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Here's the scenario: Your USAR unit drills at Fort Meade, MD. The only thing on the training schedule for the day is a training event at Fort Washington, MD. You have several soldiers that live in Virginia. Which course of action do you take?
1. Make a list of those who live in Virginia, and hold the senior soldier accountable for responsibility. Direct them to report to Fort Washington MD at the training location, and release them from there at the end of the day.
2. Insist that all soldiers report at Fort Meade, and provide transportation to and from Fort Washington.
When you respond, be DETAILED as to why you chose the option you chose.
1. Make a list of those who live in Virginia, and hold the senior soldier accountable for responsibility. Direct them to report to Fort Washington MD at the training location, and release them from there at the end of the day.
2. Insist that all soldiers report at Fort Meade, and provide transportation to and from Fort Washington.
When you respond, be DETAILED as to why you chose the option you chose.
Posted in these groups: 
Army Reserve
Army Reserve
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 12
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Whether it be 1 or 50 that live in Virginia is irrelevant, or if you have 1 or more training events is still irrelevant. I would have them all report to Fort Meade, MD..
There is a reason why the training site is at Fort Washington, MD. Not noted.
Having everyone report to Fort Meade, MD. would allow for some good convoy training, allow the vehicles being used and exercised.
The training schedule is actually an order by the unit commander, I am sure the unit commander thought about this or was discussed by the senior leadership prior to signing it.
Both Safety and Accountability would be covered down on.
The only thing that allowing individuals drive their own POV would save the Soldier money on travel cost.
My question is, where would they be going if Fort Washington, MD wasn't part of the equation?
I am sure it would have been Fort Meade, MD
There is a reason why the training site is at Fort Washington, MD. Not noted.
Having everyone report to Fort Meade, MD. would allow for some good convoy training, allow the vehicles being used and exercised.
The training schedule is actually an order by the unit commander, I am sure the unit commander thought about this or was discussed by the senior leadership prior to signing it.
Both Safety and Accountability would be covered down on.
The only thing that allowing individuals drive their own POV would save the Soldier money on travel cost.
My question is, where would they be going if Fort Washington, MD wasn't part of the equation?
I am sure it would have been Fort Meade, MD
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SFC Kenneth Hunnell
CW2 J.D. Walker, MSWE, your question like your profile leaves little to give a proper response.
Since, you gave very little information, I stand by my response.
By any chance did you talk to your CO about your situation.
I am guessing, but I assume that the outcome you were looking for did not happen.
If it did you would not have posted this question
Since, you gave very little information, I stand by my response.
By any chance did you talk to your CO about your situation.
I am guessing, but I assume that the outcome you were looking for did not happen.
If it did you would not have posted this question
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SSG Edward Evans
Actually I'm glad to see an Officer use common sense. Many a good Soldier has left because of the SFC attitude. I have seen it too many times. It sound good makes a good one minute statement and has little to do with the situation. In training SAFETY first, Officer or NCO, period.
Guard and Reserve have extra burdens, called jobs. E4 and below do not get paid enough to put their jobs in jeopardy for some one to play HOOAH. In units 200 or more there is no way the Commander can take everything into consideration. If some one is working nightshift or graveyard, they should be given lee way. There is nor one way to handle the situation. In Texas they would get a room for soldiers travelling long distance. Killing a solder for HOOAH purpose is a disgrace to the whole Command. In fact many Guard Reserve have a better chance of injury or death just traveling to duty station than any where else.
Guard and Reserve have extra burdens, called jobs. E4 and below do not get paid enough to put their jobs in jeopardy for some one to play HOOAH. In units 200 or more there is no way the Commander can take everything into consideration. If some one is working nightshift or graveyard, they should be given lee way. There is nor one way to handle the situation. In Texas they would get a room for soldiers travelling long distance. Killing a solder for HOOAH purpose is a disgrace to the whole Command. In fact many Guard Reserve have a better chance of injury or death just traveling to duty station than any where else.
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SFC Kenneth Hunnell
SSG Edward Evans, Common sense is one thing, But, when you use this or any venue to complain about something that you agreed to do is another.
A persons word is their bond. If you give that away you have nothing.
How do you know that the Officer did or did not ask his Commander for permission.
If he did ask and was refused, then carry on. He tried, good for him
A persons word is their bond. If you give that away you have nothing.
How do you know that the Officer did or did not ask his Commander for permission.
If he did ask and was refused, then carry on. He tried, good for him
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If the place of duty is Fort Meade and the Soldiers are expected to show up there for accountability, formation, etc., then there's only one answer. The Army is not here for the convenience of the Soldiers. The senior leader might ask the commander for permission for the Soldiers to report directly to Fort Washington. If that permission is given, those who live in Virginia are good to go. If the commander does not give that permission, those Virginia Soldiers gotta suck it up and report for duty at Fort Meade.
Frankly, the non-active force is bit of a puzzle to me, clearly because I was only active duty during my 30-year career. There was nothing like this while I was on active duty, at least not that I can recall. If there was a formation, for example, it didn't matter where I lived or, frankly, what my excuse may have been ... I was expected to be there or face the consequences of being absent.
I do admit that I'm pretty much clueless about standards in the Guard and the Reserve. I would think that standards are generally standards, no matter a person's status, but I could be wrong about that.
Frankly, the non-active force is bit of a puzzle to me, clearly because I was only active duty during my 30-year career. There was nothing like this while I was on active duty, at least not that I can recall. If there was a formation, for example, it didn't matter where I lived or, frankly, what my excuse may have been ... I was expected to be there or face the consequences of being absent.
I do admit that I'm pretty much clueless about standards in the Guard and the Reserve. I would think that standards are generally standards, no matter a person's status, but I could be wrong about that.
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SFC Kenneth Hunnell
CW5 Scott Montgomery, The Army Reserve standards are the same as they are for the Active Component. I served in both the Active Component as well as the Army Reserve. I thought it was one team one fight. How can anyone be on the same page if you worked off of different standards.
I can't believe an Officer would pose such a question.
Be in the right place, right time, and right uniform
any questions
I can't believe an Officer would pose such a question.
Be in the right place, right time, and right uniform
any questions
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1. I make transportation available from Fort Meade at X hour minus 60 minutes (or whatever the appropriate travel time is).
2. I direct that first formation will be held ay Y location at Fort Washington at X hour.
3. Final formation is at Z hour, with transportation available to Fort Meade at that time.
I do this to waste as little of people's time as is possible. I am assuming, based on the question, that there is no need to draw significant equipment prior to movement.
Counterpoint: there is something to be said for moving as a unit.
I don't consider safety to be a large factor in this scenario. Why, Soldiers are expected to get themselves to and from drill. Changing the formation location doesn't change that. (the busses are to save those who live closer to Meade from having an increased commute).
2. I direct that first formation will be held ay Y location at Fort Washington at X hour.
3. Final formation is at Z hour, with transportation available to Fort Meade at that time.
I do this to waste as little of people's time as is possible. I am assuming, based on the question, that there is no need to draw significant equipment prior to movement.
Counterpoint: there is something to be said for moving as a unit.
I don't consider safety to be a large factor in this scenario. Why, Soldiers are expected to get themselves to and from drill. Changing the formation location doesn't change that. (the busses are to save those who live closer to Meade from having an increased commute).
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CW3 (Join to see)
Your last paragraph is key, COL Vincent Stoneking. It's painfully obvious to me that the commander in this scenario just did not care about the increased commute for the Virginia-based soldiers.
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COL Vincent Stoneking
CW3 (Join to see) - To be fair, I am not the commander in question. He or she could have all kinds of good reasons for going the other way. There could be all kinds of reasons on the ground that might lead me to come to the opposite conclusion. These could include: Higher has a policy that formation WILL BE at the drill hall; I tried it in the past and found that people didn't make formation or tried to slip out early; unit cohesion & team building; Fewer moving parts; expectation that the non-Virginia based Soldiers would feel they were getting screwed; etc.
The above would definitely be my first and instinctual approach. There are also times that I have been the "callus and unfeeling ass", sometimes for reasons I shared, sometimes for reasons I didn't.
While I don't think I would have made the same decision as the Commander in question, I wouldn't ascribe the decision to callousness without a whole lot of knowledge about the factors he/she was juggling.
Oh, and given my few experiences with traffic in that area, I would move to Montana.
The above would definitely be my first and instinctual approach. There are also times that I have been the "callus and unfeeling ass", sometimes for reasons I shared, sometimes for reasons I didn't.
While I don't think I would have made the same decision as the Commander in question, I wouldn't ascribe the decision to callousness without a whole lot of knowledge about the factors he/she was juggling.
Oh, and given my few experiences with traffic in that area, I would move to Montana.
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MAJ (Join to see)
When I lived in Vegas and drilled in LA, any time we did an FTX at Fort Irwin I would be the one to sign out/in the range, and in return I was allowed to commute directly.
As one note, does the training site at Ft.W have adequate parking for that many POVs? If not, you may have to consolidate out of necessity.
As one note, does the training site at Ft.W have adequate parking for that many POVs? If not, you may have to consolidate out of necessity.
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LTC (Join to see)
" It's painfully obvious to me that the commander in this scenario just did not care about the increased commute for the Virginia-based soldiers." Wow. Really? I have sat through a lot of planning sessions with the realization you cannot make everyone happy or their lives easier. You shift training from one location to another and some people come out ahead, others do not. However, to say "your commander does not care" is rather unprofessional. I expect that of E4 and below -- at their level, they'll say "no one cares", etc etc and they never notice senior NCOs or officers staying late, coming in early, etc. I had my time at that level. The view started to change when I made E5.
So did the CSM pitch a fit and the commander told him to shut up? Did the S3 have a better idea and the commander chose this to jam up a few soldiers? If you want to make a case for saying "a commander does not care", then you need to give ALL the data, not just cherry pick what supports your case. What are all the numbers, how many drive, how many get LIK, etc etc.
I used to drill in D.C. (commuting from Louisiana, the commander commuted from Tennessee, the CSM commuted from Colorado, etc.) and am familiar with Belvoir, Meade, etc. I empathize. Accusations, though, require more than simply empathy with the limited data presented.
So did the CSM pitch a fit and the commander told him to shut up? Did the S3 have a better idea and the commander chose this to jam up a few soldiers? If you want to make a case for saying "a commander does not care", then you need to give ALL the data, not just cherry pick what supports your case. What are all the numbers, how many drive, how many get LIK, etc etc.
I used to drill in D.C. (commuting from Louisiana, the commander commuted from Tennessee, the CSM commuted from Colorado, etc.) and am familiar with Belvoir, Meade, etc. I empathize. Accusations, though, require more than simply empathy with the limited data presented.
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