Originally posted by gillhicks: What are you going to do if your exception to policy is denied and you are told to reenlist or you are not getting promoted?
gillhicks, why did you come to this community if you're just going to blast this Soldier?
Okay, this opinion is based on regulatory guidance. 601-280 table 4-1 is quite clear no more than 13 months to meet the SRR. That is the bottom line. By requesting an exception this soldier is asking the Army to bend the rules for him so he can ETS as a SSG, without following the rules. The soldier signed a contract that clearly lets him know that he very well might get involuntarily extended, very clearly on the 4/1 page 2. Had the soldier not been extended he would have gotten out as an E-5 and been on his merry way, so whats the problem with it now. My feelings have nothing to do with my remarks. I know the Regulation, and pretty much by defintion an exception is a request to overlook the Regulation. If the minimum were an extension then he could very easily get one, but since the exception request needs to be processed, this is a case of not wanting to do the regulatory minimum which in this case would be a 2 year reenlistment. I find nothing exceptional about a soldier wanting to skirt the Reg by asking for an exception. So trust me there is no confusion in my interpretation of exception and exceptional. I know what MRTT says about exceptions as well. I came here to offer assistance as you saw in my posts on the other subject earlier today, but there are too many of these cases going on today, soldiers just need to suck it up one way or the other in these cases, either reenlist or keep what you have on your chest and ETS.
Posts: 9 | Location: Ft Campbell | Registered: 31 July 2008
I know how reenlistments work. However, I'm not going to reenlist just to get stop loss'd AGAIN for something I shouldn't HAVE to reenlist for, something I have already earned! So, your answer is I will not be promoted. Its the principle of the matter. Again, I DONT have to explain myself to you, but since you seem to not be getting it.... My FAMILY will NOT be LIVING at my current duty station when I redeploy from Afghanistan! So, your game plan: Reenlist for two years. Get stop loss'd again (you are living on another planet if you think it wouldn't happen) and possibly and give up my family for another 3+ years (keep in mind, I've already been gone for 12-15 months, making it over 4 years now!!!). 4 YEARS of not being able to sleep in the same bed with my wife!? I am going to go on a limb and say you are single. If not I certainly hope you wouldn't do that to your loved ones.
"What if you end up on as you said a rumored 12 month deployment."
What does my deployment length have anything to do with the issue at hand? Right now its 15 months. Period. The only way it will effect me is if I stay on stop loss status and they change the deployment time. i.e. They change my ETS back to OCT and I get pinned without extending. EVEN THEN, my promotion is not invalidated by not fulfilling the 12 SSR. That IS in black and white. Say I do extend, I get pinned. Coming home earlier does not effect my "extended" ETS date. It would be the same as if it were a 15 month deployment.
Be it known, I am not trying to take advantage of anything. I just want what I believe I have rightfully earned and busted my ass for. Also, I would NOT have gone to the promotion board if I knew I didn't have at least 13 months left TIS. My freaking PSG wouldn't have let me!
"either reenlist or keep what you have on your chest and ETS."
Reenlistment is not determining factor when it comes to promotions. Job performance/potential and for SSG TIS. I have gobs of all three. AR601-280 (I believe 4-7a or 4-9a, cant remember off the top of my head) ALSO states that extensions will be effective immediately from the soldiers CURRENT ETS DATE. Last time I checked... My ERB says 20090602. So, there are definitely some gray areas. You need to quit being emotional. Why not decipher the regs in favor of the soldier? Tell me WHAT would be the harm in that? Oh, and I NEVER asked for an exception to policy. I asked WHY this was happening, they couldn't give me straight answers. So, I'm assuming they OFFERED me one to make it right....
Anyway, I have learned alot over the past few days. Again, I appreciate the good advice given as well as the time. I'm finished with this forum bickering. If you really want to complain about "how us soldiers are getting over" and how "we need to suck it up", take it up with a congressman. Don't do it in a military help forum.
Your current ETS is your contractual ETS which i understad has passed already, an ERB is not a contractual document. If you were attempting to reenlist and receive a bonus, it would be based off your contractual ETS, as well as everything else concerning reenlistment and extensions. Reenlistment is obviously a determining factor in your promotion, or you would not have been here, or sent to your local retention NCO or team or whatever you have. I know the regulation and just because you do not like the answer does not make me wrong, exceptions are bad, give one out and the next soldier will expect it as standard if you get it. I totally understand your desire to be with your family, I want that as well. I will unfortunately however be faced with several more deployments, but fortunately have a great woman waiting on me. You said you are married to a lifer, well MACP should keep the 2 of you together. The regulatory guidance is quite clear to me and this is not emotions talking, is is basic comprehension. YOU DO NOT MEET THE BASIC QUALIFICATIONS, if you did you would not need an exception to policy. So I agree this has gone on long enough in here, and i did offer you help you just did not like what I had to say. You do not have any choice but to reenlist the regulation is quite clear on that and I cannot imagine HRC approving an exception to something clearly covered in the regulations. Either way good luck to you in the future.
Posts: 9 | Location: Ft Campbell | Registered: 31 July 2008
gillhicks, this case is about taking care of a Soldier ... it will only help in the long run for retention. Retnetion is not always black and white ... there's alot of grey area.
Wow this guy knows how to take care of Soldiers!!!!!
I can you see him as a Retention NCO "Sergeant, what are bonuses looking like right now? how many years"
Answer: " NO BONUS FOR YOU, 2 year minimum, you dont like it GET OUT!!!"
lIKE ArmyReenlistment said, is about taking care of Soldiers, you take care of him now, he gets pinned SSG, guess what he might end up reenlsiting a couple of months from now b/c he knows he is in a good place, but if you keep telling Soldiers "no, suck it up, man up, no bonus, no extensions, exception to policy are bad, etc etc" man no one is going to want to reenlist/enlist.
If Exception to Policy were bad/wrong, then they would not exists, the fact that it can be done means that the Army understands there is certain situations that might require a special look at it not just look at the regulation and say "mmm no reg says you cant", again on certain situations.
Its like saying everytime someone is late to work, even by one minute they should get an ART 15, the first time you catch your underage Soldier give him a field grade ART 15, come on now guy.
Lead by Example!!!
Posts: 1205 | Location: Somewhere in the US | Registered: 13 September 2007
Yea, there is no possible way for me to get a job at MacDill. If anyone could get me one, it'd be my wife. She's the Enlisted Strength Management NCOIC over at 160th Reg HQ (for 1 more week). I know we could both stay at Campbell no problem, but shes been there for almost 10 years. It was between 5th Group or SOCOM and we decided she should take the SOCOM job at MacDill. Its a MONEY job! I couldn't let her pass it up. She'll get looked at for 7 next year, hopefully she picks it up, she deserves it. So, her career comes first (for now). Until I finish up my degree anyway....
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