Discharge over missed Drills..IRR denied?

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 19:27:16 -0500

Help! I completed a DD form 1288 to transfer into an IMA position but the form expired thus do to my civilian job as a contractor I work overseas 4 month rotations. My unit declined pulling quartely drills, and now I have missed 3 drills and just informed Im being discharge for unsatisfactory participation......can I request to be moved to IRR and can my unit Commander deny this? I also have had my E-6 stripe pulled for missing drills. I caled the GI hotline and they claim i can not be discharged due to my job travel and being well over 100 miles to pull drill. Any help will really relieve stress as I am in 13 years and DO NOT want to be kicked out and have a general or worse label......thx

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 4 at 2019 8:58 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 08:58:30 -0500

Sorry, but this one is on you. When you take a 4 month OCONUS contract, it is your responsibility to get an authorized absence or SUTA approved by your commander PRIOR to those drills coming up, or you turn down the contract. Because if your commander denies the request, you are responsible for showing up to drill, or responsible for the consequences when you don't show up.
The G1 hotline misinformed you, probably because you did not give them the complete information.
You can request transfer to the IRR, your unit commander cannot approve or deny it, they can only provide a recommendation and forward your request to the state.
If you received an AWOL notification for each drill you missed, and ignored those, that was a pretty poor judgement call on your part.
Your final letter with the notification of intent to separate might have included some instructions about how to avoid a discharge, (just like those three previous AWOL letters). I would read that very carefully and contact Trial Defense Services, there is a chance that you can avoid a discharge and just take a reduction in grade.
The reduction is unavoidable, you did not handle this problem like an NCO.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 14 at 2019 4:57 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 16:57:08 -0400

You can not request to be moved to the IRR unless it’s on your contract. But your commander should have allowed you to RST since who is going to pay your bills? In all honesty I think it’s time to talk to your battalion commander and keep going up the ranks. I know my unit would have worked with you.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 16 at 2019 3:00 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 15:00:06 -0400

Was GI Hotline able to help, or did the want $$$money before they lifted a pen