Posted on Jun 11, 2014
Should you get to pick your last duty station before you retire?
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Although I have a few years left before I retire, I would just like to know what others think about getting to pick the last duty station or not before you retire.
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 7
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Long story short a Soldier should be able to influence their last assignment before retirement just like they influenced every assignment throughout their career but they should not be able to pick their last assignment. I say this for several reasons:
- There is no way the Army would be able to fulfill this promise for every Soldier.
- The needs of the Army should take greater weight in determining assignments than the desires of the individual. Weighting the assignment criteria different than this would result in a less ready, capable, and trained Army.
- What happens if a Soldier states that this is their last assignment, they get their pick of assignment, and then they change their mind and decide to continue their service? Soldiers would game the system to get what they want for an assignment.
- I say the above as a Soldier with 22 years Service who can retire at any time.
- There is no way the Army would be able to fulfill this promise for every Soldier.
- The needs of the Army should take greater weight in determining assignments than the desires of the individual. Weighting the assignment criteria different than this would result in a less ready, capable, and trained Army.
- What happens if a Soldier states that this is their last assignment, they get their pick of assignment, and then they change their mind and decide to continue their service? Soldiers would game the system to get what they want for an assignment.
- I say the above as a Soldier with 22 years Service who can retire at any time.
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CW2 (Join to see)
Sir, I agree. We need the Army to maintain a ready, capable, and trained force, but allow my to play devil's advocate a little. What if the Army could indulge the soldier in the request of a final assignment with the stipulation that they were required to retire within 3 years after the move? It would not be applied to soldiers who were not retiring. This would eliminate the ability to change their mind after the move.
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I would agree that you should be able to choose your final duty station IF:
-They actually have your MOS there or an immaterial position that you can fill
-They have room for you (if everyone wants to go to Hawaii for their final duty station, who will there be to send to other places)
- It makes sense to send you there (IE: they are going to BRAC the post within a year and you would have to PCS again)
I think it may make sense for you to be able to choose from what is available for your MOS/AOC, paygrade, and duty assignment for your final duty station. To just be stuck somewhere that has no need for you because you want to go there is not going to be the best for the Army or the Soldier.
-They actually have your MOS there or an immaterial position that you can fill
-They have room for you (if everyone wants to go to Hawaii for their final duty station, who will there be to send to other places)
- It makes sense to send you there (IE: they are going to BRAC the post within a year and you would have to PCS again)
I think it may make sense for you to be able to choose from what is available for your MOS/AOC, paygrade, and duty assignment for your final duty station. To just be stuck somewhere that has no need for you because you want to go there is not going to be the best for the Army or the Soldier.
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SPC Justin M. Turner-Eggeson
I believe that if you have done everything asked of you and paid your dues, then the last duty station should be of your choice.
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CPT (Join to see)
If that were the case, you would never have enough SNCOS and Senior Officers at Fort Polk, Fort Leonard Wood or other places that are not a cool to be stationed at. They could always use the excuse that they are going to retire at X time and don't want to go there.
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You would think but I can't see that that would Physically work out. How many Senior Enlisteds or Officers can be in London, Germany or Hawaii at the same time. You got to have some Jrs to accomplish the Mission. LOL!
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PO1 (Join to see)
It is important not to neglect this critical point in a naval career. During your last duty station is when you will begin to make use of you contacts and resources during the transition to the civilian sector. It is counter intuitive to force an service member into a zone that they don't intend to settle in. Getting out of the military is stressful enough. There is the added pressure of moving an entire family to another location only and spending the next year or so settling in to a new way of life entirely. This would place the individual at an unfair disadvantage when trying to finding a job. Most employers will not even entertain your resume if you are not in the area, which means job hunting most often that not does not begin after moving. All this can be avoided if they allow service members to pick, at least, the geographical are within a reasonable range.
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