Can you still drive to AIT as an MOS-T?

SPC Devin Young — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 09:35:48 -0500

The worker down at MEPS told me that I couldn’t drive to AIT, and that government travel would be arranged for me.... like wtf is happening. Is it because I’m coming from Alabama and I have to go to Arizona? Or does he not know what he’s talking about?

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 12 at 2020 9:46 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 09:46:23 -0500

Because of that long of a distance, you may not be able to drive to AIT. It's a Safety and Cost issue. Is it more expensive but faster and safer for you to fly? If so, then that is what the Army will pay for.

Response by SSG Brian G. made Feb 12 at 2020 11:52 AM

SSG Brian G. — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 11:52:46 -0500

It means just that. You cannot drive to AIT. It is SOP that the government arrange travel. It insures that you get there safely and in a timely manner to attend the school.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 12 at 2020 11:56 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 11:56:08 -0500

It's because you would have to be on leave for part of the trip. You're only authorized TDY for one travel day. You have no leave yet, so you can't drive.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 12 at 2020 1:05 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 13:05:18 -0500

Initially no... that’s what happened to me in 2017, but as soon as we had a four day, I flew back to Detroit, got my car and drove back to Ft Lee

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 12 at 2020 4:11 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 16:11:50 -0500

If it is going to AIT from BCT then it is because you are still in your initial training and technically you are not supposed to drive at all during the time. I would not suggest you push your luck.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 12 at 2020 7:15 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 19:15:53 -0500

The Army is not going to bring you on active duty from being a civilian and instantly pay for you to drive across country. When you enlist back into the Army, your report date will be the first day of your contract regardless if you’re prior service.

If you want your POV with you, you would have to make arrangements on your own to get your vehicle to your AIT location. Good luck to you...

Response by PVT Stephen Osenegg made Feb 13 at 2020 3:41 PM

PVT Stephen Osenegg — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 15:41:01 -0500

From what I experienced in the military, it's just a matter of SOP. I was on a couple of facilities with MOS-T's and none of them ever had their POV with them. Not to mention, you wouldn't be authorized to have a POV on base without having it pass an inspection FIRST.
There was one soldier I ran into in AIT at Ft. Huachuca who bought a cheap car near the end of his training, and had to sell it again because he couldn't fix it to pass inspection within 7 days of failing the first inspection.

Response by SSG Dennis Mendoza made Feb 13 at 2020 5:01 PM

SSG Dennis Mendoza — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 17:01:08 -0500

In my personal experience I know for signal and field artillery non-iets and mos-t's the unit prefers for the individual to have povs because then the cadre there will have to provide transportation. I was a prior service and after that ended up being cadre right after finishing the ait. So I'm just saying out of experience, I ended up having to go home while waiting to class for the ait to get my pov or else I would have been either depending on cabs or the unit and the unit was rarely available to give the mos-t's a ride.

Response by SPC Devin Young made Jan 3 at 2021 2:28 PM

SPC Devin Young — Sun, 03 Jan 2021 14:28:40 -0500

Yes... even if meps tell you no, you can still do it. MEPS told me no and they arranged my flight. When I got to the unit the drills weren’t tracking me (cause they have a 10 dozen IET students to keep up with) and left me at the airport for almost 2 days. I left from Montgomery and flew into Arizona when I did meet up with them that asked why I didn’t drive and let me go back to get my car. If you’re going to FT huachuca, they aren’t letting MOS-T’s off post because of covid so it’s really almost not even worth the 3 day drive. Cause where are you going to go?