What will happen if I fail out of BLC?

SGT Desmond Perry — Sun, 09 Dec 2018 17:13:02 -0500

I was in the Marine Corp Reserve and I was promoted to Sgt. I joined the the army (active). I went to BLC and received three 4856. Two of which I wasn’t aware that it was an army reg. Would they reduce me to a Spc? Or Chapter me ? What are my options?

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Dec 9 at 2018 5:26 PM

SGM Bill Frazer — Sun, 09 Dec 2018 17:26:17 -0500

ignorance is no excuse, hard to lead if you don't no what you are doing. I doubt you would be reduced or chaptered, . but you do have a rough career going forward

Response by CW4 Craig Urban made Dec 9 at 2018 7:02 PM

CW4 Craig Urban — Sun, 09 Dec 2018 19:02:45 -0500

You better not. I was number two at the 7th army NCO academy in 1968 as a SP/4. Got SP/5 the day I got back. Made SSG in 3 years and ten months. Made warrant in 7.5 years. I was both a property book officer and a direct support supply tech. Two MOS's. Maxed every PT test I ever took. Put negative thoughts out of your mind.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 9 at 2018 7:35 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 09 Dec 2018 19:35:21 -0500

By regulation, you can be barred. In fact, it falls under mandatory bars, but in the small print it says that it's the commander's discretion.
I've never seen a SGT come in and be required to attend BLC. But, if you're required to attend BLC and you don't complete it, your promotion can be revoked. Of course, you weren't promoted, which puts you in a strange position and I can't answer that. Realistically, what will happen is that it will require a 4187 signed by your General requesting another slot at BLC.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 10 at 2018 9:28 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 09:28:31 -0500

You won't be chaptered.
You will be reduced in grade to E4 for failing to complete training for E5.
You will no longer be able to compete for E5 until you have completed BLC.
AR 600-18-19 ch 10-16.
If you attended a full time resident Sergeant Course or NCO Course in the USMC, and you have a certificate from that, you may be able to receive BLC credit for that (AR 600-8-19 CH 7-24) to solve this problem and not get reduced.

It also sounds like you were attending BLC at the same duty stationed you are assigned at. If you were taking your wife to the ER and calling the school in the process, it also sounds like you were staying at home rather than living in the barracks which is required for all BLC students, even married soldiers stationed at the same post as BLC. If that is the case, that makes it tougher to believe your side of the story that you were not late for that other formation that resulted in a counseling.
How that should have happened was you going to the NCOIC immediately and asking for an emergency drop from the course because your wife had to go to the ER and you had no family care plan for your kids. Then they could have started that paperwork while you were on your way to the hospital and you could have signed that in the afternoon or the next day, rather than leaving your kids unsupervised in a hospital waiting room..

One more consideration, resident schools are similar to deployments in that your family must have a family care plan for situations like the other parent going to the hospital and someone who can watch your kids. If you do'nt have that, you're not deployable and the Army needs to put someone else in your job who is deployable.
BLC is only 3 weeks, your next deployment will be 9-12 months. You need to work out a family care plan now before your commander asks you about it.

Response by MSG Dan Castaneda made Dec 10 at 2018 1:01 PM

MSG Dan Castaneda — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 13:01:59 -0500

If you received a negative 1059 you can certainly be QMP'd. Even though your unit doesn't follow thru, does not mean that the Army wont. Look out for the next MILPER message covering QMP.