Posted on Nov 30, 2018
What can I do if my BC refuses to sign my DA31 for terminal leave?
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I submitted my DA31 for terminal leave (which begins 18DEC2018) back in early october. It has been approved by my company commander, and now simply wait's for the BC to sign off on it. I am supposed to begin clearing on Dec 4, which is 5 days from today. However I cannot receive my clearing packet until the DA31 gets signed. I was given until 1500 today to submit it to the clearing offices at Fort Hood, or else my clearing will not be able to begin, and I will be held past my terminal leave start date. My unit is trying to help me as much as they reasonably can (anything short of kicking in the BC's door and forcing him to sign) but we just can't seem to get the signature. I am worried that, at the rate this is going, I will be unable to make it home in time for the holidays. What can I do?
Posted in these groups: Terminal Leave
Battalion Commander
Battalion Commander
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 7
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So your BC refuses to sign it? Or just hasn't gotten around to it yet?
Words mean things and have implications.
If he REFUSES to sign it, you're out of luck. You resubmit your leave form as something he will sign.
If he HASN'T signed it, your leadership walks in with it in hand, or ambushes him in the hallway, and asks for his signatures. Most BCs are not assholes, they are just crunched for time.
Words mean things and have implications.
If he REFUSES to sign it, you're out of luck. You resubmit your leave form as something he will sign.
If he HASN'T signed it, your leadership walks in with it in hand, or ambushes him in the hallway, and asks for his signatures. Most BCs are not assholes, they are just crunched for time.
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SPC (Join to see)
The way it has been explained to me was my company ops platoon sat on their asses for a while without sending it higher, and he hasnt gotten around to it.
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SFC (Join to see)
SPC (Join to see) like I said, your leadership needs to walk it in. Or you do. What have you got to lose??? You're about to ETS
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SGM Erik Marquez
SPC (Join to see) - My guess would be the LV form lacks something as an attachment he wants to see (requires)
It could be anything from a copy of your form showing you completed all mandatory transition classes and counseling, an LES and Translation leave work sheet showing the days requested and authorized have been calculated correctly...or many other possibilities.
Unless your 1SG is on the CSM's shit list, its an open door for the 1SG... He can walk the DA31 into the CSM's office explain the issue and every CSM I have ever known would walk it in to the BC and have him sign it. Again, assuming we have the whole story... your not being investigated, named as a witness, awaiting UCMJ after lab results from Tripler are returned, or like mentioned the leave form "packet" is deficient.
Leaders who have been burned in the past, tend to take a hard line on those things... if he has a internal policy of requiring something before he signs a transition leave form.. your not likely to get him to fall back from it.
It could be anything from a copy of your form showing you completed all mandatory transition classes and counseling, an LES and Translation leave work sheet showing the days requested and authorized have been calculated correctly...or many other possibilities.
Unless your 1SG is on the CSM's shit list, its an open door for the 1SG... He can walk the DA31 into the CSM's office explain the issue and every CSM I have ever known would walk it in to the BC and have him sign it. Again, assuming we have the whole story... your not being investigated, named as a witness, awaiting UCMJ after lab results from Tripler are returned, or like mentioned the leave form "packet" is deficient.
Leaders who have been burned in the past, tend to take a hard line on those things... if he has a internal policy of requiring something before he signs a transition leave form.. your not likely to get him to fall back from it.
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When you say, "my unit is trying to help me as much as they reasonably can," who are you referring to? Team Leader, Platoon Sergeant, 1SG, Commander? I ask because I'm interested to know the level that is knowledgeable of your short timeline, and hasn't at least got you an updated status. Sometimes people will claim to be doing everything they can to help you, but in reality they haven't done a thing and are afraid to run your issue up the chain. So they'd rather lie to you than to help you.
I'm not saying that is the case, but it's something myself and many others have personally experienced in the Army. If your commander and 1SG are aware of the issue, and they also don't know why it's taking so long (meaning they probably haven't asked the BC directly), it might be in your best interest to request an Open Door with the CSM or BC to explain your situation and timeline. Since you are ETSing, you don't have to worry about burning bridges by taking it higher, but you do have to ensure you are respectful in word choice and tone.
It could turn out the BC hasn't even seen it, because it got kicked back for corrections two weeks after it was submitted, but it never made it back to you because its been sitting in someone's inbox.
I'm not saying that is the case, but it's something myself and many others have personally experienced in the Army. If your commander and 1SG are aware of the issue, and they also don't know why it's taking so long (meaning they probably haven't asked the BC directly), it might be in your best interest to request an Open Door with the CSM or BC to explain your situation and timeline. Since you are ETSing, you don't have to worry about burning bridges by taking it higher, but you do have to ensure you are respectful in word choice and tone.
It could turn out the BC hasn't even seen it, because it got kicked back for corrections two weeks after it was submitted, but it never made it back to you because its been sitting in someone's inbox.
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SPC (Join to see)
I have been getting the same suspisions, for the past month my plt sgt has been telling me that it is "in the works" but when shit hit the fan yesterday and i was given a 2 hour timeline to get the DA31 signed, was the first time I saw anybody even attempt to help me. It seemed as if when 1sg was told i had to have my form TODAY, it was his first time hearing of it.
It seems now that the proper channels are aware, and hopefully my issue is resolved soon.
It seems now that the proper channels are aware, and hopefully my issue is resolved soon.
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SFC (Join to see)
SPC (Join to see) - I highly recommend you continue to press the issue, respectfully asking for a status update each day; the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Nobody else will care more about your life than you. The onus will always come back on the individual Soldier for why they didn't bring it up. Even if you went through all of the appropriate channels and were lied to about its progress, it will came back around to "why didn't the Soldier then take it further up the chain of command?"
Set a timeline of follow-up actions. If you don't hear anything by X date, you will go to the Company Commander; if nothing by XX date, you will go to the BC, etc. This will prevent you from being failed twice or more, even though it seems things are being handled now (where have you heard that before?). I'm saying this from past experience, having been lied to for 6-months by everyone in my chain, including the BN CSM. I eventually sought the IG to get resolution, and the issue was resolved within 2-3 days; even the IG told me i should have come to see them much sooner.
Set a timeline of follow-up actions. If you don't hear anything by X date, you will go to the Company Commander; if nothing by XX date, you will go to the BC, etc. This will prevent you from being failed twice or more, even though it seems things are being handled now (where have you heard that before?). I'm saying this from past experience, having been lied to for 6-months by everyone in my chain, including the BN CSM. I eventually sought the IG to get resolution, and the issue was resolved within 2-3 days; even the IG told me i should have come to see them much sooner.
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Terminal leave? As in you're separating from the Army? Just leave. What are they gonna do, kick you out?
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Purely as a thought, and I've suggested this about other similar sorts of stuff, in all seriousness, I'd try the chaplain route, only because most chaplains are accustomed to all sorts of social-work type stuff, which I merely mention as an analogy of course...also, chaplains are generally able, at least from my understanding, of being able to bypass a good deal of bureaucracy in a good cause, so, if, as you say, you're apparently due for terminal leave, trust me, try to see if they might at least be able to give it a go...if nothing else, you've got nothing to lose by trying, that's all I'm trying to say, if you have any thoughts, or get anywhere, I'd be most eager to hear more, hope that was all of at least some use, in any event....
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You don't comment on how long the terminal leave is, but it I not likely you have over 60 days accrued. If you do you may have to submit a regular leave to your Company Commander so you don't lose leave as you can only cash in 60 days.
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SPC (Join to see)
Total 76 days, however some of them sre from deployment, so they weren't put into use or lose. Either way, the situation has been handled. Thank you for your insight sir
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Spc Michael,
Maybe your BC is sending you a subliminal message that he thinks that you are a positive feature that is good for the Army. He may not want you to make what he thinks is a serious mistake on your part! Do yourself a favor and use the BC's open door policy and get your answer first hand!
Maybe your BC is sending you a subliminal message that he thinks that you are a positive feature that is good for the Army. He may not want you to make what he thinks is a serious mistake on your part! Do yourself a favor and use the BC's open door policy and get your answer first hand!
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How many days are you taking? If it is over 30 days, it might mean your BDE CMDR has to sign off on it, check your policy letters regarding terminal leave. Is it possible that your leave form is mixed in with the upcoming block leave forms? If you have your TA-50 already squared away, clean, and inventoried you should be able to clear post and unit quickly, easily, and pain free. The only other thing I can think of is utilizing the open door policies.
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SSG Robert Perrotto
SPC (Join to see) - okie doke - some units have different policies regarding this - is your CIF gear squared away? That would be your biggest hurdle when clearing and if it's not - I would work on that this weekend post haste. The next step would be to utilize the commands open door policy. You may not get it signed, but at the least you would know why. Clearing, for the most part, is pretty fast, and if you have your gear squared, you could do it in about a week, probably less.
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