Posted on Oct 14, 2019
What advice do you have for someone who keeps getting excessive CQ shifts? Should I just suck it up, go to the IG, or something else?
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Ever since I came to Germany, I've had to pull a lot of cq shifts more than I did back in the states. Every week and/or weekend I have duty. If you're not a medic or in a position where you are exempt, my platoon, non medics, and I pull 4 or 5x a month. Most of these exemptions that others get can still pull CQ but no one questions it since they do "mission" but they stay in the barracks all the time. It's been excessive, that I only get 1 day off out of the week. I haven't complained yet because I was just sucking it all up but this is just getting unfair and last month was the last string, I had to pull 3 Saturdays and 1 Sunday. Yes we don't have a lot of NCOs, and most are exempt so that lead us non medics to pull more shifts. There is no problem with junior enlisted tho. One thing I recommended was to have 2 DA-6 for duty and non duty days or only have 1 person at the desk since other companies only run by 1 person but they don't want to listen. So am I doomed or just suck it up like I've been doing? I just wouldn't know what to do if I'm on the list to pull both upcoming holidays!
Duty
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 16
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I would love to have CQ shifts on the regular like that. You know how much school work you can get done in 24 uninterrupted hours? At least an entire week's worth of homework. When I was married and going to school I had to barter with my wife to get a few hours away from the house with no responsibilities so that I could do homework. You're in a position where you can take school, plus get money from FAFSA for more school, plus because it's OCONUS you can take additional school for the local language without hurting your TA, and you're getting time to do it all. If you aren't going home during the holidays you can make some extra money pulling holiday shifts for others, all while accomplishing school. You guys are lucky these days. When I joined the Army the first time, before 9/11, TA only covered 75% of your tuition and you had to pay for the other 25% out of pocket. For an unmarried E4 making $600 a month, that was almost impossible - after accounting for beer money.
So, like the saying goes, when the sun is out make hay. It may be a decade before you're in another job position or life circumstances where you can max out your college. It costs you nothing but time, and it's time you already are trying to fill with something
Also, take a few handy correspondence courses and your DLC while you're at it. As an E5 you should be focusing on meeting the requirements for making E7. A degree (preferably bachelor), correspondence courses geared toward support operations (or anything 91X), and raising your PT score will make you more competitive than your peers. When I did SD I would keep a kettle bell and knock out a few presses while watching movies. Use the time that you have in a constructive manner. It's actually a gold mine for you
So, like the saying goes, when the sun is out make hay. It may be a decade before you're in another job position or life circumstances where you can max out your college. It costs you nothing but time, and it's time you already are trying to fill with something
Also, take a few handy correspondence courses and your DLC while you're at it. As an E5 you should be focusing on meeting the requirements for making E7. A degree (preferably bachelor), correspondence courses geared toward support operations (or anything 91X), and raising your PT score will make you more competitive than your peers. When I did SD I would keep a kettle bell and knock out a few presses while watching movies. Use the time that you have in a constructive manner. It's actually a gold mine for you
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SGT (Join to see)
Great points. I already maxed my civilian education and correspondence. The only thing I need is more awards, but we don't get recognized as much as the medics. I don't mind doing cq shift on the weekdays. But for the past few months, I've been getting weekend shift.q I guess I'm just going to embrace the suck like I've always done. I don't really have time to deal with IG.
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SFC (Join to see)
SGT (Join to see) you maxed your civilian education for points, but that's thinking like an E5 who wants to be an E6. That's small time. Senior promotions don't rely on points and points don't matter in those promotion boards. They're a non factor. What does matter is how do you stand up compared to your fellow E6. Sure, you "maxed points", but when there are no points in the competition, your associates degree doesn't compare to their bachelor degree, or masters. When the board is looking at your military education and that of your competitors and yours is blank but they have consistently developed every year, they will grade your competitors higher. E6 is a guarantee, eventually you will make it. Prepare for the senior NCO ranks by working on you bachelor, masters, and technical certifications now. As for awards, just got to a few boards here and there. Sure, the points for E6 91D are tough but you need to expect to make it eventually and be prepared to be competitive for E7 91X two years after that.
It's chess, not checkers.
It's chess, not checkers.
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SSG (Join to see)
SFC Boyd is right. those 24 hours can allow you to accomplish alot of paperwork, school work, monthly counselings, etc.
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When you get home ... visit a VA Hospital ... you can tell the Disabled Vets how hard you had it... Ya gotta speak loud to the deaf ones... You can also tell the Wheelchair guys about how you hated sitting all the time at a desk.
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CW2 (Join to see)
So his family just needs to suck it up and be thankful hes not in a wheelchair. Leadership 101.
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Ask your squad leader or platoon sergeant for an appointment with the first sergeant. Ask your 1SG about the frequency of your CQ Duties. I pulled a lot of Staff Duty when I was in Germany because the SSG pulled battalion SD and PSG got brigade SD which there were not as many E-7s in the brigade. I sucked it up which over time and additional staff sergeants, things got easier.
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