Posted on Jun 6, 2019
I'm being PCSed to Korea shortly before my ETS. How can I ensure that I return to this duty station after the unaccompanied tour?
20.4K
29
22
3
3
0
In February I was notified that due to my rank/TIS etc. that I would be put on orders for Korea and have approximately 5 months left after the tour until I ETS (my ETS is January 2021). In May I received the official notification from HRC that I would be reporting to Korea in September. I was initially promised that I would be able to return to my current duty station after my 1 year unaccompanied tour in Korea. When I received the notification in May, my assignment was to a different duty station (CONUS) than the one that I am currently stationed at now. Also, I just had shoulder surgery and am currently in the process of recovering and will be on a temporary profile/unable to take and APFT any time soon. My questions are as follows:
1. Is there a way I can request a compassionate reassignment/deletion of orders based on the fact that my wife (who is bi-polar and enrolled in the EFMP)?
2. If I were to sign a dec. statement now, I am aware that I can still be sent to Korea and kept there until my ETS date (which I do not want), but would there be a way to sign a dec. statement once I am in korea and get back to my current duty station to finish my time out?
3. Is there any way that my medical situation would prevent me from an overseas PCS move due to being on a temporary profile/still in the process of recovering?
4. If the worst case scenario happens (I end up going to Korea and having to PCS), what is the least amount of time that I would have to extend for so that I can get out as soon as possible.
Note: My primary concern is not so much getting out of the Korea assignment, but not being able to return to my current duty station once the tour is complete. The job market and cost of living are very good in the area that I am currently located in and I was planning on completing the tour and being able to ETS from here. Thank you all for your help and input!
1. Is there a way I can request a compassionate reassignment/deletion of orders based on the fact that my wife (who is bi-polar and enrolled in the EFMP)?
2. If I were to sign a dec. statement now, I am aware that I can still be sent to Korea and kept there until my ETS date (which I do not want), but would there be a way to sign a dec. statement once I am in korea and get back to my current duty station to finish my time out?
3. Is there any way that my medical situation would prevent me from an overseas PCS move due to being on a temporary profile/still in the process of recovering?
4. If the worst case scenario happens (I end up going to Korea and having to PCS), what is the least amount of time that I would have to extend for so that I can get out as soon as possible.
Note: My primary concern is not so much getting out of the Korea assignment, but not being able to return to my current duty station once the tour is complete. The job market and cost of living are very good in the area that I am currently located in and I was planning on completing the tour and being able to ETS from here. Thank you all for your help and input!
Korea
PCS
ETS/EAS
Profiles
Medical
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 10
5
5
0
1. Is there a way I can request a compassionate reassignment/deletion of orders based on the fact that my wife (who is bi-polar and enrolled in the EFMP)?
A. You can always try. Make sure you have some docmentation from your wife's doctor, it might help.
2. If I were to sign a dec. statement now, I am aware that I can still be sent to Korea and kept there until my ETS date (which I do not want), but would there be a way to sign a dec. statement once I am in korea and get back to my current duty station to finish my time out?
A. You are correct, you sign a dec but Big Army could just put you on the same orders.
3. Is there any way that my medical situation would prevent me from an overseas PCS move due to being on a temporary profile/still in the process of recovering?
A. Same as the EFMP answer. Get documentation from your ortho doc. The only way this would probably work is if you are unable to be treated for your injury in the ROK.
4. If the worst case scenario happens (I end up going to Korea and having to PCS), what is the least amount of time that I would have to extend for so that I can get out as soon as possible.
A. I'm pretty sure it is 9 months remaining before ETS to PCS. Check with your Reenlistment NCO on that one.
A. You can always try. Make sure you have some docmentation from your wife's doctor, it might help.
2. If I were to sign a dec. statement now, I am aware that I can still be sent to Korea and kept there until my ETS date (which I do not want), but would there be a way to sign a dec. statement once I am in korea and get back to my current duty station to finish my time out?
A. You are correct, you sign a dec but Big Army could just put you on the same orders.
3. Is there any way that my medical situation would prevent me from an overseas PCS move due to being on a temporary profile/still in the process of recovering?
A. Same as the EFMP answer. Get documentation from your ortho doc. The only way this would probably work is if you are unable to be treated for your injury in the ROK.
4. If the worst case scenario happens (I end up going to Korea and having to PCS), what is the least amount of time that I would have to extend for so that I can get out as soon as possible.
A. I'm pretty sure it is 9 months remaining before ETS to PCS. Check with your Reenlistment NCO on that one.
(5)
(0)
SSgt GG-15 RET Jim Lint
Hospitals are fantastic in Korea. Do not think about the old days of MASH TV show.
I did have shoulder surgery in 2003ish. I also came back to Korea and retired 90 days later out of FT Meade. It can be done. I did 7 years in Korea on multiple tours. Most tours are accompanied, so you could take your family there. On one of my tours I needed an MRI and 121 Hosp sent me to a Korean Hosp. Koreas live and breath tech...and the internet is 5 times faster then in the US when I was there. Wife was pissed when we got to the states and it was so slow.
I did have shoulder surgery in 2003ish. I also came back to Korea and retired 90 days later out of FT Meade. It can be done. I did 7 years in Korea on multiple tours. Most tours are accompanied, so you could take your family there. On one of my tours I needed an MRI and 121 Hosp sent me to a Korean Hosp. Koreas live and breath tech...and the internet is 5 times faster then in the US when I was there. Wife was pissed when we got to the states and it was so slow.
(1)
(0)
SGM Steve Wettstein
SSgt GG-15 RET Jim Lint - Yes I am quit aware of the Korean Tech. My wife of 29 years is Korean and when she does her yearly trip to the RoK she usually gets dental or some small medical procedure.
(1)
(0)
2
2
0
Remember, most tours are ACCOMPANIED tours in Korea. My wife was very impressed with the on post town square. It is a completely new post at Camp Humphreys. Amazing. I just got back on 13 May 2019.
(2)
(0)
SSgt Rebekah Bradfield
Accompanied usually comes with a longer tour. Air Force is usually 1 year unaccompanied or 2 years accompanied. Bringing dependents is not guaranteed.
(1)
(0)
SSG (Join to see)
Yes it's my first time going there- CMD sponsorship is very difficult to get in the Army....plus I am ETSing soon after the year is over.
(1)
(0)
SSG (Join to see)
SSgt Rebekah Bradfield The Army is the same way- I want the shortest amount of time if I end up having to go there
(1)
(0)
SSgt GG-15 RET Jim Lint
SSG (Join to see) - Command sponsored is now the normal tour as of when I left 3 weeks ago. BUT, Cmd Sponsor is 2-3 years. Maybe if you extend, you can take your family and that would be an experience they will always remember. Again, Korea has changed from the 1980s. Back then Cmd Sponsorship was VERY unusual.
(0)
(0)
2
2
0
Not sure how it works in the Army, but I was at a command where we had a sailor coming in with similar issues to yours. They wanted to give us a heads up, not wanting to get out of anything, but letting us know they had exceptional circumstances. Our XO talked to them, and was able to go back to the detailers and get them reassigned to something better for them, and frankly, for us a deployed unit. You might try talking to some of the senior NCO's where you are slated to go, and see if they can help. Best of luck.
(2)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google