active duty

American  

noun

Military.

1. the status of full-time service.

   on active duty.

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active duty Idioms  

1. Full-time service, as in Julian is 81, but he still comes to the office every day and is very much on active duty. This term comes from the military, where it stands in opposition to reserve, which refers to troops still in the military but not actively engaged. It is occasionally transferred to civilian matters as well. [First half of 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Kelly could even be recalled to active duty, then court-martialed, an act that would remove his military status entirely and even land the senator in prison.

From Slate

Some western estimates put its active duty contingent in the hundreds of thousands, still a very substantial total.

From BBC

The players only play for the love of the game, graduate, then go on to active duty in the armed forces for a minimum of five years.

From Los Angeles Times

Closer to the front line, many men on active duty are also shelving the idea of starting a a relationship.

From BBC

Ross served in the Indiana National Guard and was deployed to active duty.

From The Wall Street Journal