A personal tale
Published on April 12, 2005 By pseudosoldier In Work
This morning, after checking how my stable performed last night on Martial Combat... er, researched vital mission essential information, I checked my AKO (Army Knowledge Online) email (the official email of the USArmy) on a lark. Well, no. On a computer. But, anyway...

I received an email, this morning, at ~0600. The email was from the personnel office letting me know that the report date for my PCS (Permanent Change of Station) (the date that I would show up to my gaining unit), had changed. Again. Due to Stop Loss/Stop Move.

Now, why did this infuriate me? It's not like I expected to go to my next duty station as it was. The report date was already postponed to this December, leaving me only nine months in my enlistment, necessitating a reenlistment or extension to meet the 24 month requirement on a CONUS to CONUS (Continental United States) assignment, anyway.

Well, what I was angry about, at first, was that the Army (as a whole, which is sometimes a poor way to characterize the Army) wasn't even making a pretense about wanting to send me to my assignment any more. My report date became the end of OCT next year, but my ETS (End Term of Service, the date I would get out of the Army) was in September, 33 days before that! "This is BULLSHIT!" I told my squad leader. (Poor SSG Cochise.) Thankfully, he remained calm, and took my diatribe in stride. (He is used to me, after over two years of this.)

"What do you want to be done about this?" Of course, I shoot back that the Army should just put me out for Breach of Contract (their breach, not mine, amazingly), but when I settled down (in about 1.3 minutes), I said that I was more worried that this meant another Stop Move/Stop Loss looming on the near horizon for early next year.

After the morning brief and the Squad Leader meeting, the Platoon Sergeant (SFC C) saw me and my squad leader in his office. (Amazingly, after less than a year, he seems to be used to my rants as well.) (This time I tried to hold back, though.)

"It's PAC," he said, "constantly screwing up the UICs." A UIC is the Unit Identification Code, which is assigned to you when you arrive at your unit. They track this to make sure you spend enough time/not too much time at the unit you're assigned to. SFC C then goes on to (re)tell me the story about how he had been assigned to Fort Hood for five years (back in the day) and had his UIC changed 14 times, although he never changed units. The "clock" for how long a soldier has to stay in a unit before they can PCS is reset when the UIC is... this can keep you from leaving a unit (or at least provide people an excuse for not moving you).

This actually very much reassured me. But the next part of the conversation upset me again. I mentioned that I understood I wouldn't be leaving anyway, but that it bothered me that the Army wouldn't even pretend any more that they would meet my contracted Station of Choice. This seemed to blindside SFC C. "Bring me a copy of your contract," he quickly said. "If you want to go, I can work on it for you."

I swear I had mentioned Station of Choice being in my reenlistment contract before. I suppose I may have only mentioned it when talking directly with Cochise, and negelected to mention it to the PSG. To his great credit, SFC C jumped on this as a chance to help a soldier. (Say what you will about him, he has always been a straight-shooter when dealing with me.)

"I've got to talk it over with Her," I told him.

And I have.

Damn it, we're staying. We're staying and praying that another Stop Move/Stop Loss doesn't come my way. (Although, if it does, I hope to be the SGT Greywar of next mission: Indispensible and Untouchable, Knowledgeable to a Fault, although I'll skip the coffee swilling.) She gets to finish school, we avoid a potentially messy fight to leave and a potentially messy move to a place we're not that interested in, I get to train my n00bs some more. Here's hoping that all works out.

(I'll leave the ETS bit for a near future article. This is a bit long, I'm procrastinating on my homework, and I can always leave the tale for my 7-year Army Anniversary this Friday...)

Comments
on Apr 12, 2005
Hoo~AH to what sounds like a great NCO Chain!!!

The irony of seeing how badly some people want to get out, compared to how much I would have loved to stay in is just too rediculous for words!! ;~D

All I can say for the rest is:

!!!!!SEMPER GUMBY!!!!!
on Apr 12, 2005
Hoo~AH to what sounds like a great NCO Chain!!!


You know, they're not bad, yeah. Mostly. (But everyone's got problems/no one's perfect.)

The irony of seeing how badly some people want to get out, compared to how much I would have loved to stay in is just too rediculous for words!!


I'm not nearly the worst in my unit. I'm not actually affected by the Stop Loss upon us now, for instance...

SEMPER GUMBY


Oddly, doesn't even really apply in this situation. Nothing has in fact changed since this morning or yesterday, at least functionally. Tried and true Army philosophy, though.
on Apr 15, 2005
I'm not nearly the worst in my unit.


I'm not there yet either, but I'm at least in the running.

I can always leave the tale for my 7-year Army Anniversary this Friday...)


Ah, You hadn't said anything today, Happy anniversary!!!!!!!!!! Woot even.............
on Apr 16, 2005
You hadn't said anything today


I wasn't sure I was going to tell the guys I went out with, either, on the premise that they might pour alcohol down my throat. Didn't go down like that, though...
on Apr 18, 2005
so basically what you're telling me is that I should be very thankful to be in the Air Force, and that I should be thankful to have orders to my duty station of choice, and that not only am I leaving on time, but they actually approved my request to leave 6 weeks early.

of course, now i sound like an ass hole, bragging that I got what I wanted, but like you, I have a woman involved in this whole debacle... I already had the orders and the RNLTN date moved up before the woman and I met.

The Army was mostly good to me. The Air Force has been better.

Good Luck in your endeavors...
on Apr 18, 2005
not only am I leaving on time, but they actually approved my request to leave 6 weeks early.


Damn your eyes (but in a good yet insane with jealousy sort of way)........sigh........97 days to freedom.........
on Apr 20, 2005
Good Luck in your endeavors...


Thanks. Congrats on both the PCS and the woman. Good luck with both to you, too.
on Apr 20, 2005
97 days to freedom.........


I'm surprised that you haven't started some sort of countdown on your blog... even just at the end of each article.
on Jun 09, 2005
Hey Killer,
In my own defense...you never brought me a copy of your contract, my door is always open. Bring me a copy and I'll see what I can do. Cochise doesn't like to pass on information for some reason. Maybe he should SEE ME.
I do have some useless stats for you. In the last six weeks the following paperwork has crossed my desk:
74 award write ups (half of which are ARCOMS)
55 certificates of appreciation (plus the cool mission thing with everyones name)
10 NCOERs
10 ETS extensions
2 early drops for school
4 convelesence (however it's spelled) leaves (3 appendectimies in 3 weeks, go figure)
1 red cross message
8 tuition assistance requests
and we're working on 55 block leave forms (the 5 lb variety)
Then of course there's the high level visits that chap my ass.
Here's the funny part; I had a SGT get in my grill and say "we understand that you're getting an award, what upsets us is nobody else is getting anything."
Yeah, I had to laugh too. Everybody is getting something. I've been saying that for a year.
You just keep rockin' and we'll be "OK".
SFC C
on Sep 03, 2005
In my own defense...you never brought me a copy of your contract, my door is always open. Bring me a copy and I'll see what I can do.


Wow, I hadn't even noticed that you posted this, SFC, it was pretty buried in my blog.

In your own defense... I really wasn't trying to make this an attack on you. I apologize if it came out that way. It was intended as a cathartic rant dealing with my current frustrations.

Please note at the end, I talked to Her. We're staying, at least for the foreseeable future. This is how it stands now as well, 3SEP05.

I do appreciate you stopping in (and all the paperwork you've been doing to take care of the PLT).