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PCS
ETS/EAS
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It's interesting that we only address this for Officers and NCOs. When I was a Squad Leader in Germany, every soldier who PCS'd/ETS'd from our Squad received a gift. We'd just pass the hat. It was generally something small, practical, and always engraved. Steins, flasks, knives, solid brass Zippos, etc. I'm sure some sensitive types will be disturbed that the gifts were usually alcohol or tobacco related. But they can pound sand.
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LTC (Join to see)
A few unit’s I have been at have had a “Cup and flower fund”
where if you pay in you get a gift when you leave, if you don’t you didn’t. both ways work....
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1SG(P) (Join to see)
Pass the hat; sell t-shirts, as my unit does; cup & flower; whatever; telling a soldier to purchase his own gift is classless.
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Sgt Adam Jennings
That's how we did it in my unit at Cheery Point too. Of course, if you were a $#*t Marine you might get something like a plank of scrap wood off of a pallet with an engraved plate on it as a plaque, lol. I saw that happen to only one guy and he was THAT Sgt, you know, the one that would throw someone under the bus.
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In my experience, we (the royal we - anybody who wanted to contribute) pitched in and purchased a plague for the departing member. It has become fashionable in the seagoing services to present an ornamental boat oar which typically cost between $50 and $100. Getting folks onboard for a couple of dollars each usually isn't difficult.
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MSG Martinis Butler
I like when people pitch in without making it a power struggle. I love to PCS and get that love back from my departing family because they truly felt that I contributed to the team and they get together and display what they pitched in and present it to me before I depart.
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SFC Michael Hasbun
I love those ornamental boat oars! Those are awesome going away gifts! Sadly the Army isn't very big on nautical tokens...
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SSG Matthew Thomas
We did something like that in the Army. I was a UAV operator and every time someone PCSed we would take a used propeller from the Aircraft, paint it, and have everyone sign it. We would also attach a Unit patch. This small gesture ment more than the plaque.
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There's usually a fund set aside for farewell gifts, but the ones that are warranted for them are a matter of protocol, which is very biased, but that's up there with the awards process as well...Moving on...
Personally, when my Soldiers would depart, it didn't mattered what their rank was, they would get something that symbolized their commitment to my team and our organization as a whole, no matter how big or small. As far as the funding goes, it is an entirely optional process and no one should feel compelled to contribute. It should be a donation based type of funding.
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