How widespread are the budget issues for training?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 16:05:24 -0400

How widespread are the budget issues for training? I had a friend that had his training pushed back 3 times. Seems like it takes forever nowadays. Has anyone else had this issue?

Response by MAJ Monique Salinas made Jul 21 at 2016 6:01 PM

MAJ Monique Salinas — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 18:01:04 -0400

Not sure how much of an issue it really is. I have heard this rumor time and time again. A couple of things may be occurring: your organization has people they prefer to send in your friend's place, OR your organization understands that your friend has time to kill before it is imperative to send your friend and they'll allocate the money to send someone else to a completely different school/training. I believe the military should be more proactive than reactive; more so because we need to be a ready force which means ensuring people are current in their schools/training requirements prior to a mission notice. It's unfortunate that we are not qualified until it becomes detrimental for deployment purposes.

When the Adjutant General of Texas (elected by the Governor) stood in front of a crowd of brass and CSM/SGMs, he confirmed that "there is always money for training...if your unit is telling you otherwise, I need to know because that is incorrect information." I also know of a Major General who declined a school for himself in order to allow the funding to be available to use to send 10 Soldiers to BLC. He won my respect as a person for that act of selfless service. All Leaders should strive to earn respect as a person, not just as a uniform/rank; doing so will give you the honor of Soldiers to say to you, "Sir, I will follow you anywhere," which is more meaningful than any award given on a 638 or certificate. No you can't wear it on your chest or have it in your iPERMS, but you'll have those Soldiers on your 6 for a lifetime, including your family's 6.

Remember things like this when you become a staff member, be an expert on regs and policies with detailed analysis, courses of actions, what they can expect from those COAs, and what your recommendation is (stating how it affects the unit and what it means for the commander) to advise your commanders and fellow staff members of the best decision. You may get shut down but at least you do your job to advise. However, don't agree to avoid potential rejection. You may make something apparent that they may not have noticed. Leaders can forget how their decisions affect Soldiers at the lowest level. Hold them accountable when you feel their decisions may not be the best COA.

This is what I mean: I was the acting BDE S1 as a 1LT. The subordinate BNs were always late sending their reports in. The submission times were set prior to me being the S1. I genuinely asked the units, "what's going on? What do you need from me to help you to be able to meet your suspenses?" Their response,"Ma'am, we need more time. We have formation at this time, then to gather accountability, get back to our desk, wait for the companies to send us their reports (which they have formation at the same time), then we scrub our report and usually requires us to call the companies to discuss their errors, so by the time we get the report to you, it's late." I understood the timeline they gave me and asked for a reasonable recommendation on how much time they needed based on my staff conference time to brief the BDE CDR. They gave me a time, I agreed, went to the BDE CSM and said, "CSM, I spoke with the BNs, I recommend changing the suspense for reports to 0930 to allow them more time to scrub their company reports accurately which prevents me from kicking it back and being late on my end." He said, "let me talk to the CDR." He came back to me the next day and said,"LT, you got your time change. Make it happen." I said, "Roger, CSM." Went back to my desk, emailed the BNs, and never received a late report again, and was able to compile all the reports for my meeting well in advance with rare kickbacks to the BNs.

Support your units and Soldiers, in doing so, they will work hard for you, and as a team, the CDR will be pleased to know you have his/her back with the organization's best interest in mind. I encourage you to be observant and educate yourself on how to improve your organization, hold your leadership accountable, and assist to make it a better organization than it is when you became a part of it. They don't know what they don't know; help their blind spots. Good luck and do great things CPT Private RallyPoint Member!!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 22 at 2016 2:49 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 02:49:36 -0400

At one time in the CA ARNG, it took Soldiers two years to become MOSQ. Funding was so short that Year 1, the new prior service Soldier would attend Phase 1 of their two-week MOS Reclassification course ILO Annual Training then wait for the next FY IOT attend Phase II. Ideally they'd be scheduled for a 4th QTR Phase I Class IOT attend Phase II in the first QTR of the next FY. Either way, the newbie would not perform AT with the unit for two years! Of course commanders used to scream bloody murder come USR time and their remarks always read the same ... No funding. During the height of the wars, the funding was there but as I was leaving I understand it was starting to go back to the bad old days.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 22 at 2016 12:46 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 12:46:05 -0400

its tight , some of my training in upcoming months may not happen due to limited funding.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Jul 24 at 2016 10:42 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Sun, 24 Jul 2016 22:42:09 -0400

Good Question. I wouldn't think that it would be pushed back too much. I remember all the training/qualification benchmarks that were required of a ship before it went on Westpac. Now I know on the Last One We Literally were at the San Clemente Island Range completing the very last one and left from the Range Immediately on Westpac. Talk about "Skin of Your Teeth"

Response by LTC Stephen B. made Jul 26 at 2016 11:24 AM

LTC Stephen B. — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 11:24:34 -0400

Without details I have a hard time believing that a lack of funding was the reason for training being pushed back. Possible, not not probable.

I had a similar issue when I first joined the National Guard after getting out of the Marine Corps. I needed a 5 week MOS school to be considered qualified by the Army/Army National Guard. I was the Records Manager for the county, and arranged the time off with the County Recorder and Board of Supervisors, only to come up on the Friday before departure with no orders, travel arrangements, etc. I was told it was because it was late in the FY and dollars were scarce. BN would schedule me for the first class in the new FY, starting in early October. I took that information back to the county, rearranged my workload (I was the first ever Records manger and in the process of developing a county-wide records management program, records retention schedule and records center for microfilming and storage - not exactly easy to move projects around the calendar). Came up the week before and was told they weren't able to trap a seat, they would try to get me in the Jan class. I fired off a letter through my Company CO to the BN Commander (I was a 1LT Det CDR) stating that this was unacceptable, embarrassing for myself and for the National Guard. I questioned how the enlisted were being treated by the BN staff if this is how the officer corps was taken care of. Finally, I stated that if I did not have orders and a plane ticket 30 days ahead of the next course date I would be sending my resignation.

Turns out the BN CDR forwarded my letter to the Brigade Commander with his endorsement of my conclusion that if this is how the Guard operated, then I did not want to be part of the organization. End of the story, I got the orders and tickets a month out as requested, and made every effort to ensure my people were treated the same or better. I don't know where the point of failure was in my instance, but it certainly wasn't a funding issue. A few individuals either had different jobs or were no longer around a month or two later, however.