Do you choose your second duty station on longer enlistment contracts?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 13:32:37 -0400

I am OCONUS on a first termer 5 year contract. My DEROS leaves me with 2 years of service remaining until ETS. Is it likely that I will be able to choose my second duty station without needing to reenlist (even if it means signing an extension, etc.)?

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 26 at 2020 2:13 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 14:13:04 -0400

I highly doubt it since choice of assignments are usually done with reenlistments. You are probably going to be sent "Needs of the Army."

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 26 at 2020 2:38 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 14:38:53 -0400

No, you won't get to choose, but you can contact your assignment manager about 7 months prior to DEROS to discuss available locations. They will place you on assignment 6 months prior to DEROS. You won't need to extend. The SRR for returning from long tour area OCONUS is only 12 months from your report date to a CONUS assignment.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 26 at 2020 2:39 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 14:39:14 -0400

Your DEROS is you date available to return from overseas. You should theoretically be back CONUS by or soon after your DEROS. You will be placed on assignment NLT 6 months from your DEROS. You will not have to extend, but it’s unlikely that you will get a preferred duty station working with branch unless you extend

Response by MAJ Geiter Dunn made Apr 28 at 2020 9:29 AM

MAJ Geiter Dunn — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 09:29:59 -0400

I guess the Army has gotten more efficient. In 22 years, I never once got an RFO 6 months out, never once got assigned to my preferred duty station, and twice, on 1 year hardship tours with a "guaranteed follow-on duty station" received orders to a different post due to "needs of the Army". I do hope that HRC is now much more competent than they were back then ('85-'07).

Response by SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 28 at 2020 9:50 AM

SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 09:50:38 -0400

If you haven't been checking your requisitions on ASK due so daily. It allowed me to volunteer for Alaska for my last PCS, while in the same two month span friends of mine requested and got requisitions to Italy and Hawaii. The list can change daily (if you even have any options open at all) and just because you volunteer for a duty station doesn't mean you will get what you asked for. ASK can (and does) work if you make the effort to keep up with it, and the process will likely get even easier when they roll out the full scale AIM (or whatever they end up calling it) for all branches/ranks.

Response by Sgt Dale Briggs made Apr 14 at 2021 7:45 AM

Sgt Dale Briggs — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 07:45:44 -0400

Marines is easy, San Diego, Lejeune, Okinawa, simple pick one.