After doing time on the trail as a Drill, do you get to pick your next duty station?

1SG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 21:06:52 -0400

Thinking ahead, when my 24 months A a Drill is completed do I have a better chance picking my next duty station? Or is it luck of the draw again?

Haven't done my work one yet, just looking forward.

Response by 1SG Al Brown made Sep 26 at 2016 8:12 AM

1SG Al Brown — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 08:12:42 -0400

I would have a couple of options ready, just so you are not let down on your primary. No branch will double stack slots just for completion of
hardship duty.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 26 at 2016 2:33 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 14:33:48 -0400

I will just say it really depends on your branch. I know when I was coming off the trail and I called my branch, they had an assignment for me already before I even told them my social. I knew that wasn't going to be good. Haha. But it took a while and a friend of mine to give me a requisition number before my branch would even consider me for an assignment. BLUF. It depends on your branch!!! Good luck

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 26 at 2016 4:32 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 16:32:10 -0400

They wanted me to go to ft Gordon to be an instructor at first, but when I told them I would never do that he really worked with me and gave me the assignment I wanted.

Response by CSM Michael Sweeney made Sep 26 at 2016 5:04 PM

CSM Michael Sweeney — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 17:04:56 -0400

I had a request to extend on the trail for a year, but withdrew it when I learned I was on orders for Hawaii. I had not requested it, but I wasn't going to try to influence my next assignment anyway.... just liked what I was doing.

Response by 1SG Frank Boynton made Sep 26 at 2016 7:22 PM

1SG Frank Boynton — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 19:22:28 -0400

My trail time was 1981-1984. They tried to assign me to the 2nd ACR in Fulda, Germany from the trail. They don't consider drill sergeant time as leadership time. Not back then. I fought like hell to get out of that assignment. Finally a CSM friend of mine pulled some strings got me stationed at Ft. Lewis, Wa for 1 year. Exactly 1 year. 6 months after I arrived at Lewis, I had order for overseas. So back then, no they didn't give us a choice of assignments. Hope they've changed that for you by now.

Response by SFC Mike Edwards made Sep 27 at 2016 8:22 AM

SFC Mike Edwards — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 08:22:33 -0400

Not really. That used to be the pass, when it was consider a hardship tour.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 27 at 2016 8:30 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 08:30:14 -0400

Theoretically, yes, you're supposed to get a say in where you go after your trail time is up, but as mentioned above, a lot of it depends on your MOS. Since you said you're a 19K, you might want to brace yourself for an extended stay at Benning. I know a lot of SFCs over there in 1-81, and they're having to stay around Benning in instructor/cadre slots once their trail time is up because there aren't enough operational assignments open for SFCs coming back to the line. Even the BDE CSM is saying that 19K PSG slots are becoming fewer and farther between for guys leaving the trail.

On a side note, you're going to be getting to Benning around the time the gender integration will be starting on both Sand Hill and Harmony Church, so it will be an interesting time to say the least. I'm up at reception now, after completing a year in BCT-land, so best of luck to you as you head this way.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 29 at 2016 6:00 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 18:00:19 -0400

Ha yeah if one of the main places you don't want to go is considered choice of duty station. These days it's all about what's available. With the drawdown there just isn't as many assignments as there once was. So they tell me.

Response by SFC Dan Sorrow, M.S. made Sep 29 at 2016 8:55 PM

SFC Dan Sorrow, M.S. — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 20:55:00 -0400

I'm not sure how it is now, but when I came off the trail in 1991, Desert Storm had just ended. I was DA Selected for Recruiter Duty and was in a recruiting station in September 1991. So, in my case, NO!

Response by SFC John Guess made Sep 30 at 2016 12:09 AM

SFC John Guess — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 00:09:24 -0400

If anyone had ever addressed me as a "drill", instead of Drill Sergeant, they would have done pushups and flutter kicks until the planet got tired!

Response by CSM Ralph Hernandez made Oct 12 at 2016 12:01 PM

CSM Ralph Hernandez — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 12:01:19 -0400

No you do not get to pick your assignment. If you let your Branch know far enough in advance they can make a note and try to work with you, and give them a follow up call about 6 to 8 months prior to coming off of the trail. But remember, follow up, follow up, follow up, the key to success!

Response by SSG Wendell Morsell made Oct 17 at 2016 8:30 PM

SSG Wendell Morsell — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 20:30:59 -0400

Unless things have changed sense I was on the trail You do have a better chance . I was on trail 98 to 2000. I had to pick 3 locations and DA picked one of the 3 I picked

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 20 at 2016 11:16 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 11:16:50 -0400

As a former Drill Sergeant at Ft. Knox (I did 3 years with extension), it was promised a assignment of choice. Bear in mind late '80's. I wanted to go back to Korea for a quick one year tour. I ended up in Germany instead. Now I live here as a Retiree Soldier.

Response by 1SG Dennis Graves made Jul 29 at 2017 1:54 AM

1SG Dennis Graves — Sat, 29 Jul 2017 01:54:50 -0400

My trail time was spend at Sill and you don't get to chose your next assign. I did three years believing I may get back to Bragg after this assignment. This was in 1993- 1996

Response by SGT Michael Steve made Jan 3 at 2018 11:58 PM

SGT Michael Steve — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 23:58:45 -0500

It depends if you are airborne the might make you go to airborne unit