Am I gonna be barred from reentry for refusing BLC when I was less than 60 days from my ETS?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 11:18:51 -0400

So some back story. I'm getting out of the army very soon, and my unit tried forcing me into BLC when I was <60 days from ETS, when I should be clearing. My slot for BLC was canceled and nothing came of it. My PSG is telling me that I cannot rejoin the military in the future because I was a school refusal. I searched in AR 601-210 and some other regs and didn't find anything for this situation, can anyone verify? Tia

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 28 at 2022 11:36 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 11:36:18 -0400

Your PSG is talking about your commander placing a bar to reenlistment (USA/USAR) for refusing to attend BLC.
AR 601-280.
The bar does not impact the characterization of discharge.
If you are leaving the Army, why would you care about getting back in the Army?

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 28 at 2022 12:06 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 12:06:24 -0400

It's not a bar to reentry, it's a bar to reenlist on this contract. You should still get an Honorable with an RE-1 Code. Which means you should have no problems coming back in at a later time

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 29 at 2022 7:31 AM

CSM Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 07:31:29 -0400

You won’t have any issues joining the National Guard or Reserves. If that’s something you’ve considered.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Mar 29 at 2022 8:51 AM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 08:51:13 -0400

No, but why are you getting out if you are already thinking about going back in?

Response by SFC William Linnell made Mar 29 at 2022 11:47 AM

SFC William Linnell — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 11:47:05 -0400

Are you promotable? If you are, then why waste this opportunity? Your a SPC/E-4. When does it take 60 days to clear? And your getting out just to do "some" things then come back in?? Your thinking ass backwards on this. If you are promotable and you ETS, that is gone. When you come back in, it's gone. Plus as a "Prior" Service, recruiters are NOT in any rush to get you back in as their main focus is HS seniors getting ready to graduate and college student drop outs or grads. They have higher priority. Plus you will have to take the ASVAB again. Which may not be good to you as you may drop in scores and may not get the exact job you want or go back to. But what do I know?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 29 at 2022 5:19 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 17:19:45 -0400

You should not be placed on a BLC class date with only 60 days from ETS. Are you sure you were actually placed on a class date? Did you see an actual Reservation in your ATRRS record? Did you see a No-Show code in your ATRRS? If not, you were not scheduled to attend.

The NCO Academies took away the ability for units to slot Soldiers into BLC in order for it to be more fair. That means that your unit most likely did not slot you into BLC. The guidance is that Soldiers must have six months to ETS from course graduation date, to attend any NCOES. That hasn't always held true for BLC, but it is still the applicable policy.

If you are scheduled to attend a BLC your command can bar you. As SGM Private RallyPoint Member pointed out, it will not change the character of your discharge. You will still receive an Honorable Discharge. However, it would prevent you from transferring into the IRR, the NG, and the USAR from AD. Plus, it would give you an RE Code of 3 meaning you would need a waiver to enlist at a later date.

On a side note, if you plan to rejoin and you haven't contracted to the NG or USAR, you are missing a huge opportunity and you don't understand how the Army works in terms of pay an promotion. Contract into a Reserve Component before you separate.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 10 at 2022 3:08 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 03:08:06 -0400

There a minimum time of remaining service to attend a school. For BLC, you would need a minimum of a year’s service to attend. Your unit would be responsible to ensure you met this requirement prior to sending you to school. They certainly couldn’t bar reenlistment simply because you didn’t meet the requirement. You would’ve been required to sign the bar acknowledgment so you should know. You should contact the IG if they in fact did execute the Bar. Now, let’s say they did bar you. You’d receive a honorable discharge with a RE-3 reentry code. That simply means you’d need a waiver to enlist again. It’s important to know now if the bar has or has not been initiated so that you can challenge it.

Response by 1SG Dennis Hicks made Apr 11 at 2022 3:29 PM

1SG Dennis Hicks — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 15:29:33 -0400

I am a little late to the party but I agree with much of what has been identified, My question is why wouldn't you want to attend an NCO professional development course? Hell, it can only assist you when/if you go to the Reserve or National guard component. To top it off you get away from your unit for a bit and nobody needs 60 days to clear. My son was promised BLC for almost 2 years after passing the Board for SGT, they kept jerking him around promising but not delivering the whole time. Then his name came up for a slot which will have him attend then graduate within a week or two of his ETS then clearing the unit to report to a Reserve component unit. Any schooling that you can get I recommend you always go to it, if you had the opportunity to attend I would strongly recommend it. That way when you report to a new unit, thats one less school slot your new unit has to use and you are ahead of some of your peers. Back in the day big Army would send troops to schools if they are getting out so this would be a win in my book to get a slot. Good luck.

Response by SGT Daniel Merriman made May 8 at 2022 11:51 AM

SGT Daniel Merriman — Sun, 08 May 2022 11:51:25 -0400

60 days to clear? You must be a Leg ! Why not BLC gonna do it anyway,so ?

Response by SFC Nelson Munford made Jun 20 at 2022 12:23 PM

SFC Nelson Munford — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 12:23:22 -0400

These are the actions of a butthurt NCO, a Soldier planning on soon leaving AD not taking a school slot that another Soldier could use trying to put a screwing to his subordinate! I would use the cops open door to ask why a local punitive action was being threatened when there has not been any wrongful behavior.