Am I entitled to compensation time for being on gate guard?

2019-03-29T22:33:35-04:00

Trying to figure out whether I’m entitled to compensation time for being on gate guard. the 3 corps general has a Policy letter out called “family first” saying the commanders will grant appropriate time for soldiers spent on duty during weekends and holidays which I was on gate guard for 4 months, noted in paragraph 4C but my NCOs are saying that I don’t fall under 4c and that I fall under 3B so they are telling me I’m not entitled to any comp time
https://www.hood.army.mil/leaders/policies/Corps/new/11_Family_First_Policy.pdf

11_Family_First_Policy.pdf

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Response by SFC George Smith made Mar 29 at 2019 10:48 PM

2019-03-29T22:48:45-04:00

You Have To Check With Local Officials To See If You Fall Into The Category and Qualify...

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 29 at 2019 11:24 PM

2019-03-29T23:24:29-04:00

Since I’ve been in the Army (over 19yrs) no where have I’ve seen any Soldier given compensation time off for gate guard. When you have gate guard, that’s a duty that becomes your work schedule for a 90-120 days depending on where you are stationed, so you’re not “entitled” to compensated time off, if that was the case MPs and hospital personnel would constantly have compensated off because they have to work weekends and holidays. Now if your unit decides they want to grant you a 3 day or 4 day pass then that’s at their discretion but they are not obligated or required to “give” you compensated time off.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 29 at 2019 11:28 PM

2019-03-29T23:28:36-04:00

So the question is did you have a duty day where you pulled on a weekend, for example or is your unit tasked with gate guard/base security? If you are pulling duty as in a unit tasking you may, according to the policy get grant time off upon approval of you command. However that can mean anything like getting out ou PT and report at 0800 or what ever time, give you an hour off before COB, etc. if you are on base security rotation/Force Protection that can very even more. Get with you Chain of Command and find out duty and incentive policies. There is nothing wrong with asking your Chain of Command questions but be tactful, be receptive, understand the bigger picture, learn and apply knowledge, and get involved in the military structure.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 30 at 2019 1:15 AM

2019-03-30T01:15:46-04:00

Respectfully, as you’ve described and as the letter states, it would seem clear that you fall under 3B. You were assigned to a tasking that had a mission requirement of working during certain times. Gate guard is a mission essential, no-fail tasking. Good luck, but if you choose this fight, it’s not likely one you’ll win. (It seems the memo is to help soldiers who are working extra hours on their normal off time. While your tasking had you working some lousy days/hours, you still had normal off time).

That said, compensation time? Phantom time Fridays? Until now, these are terms that weren’t in my Army vocabulary. But even then, whoever wrote the memo gave the Army an ‘out’ by the way paragraph 4C is worded. “...will grant appropriate time...should be applied as soon as possible..” Right on. So if the Commander wants to play hardball he/she can determine that the appropriate comp time is 1 hour. Soonest time possible? Next year.

Best of luck

Response by LTC Kevin B. made Mar 30 at 2019 8:00 AM

2019-03-30T08:00:27-04:00

Looks to me like both 3B and 4C apply to you. 3B says that you should expect occasionally having weekend duty. 4C tells commanders that whenever soldiers are given weekend duty, they should give those soldiers appropriate comp time. Those two paragraphs appear to work together, and should not be interpreted as stand-alone paragraphs.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Mar 30 at 2019 8:42 AM

2019-03-30T08:42:14-04:00

Unless you were working the gate 7 days a week you were ALREADY granted comp time.

You say you were on this tasking for 4 months. I am guessing that even though you had to work weekends, during the tasking you had weekdays off. THAT was your comp time.

Now... if you were working M-F every week PLUS working every other weekend, or you worked 6 or 7 days a week every week, or worked 12 hour shifts 5 days a week (on shift - not counting PT, chow, etc.), or some other such craziness, then yes, addressing comp time MAY be appropriate.

But I'd bet dollars to donuts that was NOT the case, because that is a good way to burn out a Soldier and reduce effectiveness at a critical position.

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Mar 30 at 2019 11:06 AM

2019-03-30T11:06:40-04:00

How many days out of seven did you work? Remember, you are 'entitled to' three hots and a cot, medical, dental, and a few other things. Time off is not one of them, that is what leave is for.

Response by 1LT William Clardy made Mar 30 at 2019 12:11 PM

2019-03-30T12:11:35-04:00

A couple of points leap out at me:
1) No soldier is entitled to anything not spelled out in some U.S. Code section.
2) As to whether the CG's policy authorizes comp time, remember that "appropriate" is a big word subject to interpretation.
But that is just the opinion of an old-school soldier who also finds the "Phantom Time" policy troubling.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 30 at 2019 4:21 PM

2019-03-30T16:21:38-04:00

Before I even answer with whether you are entitled to compensation...I want to ask:

During your 4 months on Gate Guard, what was your work schedule like? Monday-Fri? 3 Days on/4 Days off? 4 Days on/3 Days off?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 31 at 2019 7:20 AM

2019-03-31T07:20:59-04:00

Nope

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 31 at 2019 3:51 PM

2019-03-31T15:51:01-04:00

This is a policy covering what the leadership deems is important. The 3 Star states, some of you on gate guard will have to work weekends so be ready for it. That's 3B. Then it states, if you works weekends, you will be given compensatory time for it. That's 4C. You "fall under" both, that is you fall under the entire policy. YOUR NCOS DON'T OUTRANK THE LTG!

They both apply equally, they are both completely valid, one doesn't trump the other, 4C is extra instructions for the case where 3B occurs. If your NCOs continue to fight you on this, have em call me, and go open door policy the signature authority and/or JAG.

I am pretty appalled by the responses here. By most of these responses, Soldiers shouldn't be given time off after 24 hrs of staff duty either? I'm pretty sure MPs and Hospital workers still are on for a typical 5 day work week, just not always M-F. Remember that many young Soldiers, typically E5 and below are often too intimidated to stand up for themselves when they are right, and too many "senior" people like to interpret crap that isn't there.
This Soldier was just taken out of his training cycle for a few months because we don't want the MPs to do their damn job, forced to work a weekend or two and stay away from his family and who knows when the next gunnery/NTC/ridiculous motorpool time will come where he misses even more time and then we'll deploy him to sit on gate guard again for 9 months, all the while telling him to "suck it up". Next thing you know he's being told it's reup time and he tells the reup NCO to go F___ himself because we treat him and his family like crap, rather than being NCOs and caring for our Soldiers, being a leader and doing what we can to keep morale up because a happy Soldier is an effective Soldier, and our success is based on being an effective Soldier.

SPC Private RallyPoint Member If you want to not worry about this, or ever doing gate guard again, go take your DLAB, get your SERE/SF physical, and drop a packet to leave FORSCOM and come to where we give a damn about you and your family - so to your SORB office on Ft Hood and find SSG Givens, he'll hook you up with a CA packet man.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 1 at 2019 12:53 PM

2019-04-01T12:53:47-04:00

I have served as gate guard for a few months before and usually on ft hood they give you the weekends off so no. You do not qualify for compensation

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 8 at 2019 8:21 PM

2019-04-08T20:21:38-04:00

In those 4 months did you work every single day? If not you should have spend your time off wisely.

Response by SPC Corey Blue made Apr 13 at 2019 7:44 AM

2019-04-13T07:44:19-04:00

Hey man, I am gonna have to break it to you, unless the funkmaster himself says you got a three day, don’t expect to get one. Welcome to the great place.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Dec 12 at 2021 4:41 PM

2021-12-12T16:41:47-05:00

WTF! You are on duty 24X7X365. If you work weekends or holidays, that’s part of the job. If your supervisor or commander give you a day off to compensate you for working a holiday or weekend, you should thank them.

Concepts like 8-hour days, overtime, Or compensatory time off apply to civilian jobs. Benefits available to govt civilian employees are different from those available to military personnel.

Response by SGT Charles Whited made Dec 12 at 2021 9:58 PM

2021-12-12T21:58:21-05:00

Ask for comp time in a combat zone.
It is called sacrifice. Everyone, any time.