Posted on Apr 9, 2020
SPC Human Resources Specialist
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I am on my initial enlistment. I just found out that I am on orders to Korea with a report date in October. My wife and I just had a baby so this is not the best timing. Am I able to sign a declination statement or a first term statement and get out of these orders? I wanted to re-enlist, but my window doesn’t open until after I report and I have been told that even if it was before, I can’t re-enlist to get out of these orders. What other options might I have to get my orders to Korea deleted?
Posted in these groups: Images PCSKorea Korea
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MSG Intermediate Care Technician
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The Retention NCO you must see. Answer these questions they will.
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SFC Retention Operations Nco
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A declination is a declination to reenlist not a declination for an assignment. You never have the option to decline an assignment, only the option to reenlist for the assignment in front of you.

Korea is a one year tour, unaccompanied. If you can complete one year unaccompanied from your report date, then there is nothing to decline. You will report to the assignment or be AWOL.

Your options are to ETS after Korea, bring your family with you and do two years, or to reenlist in Korea for a follow on assignment after Korea.

As for the first term statement you've heard about - it only applies if you need to reenlist to meet the SRR for the assignment (you don't), you are on your first contract AND you have four years from your BASD to your BASD You don't meet all three requirements
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SFC Michael Hasbun
SFC Michael Hasbun
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SPC (Join to see) - That's only if you don't have enough time in service remaining to complete the tour.
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SFC Retention Operations Nco
SFC (Join to see)
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SPC (Join to see) as SFC Michael Hasbun pointed out, you are only eligible to decline to reenlist or extend. You can only do that if you don't have enough time to complete the tour.

As for reenlistment over there, there is no reenlistment that will curtail your DEROS. DOD sets the policy on tour lengths. The only thing that will curtail a Korea tour is an emergency Compassionate Reassignment, or an OCS/WOCS date.

As for the declination statement, the assignment would generally be deleted, but the branch is capable of waiving the SRR and sending you anyway if needed. So, if your thought process has led you down the path of thinking about asking for the four month COVID deferment for hardship and then declining, chances are that won't work out. Someone, somewhere by now will have mentioned to you the ALARACT about deleting or deferment of Korea orders. That ALARACT only grants enlisted Soldiers a four month deferment. In addition, it needs to be endorsed by your CG and show how COVID specifically caused a hardship. In your case, this is not applicable.
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SPC Human Resources Specialist
SPC (Join to see)
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Thanks for the information. I know that branch is able to send me anyways even if I signed the Dec statement, but what are the chances of that happening? And are first term Soldiers allowed to sign a dec statement? I’ve heard conflicting things.
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SFC Retention Operations Nco
SFC (Join to see)
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SPC (Join to see) no one can tell you the odds of your branch creating an exception to policy to send you. I can guarantee you that the odds of you getting a deferment so that you would be eligible to sign a declination are absolutely zero.

The first term statement you're referring to is a statement declining to reenlist. You have the time to go on your tour unaccompanied, so you are not eligible. A first term statement only applies when: you must reenlist to meet the SRR; you are on your first enlistment contract; you will have less than four years from your BASD to your current ETS.
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SSG Intelligence Analyst
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A DEC statement will prohibit you from re-enlisting. If you decline an assignment, you may as well prepare to get out of the military. You can request a cancellation through HRC or suck it up.
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SPC Human Resources Specialist
SPC (Join to see)
5 y
I’ve been told that first term Soldiers can’t sign dec statements, but I’m not sure if this is true or not
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Can I sign a declination of continued service statement?
CSM Darieus ZaGara
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Request an accompanies tour, travel and adventure is what you signed up for. Experiencing other cultures in life is an amazing part of who we are. You and your family will look back in amazement of the challenges you face and the life you led, the United States is awesome, the services provide opportunities to grow and experience life in ways most citizens would kill for. Look at the bright side of life.
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SPC Human Resources Specialist
SPC (Join to see)
5 y
Unfortunately I don’t have the TIS remaining to request a 2 year accompanied tour. I’d have to re-enlist and my window doesn’t open until after I leave for Korea. Plus, Camp Casey is zone 1. I cannot request command sponsorship there.
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CSM Darieus ZaGara
CSM Darieus ZaGara
5 y
Sorry to hear of your challenge. Unfortunately there is not always a good solution you our problems. Whatever you do, don’t stomp on your time in the military by making a poor choice. Have you spoken to a chaplain?SPC (Join to see)
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SPC Human Resources Specialist
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Thanks all. I just feel like this is not the way for the Army to keep retention up. I’m 6 months out from re-enlistment and they stick me on assignment to Korea without an option to get out of the orders and re-enlist for something else.
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Lt Col Jim Coe
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SPC (Join to see), as others in this string have said, take the assignment or get out. I agree. You knew such assignments were possible when you signed up or at least by the time you had been in for a year or so. My recommendation is to prepare your family for your upcoming remote unaccompanied tour and then ship out on schedule. Coming back from a remote assignment you should have some latitude in where you are assigned and to what MOS you will return. Re-enlistment will give you additional leverage. Take advantage of these options for you and your family. God's speed!
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SGT Infantryman
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Theres a couple of options but as you may or may not know that doesn't mean they'll get approved
You get to take paternity leave which is about 2 months or so if I recall correctly
You can request a deferment too I think it's called compassionate, ask your chain of command first and work your way up if they dont provide answers, just thread carefully. In the end you'll always have to sacrifice family time but make up for it one way or another, be inventive instead of focusing in the fact that you'll be gone.
I had my wife travel to korea and stay in an air bnb while I was there.
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SPC Human Resources Specialist
SPC (Join to see)
5 y
Secondary caregiver leave is 21 days. That has nothing to do with my orders to Korea. Compassionate actions and deferments are also to different things and are not what I was asking. I am a BDE S1, so I’m aware of these types of options.
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