Who didn't violate General Order #1? Kind of hard to see it as a priority when each day or mission will likely be your last.
Mmmmm mouthwash flavored whiskey.
Ah, GO #1. Brought me from SPC(P) to PV2. Good times. My first line, entirely responsible for such (well, entirely responsible for it turning into a cluster fuck, it was my decision to violate it), got a bronze star (no V, of course) end of tour despite getting a battalion level letter of reprimand and a 3/3 NCOER, which seems unusual. Partially my fault, because I covered for her out of a misguided sense of team cohesion.
In my not so humble opinion, the Army has been going downhill since it stopped being possible to be fragged for being a bad leader.
And speaking of downgraded awards, my 22 year old buddy who got medically retired for combat injuries had his bronze star downgraded to an ARCOM. I want to track down the presiding officer just to salute him for his service.
All my intensely bitter fury aside, I can say that the one time it really mattered, I saved the lives of the guys to my left and right, so fuck everything else.
Nearly all of our third platoon was so drunk on a "no roll" day that the MPs were called by their PSG. Nothing happened to them. Don't know how that worked out.
I remember getting so drunk that I almost tripped over my PSG's cot in our tent on BIAP while stumbling in at night after drinking with another squad. I was pretty lucky during our deployment in that regard.
'Roids were pretty rampant in my unit as well. Shit, if I was in CID I could've gained several ranks during that deployment if I was so inclined.
Looks like they're still trying to drop numbers to fit the manpower restrictions.
When I left they were still offering full retirement for 1/2 service to officers.
I could never figure out what it took to get wrench turners kicked out (we sure as shit didn't get any nice offers to leave). We had at least 3 people a year who would get railroaded by the Squadron because some MSgt didn't like them, but the a-holes who wouldn't lift a finger and still managed to cost us millions a year in NRTS parts were allowed to wait it out till their retirement.
Looks like they're still trying to drop numbers to fit the manpower restrictions.
When I left they were still offering full retirement for 1/2 service to officers.
I could never figure out what it took to get wrench turners kicked out (we sure as shit didn't get any nice offers to leave). We had at least 3 people a year who would get railroaded by the Squadron because some MSgt didn't like them, but the a-holes who wouldn't lift a finger and still managed to cost us millions a year in NRTS parts were allowed to wait it out till their retirement.
It's all about the paper trail man. A lot of people just aren't good at making written documentation about events. And then when they want to do something about the shit bag, they have nothing to substantiate with. Meanwhile, when a 1SG gets on the warpath, other people do the documentation for him/her.
The army is prepping the Officer Separation Board/Early Separation and Retirement Board packets right now. The army is preening the O3's and O4's.
Lo Que Sea, Cuando Sea, Donde Sea.
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Waffles or whateverPreviously known as, I shit you not, "Waffen"Registered Userregular
edited December 2013
Following that post Iceman.USAF posted earlier. Army ROTC is getting much more competitive next year as well. Next year they're letting commissioning officers forego commissioning directly into Active or the Reserves and allowing an option that lets Cadets go straight into the IRR post college. This option made me scratch my head because last I heard the Reserves/Guard is at 60% officer strength across the board. I mean, why waste officers in the IRR when there are units out there that need them?
The overall plan is to increase the restriction of officers going into AD drastically in the next four years before finally relenting and opening the flood gates again to prevent an inflation of junior level officers in the shrinking Army.
@H3ndu - Finally got that award emailed to you. Realized you won't be looking at it till Monday since it's your .mil@mail.mil (god enterprise is retarded).
Yeah, I don't think I know a single person that went downrange that didn't break General Order #1.
Most just don't get caught, the reason my squad did was a fellow PFC.
My squad leader at the time was clinically bipolar. So most everyone hated his guts. Well, after said drinking event a fellow PFC thought it would be a good idea to go tell the EO rep that said SL let us drink.
He thought it would only get him in trouble.... obviously that is not what happened.
It's ok though. I ended up getting moved to another platoon. Where both the platoon sergeant and leader where amazing at their job and gave a shit about their people.
Probably the best I've ever had in my 10 years in.
" I am a warrior, so that my son may be a merchant, so that his son may be a poet.”
― John Quincy Adams
Looks like they're still trying to drop numbers to fit the manpower restrictions.
When I left they were still offering full retirement for 1/2 service to officers.
I could never figure out what it took to get wrench turners kicked out (we sure as shit didn't get any nice offers to leave). We had at least 3 people a year who would get railroaded by the Squadron because some MSgt didn't like them, but the a-holes who wouldn't lift a finger and still managed to cost us millions a year in NRTS parts were allowed to wait it out till their retirement.
It's all about the paper trail man. A lot of people just aren't good at making written documentation about events. And then when they want to do something about the shit bag, they have nothing to substantiate with. Meanwhile, when a 1SG gets on the warpath, other people do the documentation for him/her.
The army is prepping the Officer Separation Board/Early Separation and Retirement Board packets right now. The army is preening the O3's and O4's.
I'm mostly talking about the same people in the chain making sure people they don't like have a paper trail but letting guys within 4 years of retirement practically get away with murder. If our QA guys weren't bigger a-holes than anyone in the entire base, that wouldn't be a hyperbole.
In one case a SSgt had burned a hole through a vertical stabilizer while doing a repair, made repairs that wouldn't hold up under stress, and put the 3 lvls under him in dangerous situations needlessly (course, that last one was damned near everyone in command), but the worst he got was that it was made clear he wouldn't be likely to be promoted before his retirement.
If our QA people didn't already know about him before hand, he could have crashed a plane, easily, through sheer incompetence.
Maybe it's not the bullets flying kind of danger, but it put the people I worked with (and anyone who relied on our 130s and B-1s) at risk and made me angry to see people who actually could do the job let go for BS reasons while this guy didn't even get a paper trail and was allowed to collect his retirement checks.
I'm at that awkward point where it's time to apply for orders but my EAOS is 13 months after my PRD. Coming off of shore duty I picked bahrain (with an NEC I already have) and 4 ships that would each require upwards of six months of school.
I am 90% sure I'll end up in bahrain because the navy is super cheap. Which would actually be perfect for me, save a shit ton of money before I get out.
Hoping they give me the San Diego orders where 8 of the 13 months are in satcom/comsec school AND I get a TS clearance out of it feels like too much to ask.
I am 90% sure I'll end up in bahrain because the navy is super cheap. Which would actually be perfect for me, save a shit ton of money before I get out.
Hoping they give me the San Diego orders where 8 of the 13 months are in satcom/comsec school AND I get a TS clearance out of it feels like too much to ask.
So with the current GI Bill when I pass on the letter of eligibility to the college do they get the funds directly or do they go in to my account to go to them?
Funds are sent to the college. Though I think you have to certify for the gi bill? Not certain on that part.
They direct deposit the BAH thingie to you...I think. I haven't actually received that.
Funds are sent to the college. Though I think you have to certify for the gi bill? Not certain on that part.
They direct deposit the BAH thingie to you...I think. I haven't actually received that.
I shouldn't be getting that since I'm active. I have gotten a deposit from the VA, I'm not quite sure what for though since it's nowhere near my BAH or the tuition. I'm assuming a stipend for books etc but just tossed it in to savings to play it safe.
So my biggest issue now is they've given me a random amount of money but not the school their specific amount of money.
Funds are sent to the college. Though I think you have to certify for the gi bill? Not certain on that part.
They direct deposit the BAH thingie to you...I think. I haven't actually received that.
I shouldn't be getting that since I'm active. I have gotten a deposit from the VA, I'm not quite sure what for though since it's nowhere near my BAH or the tuition. I'm assuming a stipend for books etc but just tossed it in to savings to play it safe.
So my biggest issue now is they've given me a random amount of money but not the school their specific amount of money.
You need to certify only once (thank god) through VONAPP.
And that's correct, they direct deposit the BAH (if not active) and book stipend.
The book stipend is $41.67/credit * current tier% if going to a private school.
The max for the stipend is $1k per academic year, 1 Aug - 31 Jul, and is refreshed every year you have benefits remaining.
The BAH and book stipend are usually paid before the tuition payment to the school.
Tuition went directly to the school, fee and stipend money went straight to my direct deposit account. Both require not just a CoE to be given to the school, but every term you have to get approved by an academic adviser to then give to the veteran liaison at your school. Every school is probably bit different but that's generally it.
moving constantly...
is there some secret to share
or no hope for we?
- a haiku
This sucks. How does anyone get through it without ending the other's career? Am I doomed to this outcome for the next 17+ years? How would I not lead someone on, because holy shit I feel terrible right now.
moving constantly...
is there some secret to share
or no hope for we?
- a haiku
This sucks. How does anyone get through it without ending the other's career? Am I doomed to this outcome for the next 17+ years? How would I not lead someone on, because holy shit I feel terrible right now.
moving constantly...
is there some secret to share
or no hope for we?
- a haiku
This sucks. How does anyone get through it without ending the other's career? Am I doomed to this outcome for the next 17+ years? How would I not lead someone on, because holy shit I feel terrible right now.
My wife works for an international chain. While it's not perfect it gives a pretty good chance that there's a Lush she can work at. When it comes time for orders I make it clear to my detailer that being somewhere she can keep her job is actually one of my top priorities and they're generally willing to work it out since they're all over the place.
moving constantly...
is there some secret to share
or no hope for we?
- a haiku
This sucks. How does anyone get through it without ending the other's career? Am I doomed to this outcome for the next 17+ years? How would I not lead someone on, because holy shit I feel terrible right now.
You dating another servicemember?
A civilian who cannot just up and move.
At least with a servicemember there's a non-zero chance for an assignment at the same place, higher if you talk to the personnel center.
In all honesty most women know what they sign up for when they start a relationship with a SM.
They might not say it out loud or even want to think about it during the relationship, but they have thought about it.
They either know that you will be moving and will try to make something work, or they want to get married, or they just wanted to have a good time for couple of years until you move on.
I got lucky and my first duty assignment was Hawaii and I was there for almost 6 years. Had a few relationships there, found the one, married her, been married for almost 9 years now.
Good luck to you though, it's hard as shit to keep a relationship when your in the military.
Never being around kinda shits on them.
" I am a warrior, so that my son may be a merchant, so that his son may be a poet.”
― John Quincy Adams
Yeah. What has been said is pretty accurate.
BUT, even if she has considered it and thought about it, and eventually agrees to it, the moving shit can still suck. And can still tear people apart if they let it.
All that aside, still date people. Life moves on. People work with it or around it. There are jobs at each new place, things to do, groups to be involved in (Mothers Of Preschoolers, PWOC if she's a church goer, Officer spouse group, etc).
Oh dear lord. I just attended the most fouled up PT session I've been part of in a long time.
About ten lines of six were formed in the middle of a soccer field. Three cones were set up equidistant from each other and the edge of the field. The idea was that the first person in line would run to the first cone and back, then the second, then the third. While doing that the people in line would do X exercise. And when they got back the third time around the second person would go. Which we all took to mean meant that Y exercise would start.
Nope.
Fuckers actually wanted us to do push ups for about ten minutes until each person in the line finished. Then move on to the next exercise and repeat four more times. Fortunately it fell apart rapidly.
CPO 365. Because when most of the fitness leaders are busy leading real PT somewhere else for the rest of the command, why not just have some random people lead it instead?
Formation PT is bad for everyone; it kills people's normal routine that is specifically tailored. If they weren't doing PT before, an arbitrary routine set by someone that's NOT the person isn't going to help.
Oh dear lord. I just attended the most fouled up PT session I've been part of in a long time.
About ten lines of six were formed in the middle of a soccer field. Three cones were set up equidistant from each other and the edge of the field. The idea was that the first person in line would run to the first cone and back, then the second, then the third. While doing that the people in line would do X exercise. And when they got back the third time around the second person would go. Which we all took to mean meant that Y exercise would start.
Nope.
Fuckers actually wanted us to do push ups for about ten minutes until each person in the line finished. Then move on to the next exercise and repeat four more times. Fortunately it fell apart rapidly.
CPO 365. Because when most of the fitness leaders are busy leading real PT somewhere else for the rest of the command, why not just have some random people lead it instead?
Oh god, watching our firsts bitch about CPO 365 is one of my greatest joys in life.
We do a 5k every Wednesday for command PT. Most of the chiefs ride around in trucks to act as pace cars, route markers and, of course, "motivators". Our CFL failed his PFA run but is somehow still in charge because reasons?
At least it isn't like on USS Last Ship, where our underway PT consisted of running laps around the main deck topside, through the port and starboard break with random deck equipment everywhere. This was a DDG mind you, so these weren't very long laps and passing slower runners was, to put it mildly, difficult. I made it a habit to always be on watch during these sessions after the guy in front of me tripped over a faked out mooring line (wtf?) and rolled his ankle, which in turn caused a massive pileup as people tried to either run past him (wtf?!) or stop and help, blocking everyone else who was trying to run.
I got CGO of the Quarter for my SQ, but that's because it was between me and a guy who plays Touhou in his cubicle when no ones looking.
I'm not ready to elaborate because I'm typing on a smartphone, but what if evaluation and award packages applied to real life? Would it be an opportunity to correct and point out horrible people and That Guy while awarding and developing talent, or a pissing contest?
I got CGO of the Quarter for my SQ, but that's because it was between me and a guy who plays Touhou in his cubicle when no ones looking.
I'm not ready to elaborate because I'm typing on a smartphone, but what if evaluation and award packages applied to real life? Would it be an opportunity to correct and point out horrible people and That Guy while awarding and developing talent, or a pissing contest?
I do PT with the BN XO, and the BN S4. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it doesn't make sense.
I wish we did more running.
When I was in (AF) I would have killed to do anything but running. No solid Squaron PT program meant a random TSgt got the job each time, and all they could think of was a 30 minute run. Yeah, it's good, but you want to do weights or anything else too.
I do PT with the BN XO, and the BN S4. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it doesn't make sense.
I wish we did more running.
When I was in (AF) I would have killed to do anything but running. No solid Squaron PT program meant a random TSgt got the job each time, and all they could think of was a 30 minute run. Yeah, it's good, but you want to do weights or anything else too.
It is nice to have variety - but I lift on my own, and the lifting I do with the army is not what I could call beneficial in any way. Especially with the whole cross fit fad going on right now. Don't get me wrong, there are things about cross fit that are good, but in the military environment I've seen it cause more injuries than improve the soldiers doing it due to lack of proper supervision, training, and bravado.
One of the big failures I see in our PT programs is that they do not focus on things that will improve your PT score (the thing that actually matters about your career). There are two ways to fix this; one - change the PT test to something that actually reflects what you will do in combat (i.e., mos specific PT tests, or just something more realistic - who here last ran two miles while being mortared by hadji?), two - change the PT we do to have a positive impact on the PT test, because PRT is a bullshit program (I think everyone who was in in 2005/2006 when it was brought in can agree.)
On my personal situation - for me, I DL 425 for reps, have a 370 squat and a 265 bench. I can lift, and I like to lift. I do so every day. My BN XO and my S4 cannot match me in those regards - they can't even come close, and nothing we do during morning PT is what I would call a decent work out. My run time is around 14:00 minutes on any given day (typically score a 280 to 289). The XO's is 12:00 - 13:00 ish. Completely disregarding the fact that I max both the sit up event and the push up event, he has taken it upon himself to get me where he thinks I should be in that regard; he's trying I'm sure to help me - and I appreciate his concern, but it seems often enough that when we work out there is no reason, or pattern to what he is doing, and it's actually had a negative impact on my run and on my lifting.
I wish we ran more, because doing so would help - and doing so would actually train for one section of the PT test.
Lifting and running really should be the staples of every line units' PT program. Unfortunately most posts that I've been to, don't allow unit PT at the gym during PT hours.
With 2nd ID at Lewis, all we did was run, and do push up and sit up variations. With runs we had the fastest guy set each squad's pace even if that meant everyone else was puking while running around their max heart rate. :rotate: Consequently, more than one third of my platoon had PT scores in the extended scale, but on deployment we didn't have the strength to kick down iron doors and gates on the first try, or do any of the necessary parkour shit (eg climbing walls and jumping between rooftops) in full battle rattle. Rangers and Marines have it right, lifting and supplements are necessary for everyone on the line. It's unfortunate that the PT taught at WLC is/was garbage, when it should be focused on lifting and running.
We did company crossfit for a bit at Drum when we weren't road marching. Talk about a waste of time. The completely untailored, and uniform, lifting weight and reps helped virtually no one.
I was in the best shape of my life when on deployment when the ops tempo was slow, because I could actually lift for PT and tailor my program to my own personal needs. Plus I could actually put on muscle because I wasn't forced to run so much and I could also eat like a king at the KBR chow halls. Before that, all my high PT score did for me was give me promotion points and help me win soldier of the month.
In all honesty most women know what they sign up for when they start a relationship with a SM.
They might not say it out loud or even want to think about it during the relationship, but they have thought about it.
APPARENTLY NOT, which I found very hard to believe.
There were many good questions about what I do. None of them were about this. What I thought was implicit and made explicit fucking floored her. How did it get to be like this?
They either know that you will be moving and will try to make something work, or they want to get married, or they just wanted to have a good time for couple of years until you move on.
And this is what I said. Someone essentially gives up their career; it's a sacrifice.
That really sucks, Veritas. From my time in the Army, and as a Navy brat, I know that military relationships can be very difficult. I wish I had some advice to offer you.
Holy Christ AF pt quality varies depending on squadron. The Installation Commanders can boast how PT is a number one priority but the it all turns to shit at the squadron level.
And now I'm curious about dat Army PT test strategies.
In all honesty most women know what they sign up for when they start a relationship with a SM.
They might not say it out loud or even want to think about it during the relationship, but they have thought about it.
APPARENTLY NOT, which I found very hard to believe.
There were many good questions about what I do. None of them were about this. What I thought was implicit and made explicit fucking floored her. How did it get to be like this?
They either know that you will be moving and will try to make something work, or they want to get married, or they just wanted to have a good time for couple of years until you move on.
And this is what I said. Someone essentially gives up their career; it's a sacrifice.
It did not go over well.
I'm sorry to hear that the conversation didn't go well. Did she grow up in the area of the base? Hard to believe that she didn't know that the Military would be moving you after a few years.
My first real relationship after joining, we were about 2 years in before I went to Iraq for my first deployment. She cried and made all kinds of promises to be my rock and to continue our relationship while I was deployed.
Three months in she transfers from UH to Berkeley and I get an email telling me that I'm putting too much stress on her, because she is worried about me constantly.
I'm sorry, but that is such a horse shit reason. Oh well, met my wife a week after I got back from said deployment and we were married 4 months later on the beach. We have an amazing relationship and son together.
So I guess moral of the story. If your relationship falls apart, you best believe that you will find someone who is right for you and will understand your lifestyle in the military.
Good luck to you brother!
Bloodycow on
" I am a warrior, so that my son may be a merchant, so that his son may be a poet.”
― John Quincy Adams
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Waffles or whateverPreviously known as, I shit you not, "Waffen"Registered Userregular
I always kept a binder of all of my military paperwork stuff and I kept it in my parent's house. Long story short there was a house fire (just a single room suffered fire and smoke damage due to a space heater) and the file cabinet that the binder was in is ashes. Most of the stuff didn't bother me because it was more/less old hand recipes, however, the important things that burned were my citations for awards and ribbons. Luckily, I had uploaded my Air Assault Badge and Qualifications onto my PC years ago, but my DD-214 and my citation for my ARCAM (Good Conduct Reserve Medal) are gone. I had checked my HRC website, but for some reason the entire iPerms section was deleted within the last two weeks without my knowledge.
I guess my overall question is this. Yeah I know the Army Service, National Defense, and GWOT are freebies and I'll get them once I'm done with BOLC, but how do I basically prove I was awarded them at this point? I'll be emailing my old reserve unit about getting a copy of the citation for the ARCAM and hope they still have it, but am I basically out of luck at this point?
The 214 should have all of your awards listed on it and should be considered valid proof.
Your old unit should have retains for everything going back three years. They also should have sent a copy to the equivalent of whatever the Army's central admin is. Both are possible ways to get a copy of it.
All this assuming your old unit did what they were supposed to do regarding paperwork.
So my name may be on a list that my BN Retention NCO has for early seperation.
I guess since my unit is disbanding (4-2 SBCT) every SM that has an ETS before the start of FY 16 (September 2015) and does not want to re-enlist or extend will be involuntary seperated.
God, this could be a dream come true!! I'm probably not so lucky though.
I tried to call and ask, of course she isn't at work or answering her phone.
If they do seperate me it would have to be 90 days from whenever they start this which would already put me at my 12 year mark. Which means they would have to give me 50k instead of 43!
I've never wanted to pray before, but I may start today.
Bloodycow on
" I am a warrior, so that my son may be a merchant, so that his son may be a poet.”
― John Quincy Adams
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Ah, GO #1. Brought me from SPC(P) to PV2. Good times. My first line, entirely responsible for such (well, entirely responsible for it turning into a cluster fuck, it was my decision to violate it), got a bronze star (no V, of course) end of tour despite getting a battalion level letter of reprimand and a 3/3 NCOER, which seems unusual. Partially my fault, because I covered for her out of a misguided sense of team cohesion.
In my not so humble opinion, the Army has been going downhill since it stopped being possible to be fragged for being a bad leader.
And speaking of downgraded awards, my 22 year old buddy who got medically retired for combat injuries had his bronze star downgraded to an ARCOM. I want to track down the presiding officer just to salute him for his service.
All my intensely bitter fury aside, I can say that the one time it really mattered, I saved the lives of the guys to my left and right, so fuck everything else.
I remember getting so drunk that I almost tripped over my PSG's cot in our tent on BIAP while stumbling in at night after drinking with another squad. I was pretty lucky during our deployment in that regard.
'Roids were pretty rampant in my unit as well. Shit, if I was in CID I could've gained several ranks during that deployment if I was so inclined.
Looks like they're still trying to drop numbers to fit the manpower restrictions.
When I left they were still offering full retirement for 1/2 service to officers.
I could never figure out what it took to get wrench turners kicked out (we sure as shit didn't get any nice offers to leave). We had at least 3 people a year who would get railroaded by the Squadron because some MSgt didn't like them, but the a-holes who wouldn't lift a finger and still managed to cost us millions a year in NRTS parts were allowed to wait it out till their retirement.
It's all about the paper trail man. A lot of people just aren't good at making written documentation about events. And then when they want to do something about the shit bag, they have nothing to substantiate with. Meanwhile, when a 1SG gets on the warpath, other people do the documentation for him/her.
The army is prepping the Officer Separation Board/Early Separation and Retirement Board packets right now. The army is preening the O3's and O4's.
The overall plan is to increase the restriction of officers going into AD drastically in the next four years before finally relenting and opening the flood gates again to prevent an inflation of junior level officers in the shrinking Army.
Yeah, I don't think I know a single person that went downrange that didn't break General Order #1.
Most just don't get caught, the reason my squad did was a fellow PFC.
My squad leader at the time was clinically bipolar. So most everyone hated his guts. Well, after said drinking event a fellow PFC thought it would be a good idea to go tell the EO rep that said SL let us drink.
He thought it would only get him in trouble.... obviously that is not what happened.
It's ok though. I ended up getting moved to another platoon. Where both the platoon sergeant and leader where amazing at their job and gave a shit about their people.
Probably the best I've ever had in my 10 years in.
― John Quincy Adams
In one case a SSgt had burned a hole through a vertical stabilizer while doing a repair, made repairs that wouldn't hold up under stress, and put the 3 lvls under him in dangerous situations needlessly (course, that last one was damned near everyone in command), but the worst he got was that it was made clear he wouldn't be likely to be promoted before his retirement.
If our QA people didn't already know about him before hand, he could have crashed a plane, easily, through sheer incompetence.
Maybe it's not the bullets flying kind of danger, but it put the people I worked with (and anyone who relied on our 130s and B-1s) at risk and made me angry to see people who actually could do the job let go for BS reasons while this guy didn't even get a paper trail and was allowed to collect his retirement checks.
Hopefully this doesn't backfire horribly.
Though good luck. A bunch of sailors I know who've been told by their detailers to apply for sea duty keep getting all their sea duty orders denied.
Hoping they give me the San Diego orders where 8 of the 13 months are in satcom/comsec school AND I get a TS clearance out of it feels like too much to ask.
Whooooooooo!!!!!!! Satcom *highfive*
They direct deposit the BAH thingie to you...I think. I haven't actually received that.
I shouldn't be getting that since I'm active. I have gotten a deposit from the VA, I'm not quite sure what for though since it's nowhere near my BAH or the tuition. I'm assuming a stipend for books etc but just tossed it in to savings to play it safe.
So my biggest issue now is they've given me a random amount of money but not the school their specific amount of money.
You need to certify only once (thank god) through VONAPP.
And that's correct, they direct deposit the BAH (if not active) and book stipend.
The book stipend is $41.67/credit * current tier% if going to a private school.
The max for the stipend is $1k per academic year, 1 Aug - 31 Jul, and is refreshed every year you have benefits remaining.
The BAH and book stipend are usually paid before the tuition payment to the school.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
moving constantly...
is there some secret to share
or no hope for we?
- a haiku
This sucks. How does anyone get through it without ending the other's career? Am I doomed to this outcome for the next 17+ years? How would I not lead someone on, because holy shit I feel terrible right now.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
You dating another servicemember?
My wife works for an international chain. While it's not perfect it gives a pretty good chance that there's a Lush she can work at. When it comes time for orders I make it clear to my detailer that being somewhere she can keep her job is actually one of my top priorities and they're generally willing to work it out since they're all over the place.
A civilian who cannot just up and move.
At least with a servicemember there's a non-zero chance for an assignment at the same place, higher if you talk to the personnel center.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
They might not say it out loud or even want to think about it during the relationship, but they have thought about it.
They either know that you will be moving and will try to make something work, or they want to get married, or they just wanted to have a good time for couple of years until you move on.
I got lucky and my first duty assignment was Hawaii and I was there for almost 6 years. Had a few relationships there, found the one, married her, been married for almost 9 years now.
Good luck to you though, it's hard as shit to keep a relationship when your in the military.
Never being around kinda shits on them.
― John Quincy Adams
BUT, even if she has considered it and thought about it, and eventually agrees to it, the moving shit can still suck. And can still tear people apart if they let it.
All that aside, still date people. Life moves on. People work with it or around it. There are jobs at each new place, things to do, groups to be involved in (Mothers Of Preschoolers, PWOC if she's a church goer, Officer spouse group, etc).
About ten lines of six were formed in the middle of a soccer field. Three cones were set up equidistant from each other and the edge of the field. The idea was that the first person in line would run to the first cone and back, then the second, then the third. While doing that the people in line would do X exercise. And when they got back the third time around the second person would go. Which we all took to mean meant that Y exercise would start.
Nope.
Fuckers actually wanted us to do push ups for about ten minutes until each person in the line finished. Then move on to the next exercise and repeat four more times. Fortunately it fell apart rapidly.
CPO 365. Because when most of the fitness leaders are busy leading real PT somewhere else for the rest of the command, why not just have some random people lead it instead?
I wish we did more running.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
Oh god, watching our firsts bitch about CPO 365 is one of my greatest joys in life.
We do a 5k every Wednesday for command PT. Most of the chiefs ride around in trucks to act as pace cars, route markers and, of course, "motivators". Our CFL failed his PFA run but is somehow still in charge because reasons?
At least it isn't like on USS Last Ship, where our underway PT consisted of running laps around the main deck topside, through the port and starboard break with random deck equipment everywhere. This was a DDG mind you, so these weren't very long laps and passing slower runners was, to put it mildly, difficult. I made it a habit to always be on watch during these sessions after the guy in front of me tripped over a faked out mooring line (wtf?) and rolled his ankle, which in turn caused a massive pileup as people tried to either run past him (wtf?!) or stop and help, blocking everyone else who was trying to run.
I'm not ready to elaborate because I'm typing on a smartphone, but what if evaluation and award packages applied to real life? Would it be an opportunity to correct and point out horrible people and That Guy while awarding and developing talent, or a pissing contest?
Ever heard of "Employee of the Month"?
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
When I was in (AF) I would have killed to do anything but running. No solid Squaron PT program meant a random TSgt got the job each time, and all they could think of was a 30 minute run. Yeah, it's good, but you want to do weights or anything else too.
It is nice to have variety - but I lift on my own, and the lifting I do with the army is not what I could call beneficial in any way. Especially with the whole cross fit fad going on right now. Don't get me wrong, there are things about cross fit that are good, but in the military environment I've seen it cause more injuries than improve the soldiers doing it due to lack of proper supervision, training, and bravado.
One of the big failures I see in our PT programs is that they do not focus on things that will improve your PT score (the thing that actually matters about your career). There are two ways to fix this; one - change the PT test to something that actually reflects what you will do in combat (i.e., mos specific PT tests, or just something more realistic - who here last ran two miles while being mortared by hadji?), two - change the PT we do to have a positive impact on the PT test, because PRT is a bullshit program (I think everyone who was in in 2005/2006 when it was brought in can agree.)
On my personal situation - for me, I DL 425 for reps, have a 370 squat and a 265 bench. I can lift, and I like to lift. I do so every day. My BN XO and my S4 cannot match me in those regards - they can't even come close, and nothing we do during morning PT is what I would call a decent work out. My run time is around 14:00 minutes on any given day (typically score a 280 to 289). The XO's is 12:00 - 13:00 ish. Completely disregarding the fact that I max both the sit up event and the push up event, he has taken it upon himself to get me where he thinks I should be in that regard; he's trying I'm sure to help me - and I appreciate his concern, but it seems often enough that when we work out there is no reason, or pattern to what he is doing, and it's actually had a negative impact on my run and on my lifting.
I wish we ran more, because doing so would help - and doing so would actually train for one section of the PT test.
With 2nd ID at Lewis, all we did was run, and do push up and sit up variations. With runs we had the fastest guy set each squad's pace even if that meant everyone else was puking while running around their max heart rate. :rotate: Consequently, more than one third of my platoon had PT scores in the extended scale, but on deployment we didn't have the strength to kick down iron doors and gates on the first try, or do any of the necessary parkour shit (eg climbing walls and jumping between rooftops) in full battle rattle. Rangers and Marines have it right, lifting and supplements are necessary for everyone on the line. It's unfortunate that the PT taught at WLC is/was garbage, when it should be focused on lifting and running.
We did company crossfit for a bit at Drum when we weren't road marching. Talk about a waste of time. The completely untailored, and uniform, lifting weight and reps helped virtually no one.
I was in the best shape of my life when on deployment when the ops tempo was slow, because I could actually lift for PT and tailor my program to my own personal needs. Plus I could actually put on muscle because I wasn't forced to run so much and I could also eat like a king at the KBR chow halls. Before that, all my high PT score did for me was give me promotion points and help me win soldier of the month.
APPARENTLY NOT, which I found very hard to believe.
There were many good questions about what I do. None of them were about this. What I thought was implicit and made explicit fucking floored her. How did it get to be like this?
And this is what I said. Someone essentially gives up their career; it's a sacrifice.
It did not go over well.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
I hope everything works out.
And now I'm curious about dat Army PT test strategies.
I'm sorry to hear that the conversation didn't go well. Did she grow up in the area of the base? Hard to believe that she didn't know that the Military would be moving you after a few years.
My first real relationship after joining, we were about 2 years in before I went to Iraq for my first deployment. She cried and made all kinds of promises to be my rock and to continue our relationship while I was deployed.
Three months in she transfers from UH to Berkeley and I get an email telling me that I'm putting too much stress on her, because she is worried about me constantly.
I'm sorry, but that is such a horse shit reason. Oh well, met my wife a week after I got back from said deployment and we were married 4 months later on the beach. We have an amazing relationship and son together.
So I guess moral of the story. If your relationship falls apart, you best believe that you will find someone who is right for you and will understand your lifestyle in the military.
Good luck to you brother!
― John Quincy Adams
I guess my overall question is this. Yeah I know the Army Service, National Defense, and GWOT are freebies and I'll get them once I'm done with BOLC, but how do I basically prove I was awarded them at this point? I'll be emailing my old reserve unit about getting a copy of the citation for the ARCAM and hope they still have it, but am I basically out of luck at this point?
Your old unit should have retains for everything going back three years. They also should have sent a copy to the equivalent of whatever the Army's central admin is. Both are possible ways to get a copy of it.
All this assuming your old unit did what they were supposed to do regarding paperwork.
I guess since my unit is disbanding (4-2 SBCT) every SM that has an ETS before the start of FY 16 (September 2015) and does not want to re-enlist or extend will be involuntary seperated.
God, this could be a dream come true!! I'm probably not so lucky though.
I tried to call and ask, of course she isn't at work or answering her phone.
If they do seperate me it would have to be 90 days from whenever they start this which would already put me at my 12 year mark. Which means they would have to give me 50k instead of 43!
I've never wanted to pray before, but I may start today.
― John Quincy Adams
As if I wasn't already insulted enough by the trailer...
A coin that's both meaningless and useless? No thanks.