What is too long for a conditional release to be signed?

2016-01-11T00:38:09-05:00

My battery commander and battalion commander have signed it. Now waiting on the MACOM Commander and GS 1 to sign it is 2-3 months normal for the national guard? I'm trying transfer from guard to reserves.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 11 at 2016 12:42 AM

2016-01-11T00:42:43-05:00

I tried to get one when I was enlisted. They take a while. I have heard of them to take longer than that. I am really not sure how it is so hard to sign something but maybe there is something that goes into it that we don't know about. But it is not a quick process.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Jan 11 at 2016 12:56 AM

2016-01-11T00:56:10-05:00

CPT Private RallyPoint Member LT, there in nothing as efficient or as time consuming as 'hand carrying' critical papers to the proper authorities! MAKE IT MOVE!

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Jan 11 at 2016 1:36 AM

2016-01-11T01:36:20-05:00

NG is more political because it affects the state more so when you plan to transfer to the reserves. Analogy you are leaving a red head for a blond, patience lots of patience.

Response by CSM Michael Chavaree made Jan 11 at 2016 5:05 AM

2016-01-11T05:05:27-05:00

I hand carried my packet all over the state of Maine, 3 days and sleeping in my 91 Chevy Camaro and done. But that was 13 years ago and I really did not care who I pissed off.

Response by SFC Kenneth Hunnell made Jan 11 at 2016 5:43 AM

2016-01-11T05:43:17-05:00

When I did it, it took less than a month

Response by SFC Kenneth Hunnell made Jan 11 at 2016 5:44 AM

2016-01-11T05:44:13-05:00

Of course I found unit and did the leg work

Response by LTC Charles T Dalbec made Jan 11 at 2016 6:45 AM

2016-01-11T06:45:23-05:00

Hand carry to NG and stand there until signed. The NG gets paid on what they have in strength.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 11 at 2016 8:46 AM

2016-01-11T08:46:48-05:00

30 days per level. NGB doesn't want to lose Headcount, but if you don't see traction at the 30 day per level mark, call that level 1 shop and ask for clarity.

Make sure you are green in apft, weight, evals, ocie turn in, and completed all your statutory obligation, etc before you do this.

As a final attempt I would let your Unit and BN Commander know you will contact the State IG within two weeks. Usually an active duty COL, who has ARNG subordinates, but it's not a threat, it's just an option offered to all soldiers in the DoD.

If you have any questions about this, shoot me a private note as I didn't have any problems with GaNG, but know and helped others with this issue.

MAJ K

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Jan 11 at 2016 10:05 AM

2016-01-11T10:05:24-05:00

It's not unusual to take several months. It's not right, but it's not unusual.

In any bureaucratic organization, always remember the first rule of urgency. If it's not urgent to the person who needs to take the action, it's not urgent.

YOU want to transfer. Unless they personally WANT you out of the Guard (or have someone breathing down their necks), it's just routine paperwork to be got to when its got to. And so-and-so needs to review it before it goes to whomever to screen it for the boss. And the boss only looks at that stuff after he meets with the 1 on alternate Tuesdays, but he is on TDY this Tuesday and the 1 is TDY next week....

Now, many people are already warming up their keyboards about how it should be. Check. Got it. However, I live in the world of IS, not the world of SHOULD.

The good news is that the Army is MUCH better about this than it used to be. The various tracking systems (especially, the name escapes me right now, but the one used to track S1 actions that was introduced a few years back) that highlight how long things stay where has really helped drive accountability.

The bad news is that people are still people. Something you will see routinely in your career is that your evals aren't done "on time" and seem to drag out magically until they are about 5 days from being overdue to HRC (or there is a big S1 inspection) and all the sudden it will be vitally urgent for you to get into EES to sign it RIGHT NOW!!!!! (It used to be worse, back in the day, state would call you and tell you you needed to drive to state HQ back when we signed with pens.....) I've lost track of the number of times I've had travel for the Army that was known 6 months out, only to get me travel authorization signed less than 72 hours before flight time, after reservations had been auto cancelled. Don't get RP started on the awards process....

The better news is that there ARE things you can do to improve the system's efficiency.
They basically break down into three paths.
1. Completed staff work. To avoid making an already long post longer, this is a good phrase to google. Take-away: Make sure all the background work is done and clearly presented. Make it so that all anyone anywhere has to do is look at it an click "approved." Use a cover memo that shows everything is done, whenever possible. Do ALL the legwork.
2. Highlight the benefits to "the system" of doing what you want. People are always more interested in listening to WII-FM (What's in it for me) than any other station. Use it to your advantage.
3. Increase the difficulty (or pain or annoyance) of leaving the action action undone.

The easiest, and most time honored way of hitting all three is to hand-carry your paperwork up the chain yourself. This has the side-benefit that it is much harder (for the average person, anyway) to give a non-answer in person than over email. When you are standing at their desk asking if there is any reason why they can't sign now, making eye contact, it's much harder for them to throw it back in the queue.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Jan 11 at 2016 10:20 AM

2016-01-11T10:20:50-05:00

2-4 months and sometimes longer, find the administration who is responsible to submit the transfer and then who is to receive the transfer and contact them every week same day and time until they know you. Be pleasant and express gratitude for their assistance. They will help.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 11 at 2016 12:06 PM

2016-01-11T12:06:49-05:00

It is not unheard of to have these take this long, but starting to get on the fringe of expectations. I would note what time of year it is; lots of people on leave for extended periods this time of year tends to disrupt the staff channels pretty good.

I would suggest sending up an inquiry, as this is a situation that might get lost in the shuffle.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 11 at 2016 1:32 PM

2016-01-11T13:32:24-05:00

Shocked they signed it. The first O7 in the chain is the release authority.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 11 at 2016 3:51 PM

2016-01-11T15:51:03-05:00

I agree with the other comments. Going in person is the faster method, calling and emailing is secondary. It does take a while, best of luck to you.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2016 12:23 AM

2016-01-12T00:23:22-05:00

I've had enlisted soldiers who have done this and it takes a very long time.

Usually, if it's an officer, the approval authority is the TAG (since it will take a while). If you received a GRFD or DEDNG scholarship, that complicates things. If you're not currently fedrec'ed in your rank, that also complicates things.

I would say 6 months on average. The Guard does not want to lose its officers. Depending on where you're at and if you're in a needed MOS, you might get push back.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 18 at 2017 2:31 PM

2017-10-18T14:31:57-04:00

I have been waiting over a year now for my conditional release to get approved (ARNG > USNR). Not sure what options I have to get the issue addressed, besides perhaps submitting an inquiry to the IG. It's inexcusable, though.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 3 at 2018 6:57 PM

2018-04-03T18:57:48-04:00

That seemed about normal for the two enlisted Soldiers that went through it in my company.

We had a 2LT go through and hers took twice as long. 5months maybe.