.
What you cannot do is skip drill and hope no one notices. Under Army Regulation 135-91, nine or more unexcused absences from scheduled IDT periods within any 12-month window makes you an “unsatisfactory participant.” Once that label attaches, your commander is required to initiate proceedings leading to reassignment, transfer, or separation from the Reserve Component.12Army National Guard. Army Regulation 135-91 – Service Obligations, Methods of Fulfillment, Participation Requirements, and Enforcement Provisions
Nine sounds like a lot until you remember that a single MUTA 4 weekend contains four IDT periods. Missing three drill weekends without authorization puts you at 12 unexcused absences, well past the threshold. If you know you will miss training, contact your unit early and request RST or an excused absence through your chain of command.
How IDT Differs From Annual Training and Active Duty
Reserve Component soldiers serve under three main training categories, and the differences affect pay, benefits, and legal status.
IDT is the part-time drill training that happens throughout the year, typically one weekend a month. You get drill pay at 1/30th of basic pay per period and earn retirement points, but you are not on continuous active duty orders. Annual Training (AT) is a separate, more intensive block of full-time training, traditionally two weeks in the summer. During AT you are in an active duty for training status and receive full base pay, housing allowances, and subsistence pay like active duty soldiers. The traditional combination of 48 IDT periods and 15 days of AT works out to roughly 39 paid training days a year.13The National Guard. Army Guard Soldiers to See Increase in Training Days
Active duty is full-time service on continuous orders, with the full pay and allowances package. Unlike IDT, active duty time counts directly toward veteran status and eligibility for a broader range of VA benefits. In practice, many Reserve and Guard soldiers serve well beyond the 39-day baseline once you factor in additional training days, schools, and pre-deployment preparation.14U.S. Army Reserve Command. Army Reserve Command Training Guidance
Travel Reimbursement If Your Unit Is Far Away
If your assigned unit is a long drive from home, the IDT Travel Reimbursement program may cover part of the cost. For fiscal year 2026, Selected Reserve members who must travel 150 or more miles one way to their permanent duty station can receive up to $750 per round trip.15Air Force Reserve (AFRC) / HQ RIO. Air Force Reserve Inactive Duty for Training Travel Reimbursement Guide Fiscal Year 2026 Distance is measured using the Defense Table of Official Distances, not a personal GPS estimate.
The program matters most for soldiers in low-density specialties whose units may be hundreds of miles from home. Eligibility and claim procedures run through your unit, so if you might qualify, raise it with your readiness NCO or unit administrator early in the fiscal year.