Is it possible to submit an LOR on my behalf with my DD368? Will that be of any help speeding up the process?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 04:54:50 -0500

I am currently enlisted in the U.S Army Reserves, I have 3 years of Active Duty Prior to my Reserve time. Really the only thing i know about the process is submitting the DD368, and that it has to go up the my CG. Other than that I am lost, my S1 has been little to no help. Is it possible to submit a LOR on my behalf? Will that be of any help speeding up the process? Also i am currently deployed, i have about 7ish months till im home. When would be a good time to submit all of it? Honestly anything will help me in this process. Thank you for your time,

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 11 at 2020 9:48 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 09:48:35 -0500

are you wanting to go back to AD or transfer to a different unit within the reserves? two different issues. It's much more difficult to get back on AD from the guard/reserves than it is to transfer between units.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 11 at 2020 9:33 PM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 21:33:22 -0500

Every situation is different, obviously. It also depends on your chain of command. Do they want the best for your career, or are they strictly looking at unit numbers?

I went into the USAR directly from Active Duty. A little over a year later, my unit was deactivated. Everyone was given a choice between retiring (if they had the years), transferring to another unit, or getting out. I transferred to another unit, but before that, I was thinking about transferring back to the Active Component. I got my DD-368 signed by a AC Recruiter, and could have had it approved very quickly had I allowed the form to go up the chain. The only thing that stopped me was, at the time, had I gone back to the AC, I would have had to pay back my bonus. When I actually transferred units, the orders came very quickly (a couple of weeks if memory serves).

I have heard several accounts of Reserve and Guard units not allowing their Soldiers to leave, as Reserve & Guard are all about the numbers. IF they allowed anyone who wanted to transfer to leave, their numbers would be tiny. That's why you typically see PT failures, overweight personnel, and "ghost" (those who never come to drill) personnel kept in the unit or on the books. Unit strength is directly connected to unit funding.

So the only thing you can do is to submit your request and see what happens. It will either get approved or not approved. I know that's kind of an obvious answer, but without any details about your unit, it's tough to really give you a good answer. Good Luck!