Can my company leadership deny me from IST'ing or drilling with a closer unit despite travel/financial hardship?

2021-08-14T13:19:31-04:00

I moved down two states for my civilian job approx. two years ago but have been continuing to drive up four hours to continue drilling with my guard unit monthly. In turn I've been having to take time off work in order to travel to my unit's home station but over time it's been putting a burden on me financially as well as my car due to the extended miles monthly. Recently I found a reserve unit 15 minutes away from my home of residence and had previously been in contact with the Army career counselor as well as my leadership to possibly transfer or SUTA drills in my state of residence, but due to a training exercise next year which my brigade is participating in my company leadership has flat out denied me transferring to the reserve unit as well as SUTA'ing with any closer unit until after the exercise. By then however I'll only have one year left on my contract.

If anyone has any wisdom or any other options/course of action which I could consider or contacts I should make I'd very much appreciate it, thank you.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Aug 14 at 2021 4:31 PM

2021-08-14T16:31:02-04:00

Why haven't you checked with your retention NCO, or your higher command. Pretty damn sure BN and higher would have to sign off on such a move, not just a CPT.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Aug 14 at 2021 7:33 PM

2021-08-14T19:33:47-04:00

If you are Guard and want to simply reassigned to the Reserves it won’t happen, they are two different components.

You need to see the 1SG, and a recruiter for the Reserves along with your in service retention NCO to work through a move, until then you are bound by the current contract. The Army (any component) will see this as a self inflicted hardship, therefore holding you accountable.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 15 at 2021 7:58 AM

2021-08-15T07:58:14-04:00

You can request to IST to your new states National Guard, but that takes time and approval typically goes through your chain, the IST coordinator, JAG, and eventually your LCC or TAG.

You can also request to transfer to the Reserves, but you are effectively leaving one component and signing on to another which typically they want more than a years commitment out of you. Sometimes not, but usually. This also takes time and must go through your chain to the TAG.

I would request an IST as that's more likely and still closer to your new HOR, getting out of the training is not likely but there it is. Your IST can be denied, but I and commanders I have seen have never seen a point in making a Soldier suffer if they can alleviate it with some paperwork unless the Soldier was truly undeserving and even then sometimes they still did it. Knew a guy that moved to Japan to work on aircraft because it was a outstandingly high paying job compared to what he was doing and his chain through TAG signed off on transferring him to IRR.

Every situation is judged on its own merit, and sometimes there's chains that support your life change for your own betterment and sometimes there are petty ones that don't care about you beyond being a number at drill.

So reach out to your career counselor, your readiness NCO, the IST coordinator, and the Guard rep for the State you're currently in and see what your options are. Alternatively a Reserve Recruiter as well or even request a transfer to the IRR. Don't pussyfoot about, let them know what you want and inquire on how to achieve your goal with regular documented follow ups. Meaning that you want to request a counseling on how to proceed and you want to conduct communication through email with all parties. I can tell you verbal anything regardless of the rank it comes from is BS until it's in front of you ready to sign.

By the way, your chain can't deny a transfer request so to speak. Those requests for the Guard go through the LCC and/or TAG which means the intermediate commanders only make a recommendation as to whether or not to transfer you. I could be way off base and it's different for your State, but that's the process for mine. I have also seen the TAG flat out ignore the lower commanders recommendation and approve a transfer. So you never know, generals are quirky sometimes.

You're probably not getting out of this training, but at the very least explore your options for the remainder of your career or reenlistment whichever may come.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 15 at 2021 9:56 AM

2021-08-15T09:56:08-04:00

Does your unit/state offer reimbursement for travel?

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 15 at 2021 11:21 AM

2021-08-15T11:21:24-04:00

You cannot just transfer between a National Guard unit and Reserve unit. You must submit a conditional release through your chain of command.
Company/BDE leadership can deny request to drill with another unit, but they are not the approving authority for a conditional release. However, because you only have a year left on your contract it may not be benifichal for anyone to agree to your release. It will be easier for you to finish your contract and then reenlist for the reserves - if you want to continue military service and be assigned closer to your current residence.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 15 at 2021 11:32 AM

2021-08-15T11:32:33-04:00

Can they, yes.
Start the transfer process immediately. If the command won't work with you , you and you longer live in the area and the unit isn't worth the commute to you then it's time to move on.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 15 at 2021 12:57 PM

2021-08-15T12:57:17-04:00

4 hours? That sounds great compared to a lot of us in the reserves. My unit has people traveling over 1200 miles to drill monthly. Even when I did RST with another unit it was a 2.5 hour drive one way and I was not eligible for lodging in kind so it meant getting up at 0200 and driving to be at drill hall on time the first morning and then paying out of pocket for a hotel room one night. When I had to go drill my home unit it meant taking often times 1 and sometimes 2 days off work, flying , and then drilling. Yes I got lodging in kind, but they only reimbursed up to $500 in costs which usually just barely covered my flight.

Bottom line is this:
1. You are in the national guard meaning you are state and cannot drill with reserves as they are two separate entities
2. Your unit has a mission that requires all troops to take part in so they need you and you are obligated to your unit
3. You chose to move further from your unit which the army will see as a personal choice and not view it as a hardship.

It sucks, but we serve at the needs of the army not just when it’s convenient. I would say suck it up and finish out the mission and your year and then either transfer to the reserves and reclass to see if that closer unit can pick you up or ETS.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 15 at 2021 6:29 PM

2021-08-15T18:29:58-04:00

Your unit commander can approve or deny SUTAs and authorized absences, no one else.
Your TAG, delegated to G1 in most cases, is the approval authority to IST to the Guard of another state.
Your TAG, delegated to G1 in most cases, is the approval authority for a conditional release to enlist in another compo, like they Army Reserves.

Send up either one, and if your unit cannot demonstrate that your request is pending at G1 level in 60 days, call your IG.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Aug 18 at 2021 4:40 PM

2021-08-18T16:40:06-04:00

The unit should release you, the unit exercise next year has no bearing on that. Now do you have a paragraph and line number to a gaining unit? Has paperwork been started to release you? Link for IST from one guard unit to one in another state: https://www.nationalguard.com/how-to-transfer-to-another-state

https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN8602_AR140_10_%20Final.pdf

Army National Guard