I just finished my school for my new MOS. The Bear MSG i extended under was for PFC thru SPC (P). I got promoted on the 1st of the month right after i graduated school. Now im being told that i cannot reenlist and get a bonus because the MSG was only thru SPC (P). Is this information correct? or do I get the SPC (P) amount in which i extended under??

You got promoted to Which Rank?

If you got promoted past SPC (P) you are ineligible for the bonus, and possibly for the re-up in the new MOS.

Is it too late to reject the promotion?? -Ask your S-1 EXPERTS. (Not someone who sounds like they don't know what they're talking about.)

Man, I hope this works out for you, sounds like another messed up army program that screws over soldiers. I am wanting to reclass too, but with things like this happening I dont know.

quote:

Originally posted by mafiamind85:
Man, I hope this works out for you, sounds like another messed up army program that screws over soldiers. I am wanting to reclass too, but with things like this happening I dont know.

How's it messed up?
The BEAR program is for Soldiers of a specific rank to reclass. If you're not of that rank, you don't meet the requirements.

(It does suck though that you have to put your career advancement on hold for a while- until you're safely reclassed and into the new MOS...)

AutobahnSHO- I have to agree with them: It's a messed up system WHEN someone like myself, who reclassed to Signal, had to wait 2 wks shy of a whole year to even get into school, not to mention being FORCED to stay in Korea, without my wife, kids, or AIP compensation. I THOUGHT I was one of the FEW that this sort of thing happens to, but then I met about 15 other people with the SAME STORY.

If a person signs up for the BEAR program as a PFC and the target MOS is capped for SPC(P), then let's do the math: To get approved for BEAR you have to be in your window, so an AVERAGE PFC has been in rank for about 6-18 months, depending on his initial entry rank. If that Soldier was to pass on a waiver, then he is auto-up'd six months later. Then to get to SPC(P) is only four more months and a board later.

Now some schools have a 4 month waiting list while some run out almost a year. Also, if an MOS is on the STAR list (and therefore likely on the MILPER for BEAR, it WILL FILL UP EVENTUALLY. It would suck for people who decided to transfer into an MOS to wait about a year to go to school, and all the while waiting they watch as the points go up to MAX...

So here is were I stand on the issue (and I am still working out the Army's FINAL conclusion to MY VERSION OF IT as I type this, as I have been for the past five months): If HALF of the BEAR program is the SRB that a Soldier can earn IF:
1. They finish school AND be awarded the new PMOS
2. They still meet all the NORMAL requirements to Re-Up
3. They reenlist within 90 days of graduation (and according to the newest MILPER they sign for 3+ years to get ANY $$$)

...and the other HALF of the BEAR is the fact that a Soldier can simply earn a new PMOS WITHOUT having to reenlist but simply has to be prepared to kiss off an SRB, then the real beauty of the possibly "Broken System" can be seen.

If the MOS that a person contractually locked into is heading into the MAX Points zone then that Soldier has only two real options when it comes to income and their Army-regulated future:
a.) Pass on promotions, stay the course, and get a fairly small SRB taxed at what, 28% or so?...
OR
b.) While waiting for school they excel past their peers and start "Being all that they can be," make some rank, hit every board they can, EARN a decent PCS award, get their 3355 up as high as they can WITHOUT going over points, go to school, and then finish hitting every ACCD they can to allow them to make points in their OLD MOS before they are awarded the new maxed out PMOS. The ONLY downside with that solution is that they miss out on the heavily-taxed SRB.

This is where I struggle with the Army system as a whole: Someone once told me that it's NOT the Army that is bad, it's those few bad people who tarnish it. What I have noticed in my 'brief' time in the service is that sometimes it's the dirtbags who make the rank. I have also noticed that WE, as Soldiers, have to respect the rank- EVEN WHEN IT'S BEING WORN BY A PERSON WHO MAKES SURE TO TELL EVERYONE TO REMEMBER WHAT HIS/HER RANK IS... Just the same, some people make assumptions when they hear "Oh, I've been a Specialist for six years..., been deployed twice..., Nope, I've never had a negative counseling statement, it's just the points have always been above 700..." What was sad about when I reclassed was that THAT was about 25 of my friend's stories, and yet, here they were going to school for an MOS at 798, and a majority of them were FORCED out of their MOS, which had subsequently dropped to around 430ish.

And so I leave this diatribe with this thought: What could the possible earned income difference be between an E-5 with 8 TIS and 3 TIG against an E-4 with 8 TIS and 6 TIG? Isn't it likely three or more times the difference of a heavily taxed, fairly non-substantial SRB?

just a thought