Can Soldiers attend all of their child's EFMP appointments?

2019-08-16T19:54:44-04:00

I have a soldier that is in the process of getting divorced, but also has a child who gets sick "a lot". The child is in EFMP, can this soldier attend ALL of their child's appointments (multiple times a week), even though it is starting to take them away and affect thier everyday work life? What are your experiences when dealing with this type of situation. I don't want to accuse them of malingering but c'mon, soldier's do soldier things.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Aug 16 at 2019 8:03 PM

2019-08-16T20:03:24-04:00

Look the SM and the unit are going to have to balance kids appointment vs. mission/readiness. I seriously doubt the SM can make all the appointments, and they better have a plan quick. We dropped 25k of Sm's for not being deployable this last year.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 16 at 2019 8:42 PM

2019-08-16T20:42:20-04:00

As a leader i would try to work with the SM as much as possible, but let it be known that if the mission/workload does not allow it that the SM would still have to work.

Another thing would be to request all scheduled appointments in advance and plan them out so you can still schedule the SM workload accordingly.

Lastly, look at the SM's family care plan and see who the provider is etc, for when "emergencies and illnesses" sprout up.