Does official travel to CONUS while deployed affect Overseas Service Ribbon and Bar eligibility?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 12 Jan 2019 05:31:28 -0500

Good Afternoon Everybody,

We are currently having an internal staff discussion on the following issue dealing with Official travel for deployed troops and OSR/OSB eligibility. I would like to humbly request the assistance and opinion of the S1 gurus on this site on the following situation.

The situation is as follows:

Unit is currently deployed in Kuwait for a total of 270 days. Our division has sent us instructions to select specific SMEs to be ordered to travel back to CONUS for Theater Seminars in support of our replacing Unit.

This movement will be for official duties and non-optional for the selected SMs. Total time the SMs will be spending doing these Seminars will be between 18-21 days across multiple trips not exceeding 5-7 days each.

Question: How is this CONUS time counted towards the SMs eligibility for the OSR and OSB? Assuming the SMs spend 7 days stateside every 2 months and receive no modification to their deployment orders - do they count negatively against the SM's deployed time?

I.E. Will SMs be credited with only 8 months and 9 days of overseas time or will they still be credited with full tour completion of the 9 month tour.

Thank you all for your help in this matter.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2019 5:34 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 12 Jan 2019 05:34:35 -0500

I would say no, because the UIC used by your unit it’s a forward uic. And you are just TDY at the other locations.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2019 8:03 AM

WO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 12 Jan 2019 08:03:44 -0500

You do not receive bars for a kuwait rotation.

Response by SSG Brian G. made Jan 12 at 2019 9:27 AM

SSG Brian G. — Sat, 12 Jan 2019 09:27:05 -0500

The Unit has orders to Kuwait, the soldiers selected are then sent TDY and would return to the Unit. The Stateside TDY would not affect the SMs eligibility in any way, shape or form.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2019 6:29 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 12 Jan 2019 18:29:28 -0500

You have an S1 section for a reason; talk to them. If that doesn’t work, go to Army Pubs and figure it out.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 13 at 2019 1:34 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 13 Jan 2019 13:34:22 -0500

It would not affect their time, it’s the same as when Soldiers would take R/R leave when there were 12mos deployments...