What Army regulation addresses high-risk activities while TDY?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 May 2020 12:01:34 -0400

I have been told that you cannot skydive on the weekend while TDY. As per usual, no one can remember the regulation that backs this up. After several hours of searching I cannot find anything that speaks to high risk activities while TDY. I am looking for Army regs only please. Does anyone know the regulation by any chance?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 14 at 2020 1:44 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 14 May 2020 13:44:34 -0400

It's the old, "they can add to but not take away" deal. There may not be a specific regulation that forbids it, but Commanders are given pretty wide latitude when it comes to enacting policy regarding safety. There's no regulation that states you must wear a reflective belt over your body armor after dark on a FOB in a combat zone but that doesn't stop some BDE/DIV CSM from making it a policy. lol

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made May 14 at 2020 2:00 PM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Thu, 14 May 2020 14:00:16 -0400

It is all based on risk mitigation, your base command and that if the command you are supporting. The bottom line is that is you are TDY and cannot perform your intended task because you were injured in a hi risk activity you Are subject to be found negligent during a line of duty investigation. Dove later.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made May 14 at 2020 5:04 PM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Thu, 14 May 2020 17:04:46 -0400

Interesting question. I'm not an Army guy, so I don't have a regulation for you. My bet is the answer is "it depends." I'm guessing you jump out of perfectly good airplanes for a living. I don't see why doing so in your free time is a problem. However, you may not be considered "off duty" on weekends while TDY. If you are in a standby type of status on weekends and are expected to be available for duty on short notice, then the time you would be away from your duty station to do a recreational jump might not be acceptable. Also, your presence for duty might be mission critical such that any off-duty sports injury would be detrimental to the unit mission, so the chain of command might tell you they would prefer you not do risky off duty activities.

Pilots had that type of restriction with regard to SCUBA diving. Because of the possibility of getting the bends at altitude after SCUBA diving, you can't fly for 24 hours (if I remember correctly) after a dive. Hence weekend diving was prohibited while TDY to some really sweet dive places.

Response by SFC Ralph E Kelley made May 14 at 2020 6:19 PM

SFC Ralph E Kelley — Thu, 14 May 2020 18:19:44 -0400

Never ask if you don't want a "NO". I used to free-climb all over Europe and took a 75 day leave (took a general officer's signature/started limiting accumulated leave to 90 days - I had 126 days.)
During the leave I bought a motorcycles and cross North Africa, went up the eastern Mediterranean Coast, thru Turkey then across the Bosphorus. I motored through Eastern Europe and really had no problem traveling through Warsaw Pact in Eastern Europe.
I guess that to border guards one set of official papers look like any other set. I only had Mil ID German Drivers License, Passport, DA-31 and Orders from the General.
Oddly the only place I was held up was when I entered West Berlin. MPI, CID and MI officers were playing tug-a-war over my person.
MI won because they trumped the others - they wanted to really know what I had seen over there. It goes back to the old manta of:
"Things done without orders are not done against orders".

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made May 17 at 2020 1:41 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 17 May 2020 01:41:09 -0400

No AR, other than safety. However, there is no difference between Sky Diving at duty station or TDY location. Unless is forbidden to SD at Duty Station too. Of course. If you will "add" just let it make sense. Dont add crap just to add.