Posted on Apr 7, 2014

Can Soldiers be exempted from duty and details based on MOS?

52.7K

I would like to know the opinions out there regarding Soldier exemptions for certain MOS's. For example, I am a 27D - Paralegal. We utilize AR 27-10,Military Justice, as well as the MCM. Neither one of these manuals mention exemptions from either pulling duty or for special/seasonal details. Every installation SJA, instead, signs off on a supplemental local 27-10 which outlines the use of the OSJA staff post-wide, meaning whether you are in a TRADOC or FORSCOM unit with you own CoC, this local supplement supersedes anything that unit commander puts out. The rationale is that the units don't want their legal staff out of the office at any point so they automatically exempt them. I have been in for just over 7 years and have never pulled any kind of duty or detail (much to the annoyance of my spouse) despite my repeated attempts to do so. I bring this up because we just had a meeting with our RCSM and he wanted to know our thoughts on it. Just curious about opinions.

Posted in these groups: Duty honor country tadhc 4t

Duty

Staff Duty

Posted >1 y ago

Follow this discussion

Responses: 20

1SG (Join to see)

Posted >1 y ago

I have always felt that no one should be exempt from duties beyond the obvious they are in a school or something. Definitely not based on your MOS. By that logic you shouldn't be allowed to take leave, pass or leave the area surrounding your base. If they cant lose you for 2 days they are in more trouble than they think. Just my 2 cents.

(16)

Comment

(0)

MAJ Byron Oyler

1 y

Old post but yes MOS can exempt you. I never once pulled SDO and I am sure that was because pulling me out of nursing for a 24hr shift plus recovery day would have made it difficult to staff the hospital.

(0)

MAJ Karl Swenson

1 y

What the hell is a "recovery day??" In my day, I was placed on the roster for SDO and expected to go to my normal duty station at 0800 the following day.

(1)

(0)

MSG Thomas Currie

1 y

Long long long ago I was once in a unit where the newly arrived one-star had exactly that same opinion. His guidance was that anyone who was so essential that they needed to be exempt from duty was obviously too mission essential to take leave or a three-day-pass. It was amazing how many soldiers quickly convinced their commanders that they didn't need to be ED. Of course when the one-star went away, so did the policy, and the ED list immediately began to swell again.

(0)

SGT Genty McFarland

Posted >1 y ago

When we PCS'ed to our new unit this year, my husband got put on the roster and pulled duty at least twice a week. No biggie I thought. Then it came to my attention that females in particular were exempt! After much talks they started pulling duty again this month! I believe in equality all across the board and it did not take a fool to see that it was not fair!There are exemptions to every rule but common sense has to over rule!

(6)

Comment

(0)

SSG (Join to see)

Edited >1 y ago

Posted >1 y ago

Answer to your original question, yes and no. Keep in mind that there are "Special MOSs" such as 31D, CID Special Agents. Due to job specifics, they cannot perform "duty" under any other local command, 8th Army (for example), because they must remain a separate entity. Because of what their job entails; they only fall under USACIDC and no other command. They do have their own version of "Duty" and it is performed under that detachment commander or Special Agent in Charge.

(4)

Comment

(0)

MAJ (Join to see)

4 y

Special Agent in Charge isn’t a rotating duty. You either are one or you aren’t. However , there are organizations (units) that report directly to Department of the Army Staff (direct reporting units) that don’t fit under “normal” duties but will have duties assigned by their parent unit versus garrison or the like.

(0)

SFC (Join to see)

Posted >1 y ago

A soon as you start giving exemptions to one MOS, you might as well give exemptions to all of them

(4)

Comment

(0)

1SG (Join to see)

Posted >1 y ago

My thought has always stemmed from annoyance of those that are exempt. You
see it everywhere, and funny that you bring up the legal team. I remember a
time in Germany that we couldn't get anything done on a Friday or Monday
because the legal teams were always on some kind of pass. The whole argument of
not wanting them out of the office is crap (in my opinion). They get leave
right? That's being out of the office. They get passes right? That too is being
out of the office. Kudos to those that don't pull duty but I do feel that it is
unfair for those that have to do double duty.

I will give you another scenario: All color guard is exempt from duty due to
having to be ready at a minutes notice to perform their duties of the color
guard. We get a new CSM in and for the COR ceremony, there was three Soldiers
not on the color guard team that participated in the COR. Why did we have to
give up extras???? Too many were on leave!

The whole not being in the office thing just don't sit right with me. As you
can probably tell by now. Let's say one of those exempt people get a red cross
message today, because their mother/father passed. Are you going to deny them
leave based solely off the fact you need them in the office?! Of course not!
They will be afforded the same liberties as the Soldier that would otherwise be
on the roster.

(4)

Comment

(0)

SGT (Join to see)

Posted >1 y ago

I don't think it's about being out of the office. From how it was explained to me, the legal shop will be conflicted out if an incident occurs while on CQ/staff duty. The same goes for observing during a UA.

(3)

Comment

(0)

CSM Darieus ZaGara

Posted >1 y ago

There should be no exemption. 1SG and CO’s should as always take mission into consideration when dolling our details and varying duties. The form used allows for such accommodation. There are many critical jobs in the military, if there were blanket exemptions for all of them details would go uncovered. Yet and still it is up to the local command.

(2)

Comment

(0)

LTC Jason Mackay

Posted >1 y ago

I’ve seen some exempt from duty, I’ve seen no one is exempt. It’s a slippery slope. Sometimes the duty exemption is tied to the fact the people are recalled after hours. I’ve seen chaplain assistants ED for weekend duty since they work weekends. I’ve also seen where certain ranks are on certain DA6s.

(2)

Comment

(0)

MAJ Ronnie Reams

Posted >1 y ago

When I was a Company Clerk back in the 1960s I was not on any DA-6, nor were the cooks. Everyone else was. I would think that may still be case, but not sure.

(2)

Comment

(0)

MAJ Byron Oyler

Posted 1 y ago

(1)

Comment

(0)

Can Soldiers be exempted from duty and details based on MOS?

Join nearly 2 million former and current members of the US military, just like you.