SGT Private RallyPoint Member 2899297 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Summary of the situation: Since February 2nd 2016, exactly 5 days upon my return from AIT, I have been seeking a release from the reserve. I understand that this is conditional, but it is also my right to have the First General officer review my request and determine whether or not it is appropriate to let me go. <br /><br />That being said, I have so far sent up 5 releases, all of which have gotten stuck and died at BN S1, whether because they were &quot;lost&quot;, or because they assigned an irresponsible PFC to handle my packet who got discharged for using her GTC for personal purchases, or other miscellaneous reasons. With each of these packets, I contacted my NCOs appropriately requesting the status, and the common reply was &quot;Quit bothering us&quot; mixed in curse words and occasional hazing. <br /><br />Each packet lasted, on average, 4 months and did not even leave S1. The reasons I wanted to leave were because the lack of training, the units disappointing PT success rate (50%), the huge overstaffing of soldiers (Allowed strength was around 100, we had 240 soldiers), and because there were no E5 slots for my MOS. After nearly a year of financial hardship, I managed to secure an ADOS opportunity by pretty much snitching to a CSM that my unit did not even touch my request for 3 months (which they also gave me that nonsense about quit bothering them). Here on ADOS, I submitted my 5th and final packet. <br /><br />My PSG told me to NOT contact BN S1, because I am only allowed to talk through him. He also told them not to assist me. Great, because he is the one allows giving me the trouble. I sent him the information for my CO and Retention NCO to call me in order to receive my counseling for the packet. That was last month. I have messaged him twice since then, and my line leaders, CO, and 1SG have been unresponsive. <br /><br />My goal is to enlist Active Duty as 18X, 25B w/option 11 airborne then drop a SFAS packet down the line, or two enlist 25B w/option 40 Ranger. I see no reason not to let me go considering I hit my TIG/TIS for E5 but literally CANNOT advance in my reserve unit. I cannot bear the thought of being in the reserve another 3 years. I appreciate any advice. Thank you. 2017-09-07T07:19:37-04:00 SGT Private RallyPoint Member 2899297

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Summary of the situation: Since February 2nd 2016, exactly 5 days upon my return from AIT, I have been seeking a release from the reserve. I understand that this is conditional, but it is also my right to have the First General officer review my request and determine whether or not it is appropriate to let me go. <br /><br />That being said, I have so far sent up 5 releases, all of which have gotten stuck and died at BN S1, whether because they were &quot;lost&quot;, or because they assigned an irresponsible PFC to handle my packet who got discharged for using her GTC for personal purchases, or other miscellaneous reasons. With each of these packets, I contacted my NCOs appropriately requesting the status, and the common reply was &quot;Quit bothering us&quot; mixed in curse words and occasional hazing. <br /><br />Each packet lasted, on average, 4 months and did not even leave S1. The reasons I wanted to leave were because the lack of training, the units disappointing PT success rate (50%), the huge overstaffing of soldiers (Allowed strength was around 100, we had 240 soldiers), and because there were no E5 slots for my MOS. After nearly a year of financial hardship, I managed to secure an ADOS opportunity by pretty much snitching to a CSM that my unit did not even touch my request for 3 months (which they also gave me that nonsense about quit bothering them). Here on ADOS, I submitted my 5th and final packet. <br /><br />My PSG told me to NOT contact BN S1, because I am only allowed to talk through him. He also told them not to assist me. Great, because he is the one allows giving me the trouble. I sent him the information for my CO and Retention NCO to call me in order to receive my counseling for the packet. That was last month. I have messaged him twice since then, and my line leaders, CO, and 1SG have been unresponsive. <br /><br />My goal is to enlist Active Duty as 18X, 25B w/option 11 airborne then drop a SFAS packet down the line, or two enlist 25B w/option 40 Ranger. I see no reason not to let me go considering I hit my TIG/TIS for E5 but literally CANNOT advance in my reserve unit. I cannot bear the thought of being in the reserve another 3 years. I appreciate any advice. Thank you.

2017-09-07T07:19:37-04:00 2017-09-07T07:19:37-04:00 LTC Private RallyPoint Member 2899321

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Why not first ask for an Open Door with the Brigade Commander and CSM?

2017-09-07T07:42:18-04:00 2017-09-07T07:42:18-04:00 SGM Private RallyPoint Member 2899348

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Congressional? No.<br />IG? Yes, because your chain of command is not following reg and, according to you, actively circumventing it. You also make it sound like you have put yourself in a compromising position in taking an ADOS job as compensation for playing along with their effort to slow roll your request. You may want to avoid phrasing that way when you talk to the IG.<br />Contact the IG because your chain of command is not adhering to AR 140-10 in the process of your conditional release request. Read AR 140-10 before contacting your IG, then provide them with just the facts of your case, no personal issues, no whining, no assumptions, just the facts. Allow the IG to investigate whether your requests were handled properly, and you will probably see your request make it to your RRC for final approval or disapproval.

2017-09-07T07:50:48-04:00 2017-09-07T07:50:48-04:00 CPT Lawrence Cable 2899364

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>OK, some advice on how I would proceed. The Army requires that unit Commanders have an open door policy. That does not mean that you can bypass your chain of command, but it does mean that you have the right to talk to Commander if you feel that the chain of command is not being responsive or is giving you a raw deal. So requesting to talk to the Company Commander would be my first stop. If the Company Commander can&#39;t or won&#39;t help with your problem, I would request to talk to the Battalion Commander, who also is required to have an Open Door Policy. Generally the Battalion Commander can motive the staff to take action, but I would request permission to hand carry the Conditional Release to the appropriate authority. That takes the guess work out of where it lands. <br />This may not make you popular with the chain of command, although it never bothered me to have to listen to one of the troops gripes. Sometimes I could do something, sometimes it was just bitching. Remember that the first General in your chain can say no, although in my experience that isn&#39;t very common. Only after I had tried all of the above would I consider going to the IG since that is going to be the first thing that they will ask anyway. I really haven&#39;t seen Congressional enquiries be very effective and they take forever, but YMMV.

2017-09-07T07:57:36-04:00 2017-09-07T07:57:36-04:00 MSG Private RallyPoint Member 2899372

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>You certainly have some ammo for an IG complaint. But, I would recommend that you utilize the Open Door Policy of your Chain of Command first. Use this policy to go all the way up to your BN and possibly BDE. If all else fails, get your facts straight and read up on the regs and THEN submit for an IG complaint.

2017-09-07T08:01:17-04:00 2017-09-07T08:01:17-04:00 SGT David T. 2899382

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Is it reasonable? Probably. Is it advisable? Probably not. You have the right to communicate with either group as you see fit. However, that does not mean you would be shielded from any negative consequences. I would go talk to the commander using their open door policy first. If that does not work, then go higher up the food chain. All commanders at every level have open door policies. Just make sure you go about it the right way and let your chain of command know. If that doesn&#39;t work a well placed email to a Congressman or Senator will most likely yield a response. I cannot say if the response would be what you are looking for, but something will happen. Isn&#39;t this exciting? lol

2017-09-07T08:10:40-04:00 2017-09-07T08:10:40-04:00 SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member 2899410

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Listen to those who have directed you towards utilizing the Commander&#39;s Open Door Policy. <br /><br />With that said, a few things stand out to me. You noted that unit training is lacking and your unit is overmanned. That may all be true, but that is NOT something that you, as an E-4 SPC are authorized to worry about or comment upon. Recall that Bowe Bergdahl wanted to &quot;teach his unit a lesson&quot; too, and see how that has worked out for him so far...<br /><br />If you contact the IG for assistance, DO NOT include that information in your assistance request, as it is NOT relevant to your main complaint, which is your chain of command not following established regulations, protocols, and SOPs. On the positive side, if you do contact the OIG, use the IG Assistance Request form, and phrase your request using the 5Ws (Who, What, Where, When, Why) and be able to cite chapter and verse of regulations that specific people violated. Without that information, your complaint is just that-- a complaint that will get circular-filed.<br /><br />Also, as a few people have warned, regardless of the success of your actions, you will be stepping on toes and kicking people in the shins. Your working conditions will be less than cordial and friendly. Everyone may toe the line per regulations, but do not expect to be afforded anything extra or have anything done with a smile. That&#39;s just the reality. Be prepared for it.<br /><br />Good Luck.

2017-09-07T08:27:54-04:00 2017-09-07T08:27:54-04:00 1stSgt Mack Housman 2899435

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I&#39;ve read through this several times. As has been recommended by many on RP, use the CC&#39;s open door policy. If you have an ol&#39; school First Sergeant, he or she will do everything in their power to help you out of the military. From everything you&#39;ve said, it sounds like you&#39;re whinny self-serving person (if I can&#39;t have everything my way, I don&#39;t wanna play). It&#39;s a crying shame that the government spent money to train someone who puts self before Country. No place for that in the military!

2017-09-07T08:44:32-04:00 2017-09-07T08:44:32-04:00 CPT Andrew Wright 2899523

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>In almost every unit I was ever in the Commander claimed he had an &quot;open door&quot; policy so work that angle as peaceably as you can. I commend your desire to serve as SF or in the Rangers on Active Duty. Having served as a Unit Administrator for many years in the USAR there are two nuclear options you might consider if the unit still won&#39;t release you. 1) Move outside the normal commuting distance and request transfer. 2) UA for few months and they will transfer you to the IRR and you can pursue enlistment from there. Best of luck!

2017-09-07T09:28:28-04:00 2017-09-07T09:28:28-04:00 MSG Private RallyPoint Member 2899528

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>BN and BDE cannot legally hold up your conditional release packet. I just had a Soldier released for Active Duty. The BN and BDE didn&#39;t agree with the justification, but the first General Officer in the chain-of-command did, and the Soldier was released.<br /><br />I have mentioned in different discussions that IG is not something to fear if you are following Army Regulations. If you feel that your unit is not following the policies and procedures prescribed in the ARs, by all means use IG or write your Congressman. I highly recommend trying IG first.<br /><br />You could also try a different Reserve unit. I&#39;m sorry you had a bad experience with your unit, but I promise that your unit is not a reflection of the entire Army Reserves. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you luck. If you need any help or advice, you can message me here or look me up on Outlook.

2017-09-07T09:30:23-04:00 2017-09-07T09:30:23-04:00 SPC Erich Guenther 2899763

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Your PSG is correct, you are entirely in the wrong here. Your not using the Chain of Command by directly running off to the S1 unless you have his permission to do so. Having said that you should never, never, never get Congress involved with a military matter unless your a Civilian or it is an absolute emergency and nobody else is listening. It is just going to piss people off. So for your S1 problem you would be OK if you were already acting under permission of your PSG, then at least you could escalate to the CSM or BN CDR. Secondly, and your not going to want to hear this but it is the absolute discretion of either the Reserve Unit or National Guard unit to tie in a minimum service time period before they will consider a release to Active Duty. You need to find out if that exists because it is usually 2 years of service since you graduated from AIT. Nothing you can do about that either via Congress or IG because both have to submit to whatever the min service time is. Here is how I did my release from NG with some advice from the Active Duty Recruiter. First, scheduled a one on one with the unit 1SG. Met with him and said that I wished to transfer to Active Duty and could he look into what was required beyond the paperwork to do so. He asked me why and I told him I liked the MOS so much I wanted to do it full time. Then presented him the paperwork. His first reply was I had to wait as there was a two year min service requirement. So I waited an additional 4-6 months to fulfill that and started the process over again with the 1SG meeting (yeah he won&#39;t remember the first meeting because he has to manage 100 men in the unit......so you have to remind him of events and what he said). So then the 1SG submitted the form to the CO who then scheduled me for a one on one meeting and tried to talk me out of it. Then he sent the paperwork to BN. I&#39;ll note here that Paperwork submitted to BN by a CPT and unit commander has a little more priority than paperwork submitted by a PFC. You see that once you make your intent official by submitting the paperwork the BN has to request your replacement for the loseing unit for an additional man to fill your place. Anyways, the only other thing I will tell you is that once that form comes back with all the signatures, you have 45-90 days MAX to get enlisted and shipped to an Active Duty unit. So you better be sure the AD Recruiter is able to do that in the allotted time or else your going right back to your Reserve unit after the allotted time. So once that release is signed you need to listen to your Active Duty Recruiter on slots available and timeframe and it might not be the slot you want.

2017-09-07T10:41:02-04:00 2017-09-07T10:41:02-04:00 Lt Col Jim Coe 2899805

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I like the advice of those telling you to use the open-door policy of your commanders. Give them a chance to fix things before going an alternate route. My limited experience with the Army tells me that it&#39;s really the senior NCOs who get things done. If the Battalion CSM also has an Open Door, then try taling to him or her first before involving the commander. This does a couple of things for you. It allows the CSM to identify and correct as needed the knuckleheads in S1 whom he or she may not know about. It allows the CSM to report the problem with its solution to the commander and ask for his or her help if necessary.<br /><br />If the CSM and Commanders fail you, then go to the IG. Remember the IG only investigates non-compliance with regulation, fraud, waste, abuse. IG works for the commander and makes recommendations resulting from his or her investigation. The case may or may not be investigated by the IG him- or herself. Often they use an investigating officer (military or civilian) to do all the fact gathering. The IG then creates a report with recommendation for the Commander. Smart commanders pay attention to IG report and often follow the recommendation, but don&#39;t have to.<br /><br />Congressionals create giant ass pain. You are crossing lines of government from the executive in which the Reserves reside to the legislative. The complaint goes from one of the congress person&#39;s staffers to the Department of the Army. It flows downhill from there to your unit for response. It all comes with short suspenses, which everybody hates, and &quot;guidance.&quot; The Army will do their best to paper over the problem. The Congressional staffers will handle the Army&#39;s response in the way they believe best serves the interests (reelection) of the congressperson. In the end, you may get a &quot;thank you for your interest in National Security&quot; response from the Congressperson.

2017-09-07T10:54:12-04:00 2017-09-07T10:54:12-04:00 CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member 2900451

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Use your CoC until it no longer works. Don&#39;t know about Army but did understand Request Mast in USMC. Many wrongly assumed they had the right to meet with CG. You could request an audience but there is no right or guarantee. Work with your CoC at lowest level until you get it resolved. You may not like the outcome if you bypass them. Beyond that, any advice I&#39;d give would not be good, because of my lack of understanding of Army. It&#39;s always best to solve problems at the lowest level. Have you formally spoken with the first Officer in your CoC? That&#39;s a good place to start, and only by going through your NCO&#39;s.

2017-09-07T14:28:31-04:00 2017-09-07T14:28:31-04:00 SSgt Boyd Herrst 2900459

<div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>WoW, all the Suggestions look really helpful SPC, take down some notes and go over them and follow through ! Stuff goes on all over the Military like what you deal with except it may be handled differently depending on the service branch. I hope it goes well for you as you regroup and go for your goal ! <br />Carry on, Soldier !

2017-09-07T14:30:13-04:00 2017-09-07T14:30:13-04:00 2017-09-07T07:19:37-04:00