Are there any exceptions (as far as time left on contract) for Drill Duty volunteers for E-5?

2018-02-27T11:32:49-05:00

Are there any exceptions to this as far as time left on contract? My ETS date is 10/2020, but I plan on staying in.
Also, does anyone know how much TIG is required? Or are they pretty much needing E-5 regardless of TIG?
Thanks

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 27 at 2018 1:53 PM

2018-02-27T13:53:47-05:00

I had less than three years on my contract and all they made me do was extend my contract enough to fulfill my 2 years of drill duty. You being 11B may be different cuz I think you HAVE to give three years.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 27 at 2018 2:08 PM

2018-02-27T14:08:15-05:00

Thank you. I've been wanting to go Drill for a while now, but between branch not answering or returning phone calls and day to day unit stuff I haven't been able to get ahold of the right people. Any tips on who to contact since Infantry Branch number is going to voicemail for the past few weeks?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 27 at 2018 4:01 PM

2018-02-27T16:01:45-05:00

Once you're placed on assignment you'll have to extend to meet the SRR prior to receiving your orders.

Response by SGT A Scott made Mar 5 at 2018 1:41 AM

2018-03-05T01:41:41-05:00

I think it's a bit dumb that if you have only two years left in your contract enlistment, you cannot be a drill Sgt. If someone decides they want to make that leap and sacrifice near the end of their enlistment, they should be offered a re-enlistment term that has them agree to serve an additional 4 or 6 years. I mean, that's a pretty big thing to volunteer for. Long hours, if you have family, you don't get much time with them if any, often don't get to go home, you have to be able to do everything and more than what you expect from recruits... And you have to do all the tough shit the recruits do over and over every cycle. I'm sure it gets easier but I know it's highly stressful, you're encouraged to be loud, very strict and stern, cannot be laid back and Mr nice guy unless it's end of day chit chat with soldiers... There's so much to it, there's a lot of performance and it must get exhaustive. Although there's training in Fort benning which is tougher. Then there's being a drill Sgt in Fort Jackson which for the most part seemed pretty laid back but then again it was 90-110 the entire time and humid as shit. All three of my drill Sgt were pretty cool and let shit slide and would laugh at stuff a lot. One was female and I don't think she yelled once. She was very laid back and didn't seem to like giving commands much other than basic formation, PT commands, etc... Then the two males dsgt buskey and dsgt Rumgay were really cool. They would yell but every time they would have to hold back laughing because they could never really be seriously loud and angry. Only a couple times did they get real upset because we fucked up or they get in trouble by the 1sgt Company CO. Many of them seemed to have started with the toughest assignments in tnt beginning like a year or two at benning then a year at Jackson and then finish their term at some super laid back AIT where soldiers pretty much have their sit together and are almost a full blown soldier so there's not nearly as much focus on the day to day how to be a soldier stuff. It's more classroom training, job training, you get weekends off and depending on where you go to AIT, you can leave post for 48hrs after you pass your first PT test within the first few weeks. You earn that freedom off part of course. I broke my ankle so they offered no other way for me to earn my freedom off post which really sent me into an angry depressed state which led me to just calling a cab and leaving anyways. My drill Sgt understood and he helped me arrange coming back to post after I left because I never earned my post pass and when it was time to come back Sunday, the MP would give me shit and think I was sneaking out but my drill helped me and covered for me with the company captain. It was super unfair that just because I broke my ankle, and couldn't pass the 2 mile run, I simply didn't earn my pass. I even got permission to go all the way to the brigade commander to ask him if there's alternatives for me to earn my post pass and he said "nope, injured soldiers that can't run, can't fight so what good are you to us? Why should we bend rules for you and let you go run around when your number one objective right now is to heal, pass your PT test and graduate AIT. You don't get a pass just because you got hurt. Take this time to stay off your foot, lay on your bunk and study for your tests in class". I hated that guy so much after that. I was only 20 years old so obviously I didn't see all the other perspectives but I still was dealt a shitty card. I felt I'd worked harder than I ever have in my short life and achieved a lot, I felt I deserved one day out with my fellow soldiers every weekend to shop at the mall, eat junk and let loose. Like I said, I decided I was going to reward myself anyways, and I did. The only time I truly broke major rules in the army

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 6 at 2018 12:53 PM

2018-03-06T12:53:33-05:00

Branch does not take in to consideration your time remaining on a contract. When I cam on Recruiting orders I emailed my branch manager about it. He told me I was a "Career soldier and that I needed to re-enlist to fulfill the obligation." Of course I was not about to re-enlist to become a recruiter so I signed a Declination of Continued Service Statement. (Take in mind this was during the surge days) I went to my Battalion Commander and got him to sign a 4187 to lift my Dec Statement and I re-enlisted to go back to Iraq. Of course I came on Drill Sergeant orders while I was there and went to school after we came back. Point of the story is that you have two options. Re-enlist to fulfill the obligation, or sign a Dec Statement.