Can only one battery in your battalion stay at 10% during block leave?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 15:45:22 -0400

My battery is being screwed over. My unit is set to deploy in 2020 and our BC is only letting 10% of my battery go on block leave in December while the other line batteries are able to take block leave like normal. We are going to be rear d when the deployment comes around but they aren’t set to deploy until a months after December/January. Is there anything we can do or just get screwed?

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2019 5:05 PM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 17:05:23 -0400

Of course I'm not Army, but my advice might help you because I believe that it applies to any of the military Services.
Do the Senior Enlisted Leaders think that your Commander's policy is a good policy for the troops or do they think that it is an unnecessary "morale busting" idea? If they think that it is a bad policy then they can try to use their influence to get your Commander to change or cancel his/her decision. I believe that your unit's personnel need to start contacting their Senior Enlisted Leaders if anything is going to happen for the better These are the kinds of issues that Senior Enlisted Leaders are supposed to be involved with.
Hopefully you will have happy holidays.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Oct 30 at 2019 5:56 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 17:56:25 -0400

Look, the leave is at the prerogative of the CO. Abut all you can do is Open Door Policy or IG, either one has dangers.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2019 7:58 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 19:58:00 -0400

Are you going to be Rear D or are you deploying. Either you are leaving out some information which won’t allow an accurate response or whoever is giving you information isn’t giving you ALL the information. Whether you deploy or not, checks and balances has to be maintained.

Response by CSM Richard StCyr made Oct 31 at 2019 1:04 PM

CSM Richard StCyr — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 13:04:15 -0400

Short answer ….Yes.
Look at AR 600-8-10 para 2-2 : (3)C. Leave is basically dependent on the military operational environment and commanders have discretion.

Real life examples....
- 43rd Engineer Bn was on block leave during the time period leading up to the Panama invasion. Our Platoon was tasked with the Ranger Support Engineer mission. The entire Battalion with the exception of our platoon and Soldiers who chose not to take block leave was away on block leave. We worked day and night providing support.

- 802nd Engineers (Korea)... All mid tour, and out of country leaves cancelled due to the first gulf war. No leave and stop loss'd in country out to 18 months in some cases.

-62nd Engineers- 05-07 Rear D no block leave in order to coordinate and push the remainder of the BN out for deployment.

Not the best thing if you're the guys pulling duty , but sometimes a necessary evil to make the mission happen.

Response by LtCol Robert Quinter made Oct 31 at 2019 8:10 PM

LtCol Robert Quinter — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 20:10:08 -0400

Do you really believe your Battalion Commander is "screwing you over"? Every unit in the military is part of a puzzle called national readiness and is expected to maintain a specific combat capability. Your battery, which apparently will not deploy, is maintaining that readiness capability over the holidays so that those batteries that will be deploying can go on leave. You are not a technician with Apple or some other civilian corporation and sometimes the fact you have sworn to uphold and defend means your personal desires might be secondary to upholding that oath.

Response by CH (CPT) Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 1 at 2019 1:26 AM

CH (CPT) Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 01:26:09 -0400

A block leave period allows a greater than normal absence %. However, there's still a % that must maintain readiness. The CDR cannot willynilly let everyone go at the same time. For a moment, consider you were getting ready to deploy away from your family for 9 months, but you couldn't take block leave because the jokers staying at home in the rear wanted to take time off. Wouldn't you feel like you were getting screwed? That block leave period is authorized in view of the pending deployment and should be protected for use by those deploying.

Response by SSgt Dan Montague made Nov 1 at 2019 11:56 AM

SSgt Dan Montague — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 11:56:07 -0400

So you specifically are not deploying? And the other batteries are? Your question is lacking content.