What do I do if the recruiter is stalling?

2019-05-30T08:18:58-04:00

I am a 32 year old female and currently live in Berlin. I have been working with an Army recruiter for the past month out of Stuttgart (also made a trip down to K-town). My ASVAB is good (97 AFQT and 147 GT). My DLAB is good (145) and I have a bachelors degree. I want to be a Cryptologic Linguist, but willing to look at other jobs as long as it’s not FA or ADA (I’m from Lawton and don’t want to be stuck there). I don’t want to be an officer. Admittedly, the recruiter I have been working with says that they know almost nothing about MI. There are only 3 recruiters in the office and very few in country. I know their quota is low.

I keep getting asked to bring down more paperwork. He scheduled the physical for yet another day that I wasn’t already in town and I have a second physical in two weeks. In the last month, I have made 6 trips to Stuttgart from Berlin. It’s almost 5 hours each way by train and 150€ for the train ticket each time I go. Each time, he says he forgets that I am not living in Stuttgart and wants me there at 0900. That means the 0400 train or an extra night in Stuttgart that I don’t want to pay for. I prefer not walking around Berlin Hbf at 0400 by myself.

Is there a good way to approach the situation and ask him to schedule everything I need done on one or two back-to-back days? Or at least to make me a list of ALL the paperwork he needs? Do I write out a list of all my questions so he can get the correct answers? Or do let him know that I just don’t want to do it anymore and go talk to the Air Force across the street?

Response by MAJ Javier Rivera made May 30 at 2019 8:49 AM

2019-05-30T08:49:02-04:00

You might want to contact the station commander since is the NCO responsible for the stations performance and its Recruiters.

Also, if they continue giving you the go around don’t hesitate on looking for another service... although you need to be aware that the other services have a lower age limit.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 30 at 2019 9:18 AM

2019-05-30T09:18:36-04:00

I think you need to talk with the station commander. They will ensure the NCO you're working with takes care of you. There's no reason for you to have to spend so much money on travel. Keep us updated about your situation.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 30 at 2019 10:26 AM

2019-05-30T10:26:46-04:00

Speak directly to the Station Commander and express your issues and struggles the Recruiter is putting you through. Hard to believe that the Recruiter "forgets" that you live in Berlin and not Stuttgart.

Response by 1LT William Clardy made May 30 at 2019 12:18 PM

2019-05-30T12:18:37-04:00

Your first step should be to tactfully contact the OIC or NCOIC of the Stuttgart recruiting station to see if your recruiter's shoddiness can be addressed by the proverbial chain of command (or is endemic to that station).
If that doesn't appear likely to resolve things, you might also try reaching out to the recruiting station at Graf. Given your location in Berlin, asking to work with a more geographically accessible recruiter should be a reasonable request without having to mention job-performance issues -- the only reason that USAREC's "Find a Recruiter" pointed you to the recruiting stations on the far side of Germany is that it appears to select based on ZIP code numerical proximity (which works reasonably well in the U.S., but not with APO ZIP codes).

Response by Kelly High made May 30 at 2019 1:07 PM

2019-05-30T13:07:08-04:00

Vielen dank! I’ll contact the station commander in the morning and see what can be done. I think this recruiter is new to Stuttgart and doing recruiting to MEPs all at the same time because there isn’t MEPs here, just the recruiters. It wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t so far away. I can only do day trips because I have obligations in Berlin.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 30 at 2019 1:23 PM

2019-05-30T13:23:43-04:00

As SSG Livingston said, talk to the Station Commander. Having said that, you may want to be a Cryptologic Linguist, but no job is guaranteed. What paperwork is he asking for? Minimum paperwork is: proof of citizenship (birth certificate or passport), proof of age (birth cert or passport), Social Security Card, High school diploma, and College transcripts since you have a BA.
Are you a US citizen in Germany?
do you have children or are you married (if so, you need your spouse's ID/SS card and children's BC and SS cards).
Are you prior service (if so, you need proof. )
the remainder of the paperwork, the recruiter is to complete with you. Why is he not scheduling you to Phys/Enlist the same day? (Phys/enlist is standard here, we try not to split the days)
keep in touch and good luck.

Response by SGT Koby Taylor made May 30 at 2019 4:41 PM

2019-05-30T16:41:49-04:00

ask for his supervisor. be bold yet respectful. source another recruiter.

Response by Kelly High made Jun 1 at 2019 4:15 AM

2019-06-01T04:15:44-04:00

Update: talked to the station commander and got everything squared away. My recruiter is new to the station and has never left base, so he didn’t know that Berlin was far from Stuttgart. Station commander said he will be issued a map of Germany and I don’t need to pay for train tickets anymore. Next time I go down, it should be the last time until I ship out. Thank you all!