
Active service, or active duty, in the military is full-time, continuous service as a member of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard. This differs from part-time service in the Reserves or National Guard, where service members train one weekend a month and two weeks a year. Active service members have benefits like free health care, housing, and subsistence allowances, and are stationed where they are needed, often living on base or in military housing.


