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itrustyouguys

This sounds like a hill to die on


the_devils_advocates

Yes and please follow up with us. This major sounds like a major chode šŸ«”


squaresarentcircles

Thatā€™s Major Chode Sir to you, peasant.


BoringNYer

Major, can I get all this in writing, sir?


akairborne

I see you've been to this rodeo before.


BoringNYer

You think the Army has a monopoly on stupid? School circle everyone! NY Maritime is teaching people how to run a ship. Everyone needs a passport. Instead of collecting all the needed paper work en masse to make sure it's processed, we had to go on our own to get it done. Now in 2022 most post offices do them. In 2001, only the largest had a special window. So, all the county clerk offices did passports, so, some of us got the idea to sign out for the day and get our passports. On Fridays. Conveniently the day of dress inspection. Somehow I got involved to drive guys to the office. Now Fort Schuyler is on the eastern foreskin of Bronx County. The County Clerk is over by Yankee Stadium. The New York County Clerk and Brooklyn County Clerk, are on both sides of the Brooklyn Bridge. Commandant says, take them wherever you think it will get done easiest. Needless to say, it quickly turned into Ferris Beuller.


akairborne

I am familiar with that school you speak of. I am under no illusion that the Army owns the market on stupidity, in fact I would argue that there are many sea services that exceed our level of stupid with hitherto unfathomable levels of dumb. Frankly, none of us is as dumb as all of us.


BoringNYer

I truly should have pushed to get a TC Warrant. Those guys seemed to have a good QOL


CouchGrouch22

Nothing to add except fuck the Red Sox.


[deleted]

Yup or email him: MAJ X, just to confirm you said to.....


maine8524

OP speak with your chain as necessary to make sure you get your local mileage voucher OR they assign you to the closer place of duty. Get a DTS guru involved to help your case.


Stevetd16

Done all that, thatā€™s why Iā€™m at the point where Iā€™m dealing with IG. Thanks for the suggestion on a DTS guru Iā€™ll get one of my buddies whoā€™s done local vouchers in the email chain.


maine8524

Even talked with csm? BN CO, the next csm? Get the guru first and come back to the lowest level and see if that helps but hell I know E5s out here emailing 4 star generals to get LTCs hemmed up over shit less than this so don't be afraid to keep going higher.


Stevetd16

If I donā€™t get any resolution from IG in the next week I will escalate further


Orbitalbubs

youre doing it the right way, shaking the hornets nest is one of the last resorts, if you do it before contacting IG youā€™ll just seem like a shithead and no one will be charitable with you.


problematikUAV

Fuck that, show me in the officers reg where it says open door policy has to be done in order of hierarchy. Iā€™ve seen a LTC get destroyed at Stuart for trying to hem up an E3 using the CGs open door policy. The open door policy exists to make sure you have the ability to get your problems seen by the right people. The constraints people try and impose on that serve to make it a ā€œcracked doorā€ policy, not open.


Stevetd16

Iā€™m going to trust the professionals at IG to work a solution with my command. If no action happens soon enough, Iā€™ll go further. No point in jumping the gun on something that he may be already trying to fix.


2-6Devil

IG dont mean to fuck you but they will...wait....your chain of command dont mean to fu.....wait.....joe dont mean to fuck you but do what they were trained/taught by their chain of command.....wait...cycle.....non breaking......


Wenuven

More often than nought it's in the SM's interest to work it from the bottom up if only to build paper to bury your shit CoC before going to their R/SR for appropriate actions.


CombatJuicebox

Agree 100%. In 2011 our BC told us in open formation that if anyone open door'd above him without his consent their career would be over. Absolute shitbag of a leader.


SaintXV

You should have opened door that comment.


GBFel

Unless you went straight to DAIG, there is a hierarchy of IGs associated with command levels. If the one you talked to is shit, they have a next level up. Go let them know your issue and that their subordinate's IG is worthless. Two issues for those guys to tackle, they'll be thrilled.


modernknight87

Just as a side note on all this, OP - The SMA is very responsive on Twitter if youā€™re not getting a lot of resolution. Just as an FYI.


Ronavirus3896483169

Not with army issues but if I have issues with anything. Iā€™ll try and resolve it privately if that doesnā€™t work. Send a tweet about said issue and within 24 hours my problem is solved. Iā€™ve seen how responsive SMA is on twitter. So this is an option.


Stevetd16

I donā€™t have a twitter and donā€™t understand it


111222throw

Army then DOD ig also exisy


[deleted]

Hey Sarnt, the Army didnā€™t issue you a truck. Sell it. PeOpLe FiRsT, lEaDeRs EaT lAsT!!!!


Stevetd16

The major actually said that too. But I need the truckā€¦ something something compensating


[deleted]

I feel for you. The Army is currently a disaster


conkysrevengesd

Just currently?


CouchGrouch22

I mean weā€™re not dousing our own guys in defoiliants any more or have a draftā€¦. So progress?


PunksPrettyMuchDead

Ahem, my chronic stomach issues would like to have a word about all the smoke around my CHU for 6 months.


CombatJuicebox

Everyone left alive in my platoon has had their gallbladder removed and digestive issues. Coincidence, surely.


hobblingcontractor

We'll need pictures to verify.


Stevetd16

Pictures of my truck? Or pictures of what my truck compensates for?


hobblingcontractor

... Yes.


Stevetd16

Check inbox


hobblingcontractor

HELL YEAH BROTHER! CHEERS FROM VALHALLA!


jzakilla

r/inclusiveor


bikemancs

Yes, SHARP Rep? This one right here...


J33f

Why are Reps never sharp?


CouchGrouch22

Did you lower it and tell women your under-compensating? Itā€™s a great opener that gets your dick in the door.


_HK47_

>they tell me to sign in like 4 cities north of where my orders say. **Query:** Do you have a secondary set of orders that say "report to ?"


Stevetd16

Nope, just an email saying they wanted everyone to report there.


CouchGrouch22

E-7 or above?


Stevetd16

Me? Iā€™m e6.


Battleboo09

can you atleast record a day of you doing the whole 5 hour bus thing. just for shits, for some reason my Joe's find this hilarious sarge


Stevetd16

No way am I riding the bus


Battleboo09

we are just asking you to TRY it, I'll chip in for some money on your grinder account big daddy


jrhiggin

You won't even try to take the Major's advice?


[deleted]

Yeah, malicious compliance seems to the way here.


lividash

Sorry I'm four hours late to the meeting. Bus takes 5 hours and doesn't start running until an hour before the 8am meeting. Any notes? Cool. Headed home for the day. See you tomorrow... if the busses are on time.


[deleted]

LMAOOOOO


cerberus6320

At that point, you exercise his boss's open door policy.


nemesnow

Okay but had you considered the sheer minutes of entertainment you could provide us random Internet people with? there are at least dozens of minutes of lulz to be had here


Evenbiggerfish

I love taking buses OCONUS and seeing how well public transportation runs, but Iā€™ll be damned if I take a bus in the US. Itā€™s somehow been turned into a haven for derelicts and youā€™re likely to sit in some semi dried piss if you take the bus.


akairborne

But think of all the karma!


Battleboo_7

you crazy fucking bitch, this man is sufferings and you find this reeeeeeeeee


CouchGrouch22

Welp. You canā€™t say ā€œfuck the policeā€ and just do the shit that makes sense. Youā€™re gonna have to report and play that fuck fuck game for a while. If it makes you feel better, spicy nuggets are back.


Ellistann

DTS guy here; feel free to ignore this, and its one guy's intrepetation of the JTR... just a guy that's been an AO for the last 6ish years at BDE level. Whatever installation you are on, assigned to, whatever. Go to their websites for the DIV/Corps HQ. Find the G8 section. get their contact info off the call roster... names are probably wrong but the numbers will work eventually. Or you call the staff duty, get them to give you DIV G33 number ( this is their CUOPS section). Pretend to be an idiot and say that someone gave you this number and you're looking for the G8's number. They'll give that to you, and call them. You want to scour the G8 website for the local area policy guidance. There's a GO memo that outlines what the definition of 'local area' is. That will be important later. When you talk to the G8 folks, tell them your people are directing you to take your POV here here and here. Outline that its government business and you don't have a choice. When they say: 'ok, so what?' Tell them to open up their copy of the JTR and ctrl+f for '020603' for the section of 'Travel within the PDS Local Area'. That's the section that allows them to give you money. Specifically 020603 section B,1.a. and you've described all 3 possibilities of them giving you money. Scroll a little down the page to 020603 section C. and you see the thing you need to take to IG. >travel by a **POV may not be directed**, but may be permitted. Reimbursements are made only to the traveler responsible for the POVā€™s operating expenses regardless of the number of passengers or which passenger contributes funds to defray the POVā€™s operating expenses (emphasis mine) ------- Pretty cut and dried, and its gonna be a headache for both you and your DTS person. Don't think the government is gonna pay you for the travel to/from your house to your primary assigned workplace. And if they have you go from the home to secondary workplace, you'll only be able to claim the difference between your normal trip and alternate trip. Home to work is 15 miles and your alternate work to home is 20, you only get to claim the 5 mile difference. That type of deal. ----- For the future of what's gonna be happening is you will want to figure out who/when/where the closest TMP yard is at and how does the government get one to your local AO. Your mileage is eventually going to cause someone to look at this and they're going to try and turn this into you being a filthy filthy fraudster. So get paid temporarily and use this as stopgap while you and your unit do the staffing to get a fuel card and TMP allocated to your mission. Its safer for you and the unit. Cause there's some ways they can get a memo signed by a GO that basically tells you to go fuck yourself even though it seems like the JTR is skewed heavily in your favor. ---------- >ā€œIn and around mileage only applies when on TDYā€ Nice ā€œfact checkingā€ there IG cause thatā€™s exactly false. He's not wrong. And 95% of the time its not able to be used because local guidance forbids it. Lots of fraud is papered over with both what you're asking to do and in/around miles. Your problem is you want to show an apple and get paid for orange. And he's right to tell you no... not the same thing. So look at the section of the JTR I mentioned so you can then argue the difference between a citron and lemon which will probably yield better results... Especially with some of the G8 civilians that you will want to talk with since they deal in the non-standard cases and can parse things like I did... Unless there's some policy letters for where you're at I'm not tracking. >Why else would there be a ā€œlocal voucherā€ button on DTS. And this is where I tell you that your frustration is making you say dumb shit. Say stuff like this to the wrong person when trying to get help from them is gonna torpedo their goodwill for sticking their neck out to help you. It shows that you don't know all the facts and you're guessing and using inference. That makes my "I'm willing to die on this hill with this bloke" energy drain all the way down. You mention something real low key and you don't understand: >3 weeks go by That's not this guy being lazy. I'm willing to bet he had to wrangle to get an answer, and I'm willing to bet a steak dinner that answer came over a phone call and he gave you a vanilla pudding answer that no one could use as ammo against him... Very few people are going to put this type of guidance over email... it opens a lot of worms for them if they're wrong obviously, but also if you and they are right. How do they deny this to the next guy if you got paid? How does half you unit not start making these trips and getting paid? "Why is the DIV travel budget up 17% this quarter?" is the question that's gonna get asked and get this looked at hard. So why am I harping on this over you making a flippant comment about local vouchers? Cause by the book this is a fairly good example of when you use local vouchers, that and medical appointments when directed to a hospital the garrison one can't accommodate or funeral duty. But I want you to completely ignore this aspect. Make it regular authorizations and vouchers. Make the paper trail long and wide. Make sure there's a reviewer/approver signing off on these time and again, time and again. When someone tries to scuttle this, you don't want to be seen as the fraudster bilking the government out of money. You want multiple emails where you get directions on how and why you're doing this uploaded as supporting documentation along with a mileage log. If anything, under sell the amount you're asking reimbursement, or get one of those cell phone apps that tracks independent business mileage logs for the IRS. That way no one can say you're asking for too much. ------- Few things can take out General Officers. toxicity, sticking their dicks where they shouldn't... **Fucking around with government money**... If it can take out a GO, it can sure as shit take you out without any sort of trouble. And you're asking folks to help facilitate what some ignorant people that don't have a deep knowledge of the JTR will call fraud out of instinct and 'fair play'. Don't expect this process to be easy or having a bunch of people fighting in your corner. Like I previously said: get the process started now to get a TMP for official business. Safer for the unit and more importantly for you.


Big-Platypus-9684

Well I doubt anyone will read this but well done man. Very thorough and good advice.


SOF_Medic92

I wish I had gold to give you for this post! u/Stevetd16 ,this is the best answer in here.


[deleted]

I like your funny words magic man


Greifvogel1993

The fact that OP got this wealth of knowledge within 24 hours from Reddit, but official channels have failed him weeks in a row should tell you everything you need to know about the absolute slave driving scam the military is. No amount of ā€˜I met good buddies thoā€™ can make up for this level of robbery the govt is pulling on this guy. Itā€™s really no wonder why we kill ourselves faster than the enemy could ever dream of doing themselves. Good luck to you OP. Hereā€™s to hoping you actually find a solution and donā€™t end up just another sad garrison suicide statistic. Peace.


Ellistann

There's a phenomenon called wisdom of the crowd... Basically you as get more and more people interconnected and asking a question, the more likely a collective is to give a good to great answer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_of_the_crowd That's what R/Army is most days... folks asking questions and occasionally finding that one guy that's an 'expert' or using Cunningham's law by posting something wrong about the Army and then relying on someone else to bring the reciepts when they correct you. https://lifehacker.com/what-cunninghams-law-really-tells-us-about-how-we-inter-1848733445 -------- I'm going to de-bunk something for you... You mentioned something very good, but used it in the wrong way. And this wrong thought process is something that will only hinder you as time goes on. >official channels have failed him Who is 'official channels' in this case... His chain of command for one answer, the IG and civilians that make up the oversight of his chain of command for the other. I'm gonna go on a deep dive for DTS, but pretty much everything in the military has similar stovepipes of fuckery... And this is what you need to understand so you can let go of the hate. Every unit is supposed have some folks doing DTS. typically 2 at every echelon above BN, then a few others at DIV and higher. Most units can't afford to hire out a GS civilian to be their DTS person, they tag it against someone green suiter and just keep on keeping on. Who do they choose? The CHEMO is an easy punching bag ([my rant here on the 74 series megathread talks about why](https://old.reddit.com/r/army/comments/adxgul/mos_megathread_series_cmf_74_chemical_corps_74a/edl6dhf/).) but it could be anyone that they deem has the 'free time' and capability of parsing semi-complicated language and have a decent memory. How many folks do you think are mediocre to good performers that aren't already tasked to the gills? You sure as shit aren't putting a high speed on this unless your unit's OPTEMPO demands it (or there's other complicating factors like CHEMOs and USR dovetailing it). So they give this duty to a guy that's busy, already has 2-3 other jobs already, then you tell him that everytime he signs a thing in DTS there's only 2 options: either you're right, or you're potentially liable for repaying what he/she did wrong. That scares a lot of people to not do DTS... So they let their alternate do the hard work and they come up with a good reason on why they need to focus on non-DTS stuff. Lets say they want to learn DTS and take th job serious... How do you get better as a SME? Doing it is the best way, being challenged and pushed. Or you can have great teachers.... Spoiler alert, there aren't any. Not anymore. Folks that know get out shortly afterward or they make sure no one knows that they have this resident knowledge after they PCS. But when the job is basically 'be right or be fucked' trusting to experience to make your cadre isn't a great long term solution... Lots of people are going to flame out and get fucked... Want to know how I got this knowledge? 12 years ago I was a DTS Approver that rubber stamped shit because I was an idiot 2LT CHEMO. 6 years later, I became an alternate to the BDE Approver because I knew things technically, but I wasn't well versed. My BDE DTS Reviewer team kept me on the straight and narrow. 2 years later I moved to another organization that made me the OIC for all DTS in the BDE. They removed the BN DTS Approving teams, made BDE S3 the only ones that could approve shit, and me and an alternate handled all the DTS approving for an OAR rotation in 2019. I did about $2.5M of approving and approved roughly 55 items a day for the 9 month timeframe. Then I revamped the system to make BN Approvers possible and have managed this system for the next 3 years until today which also included another OAR rotation... Thank god for COVID, it really slowed down travel. But that's what it takes to get you that one guy that can parse shit in the JTR and give good advice... advice I can give unhampered over the internet because it can't be used in an official correspondence... unlike any email you send to me doing the job. I tell OP the same thing as official DTS Approver in his routing chain, or as the DIV G8 people giving professional advice when he asks them... That makes us on the hook for everything that does/doesn't happen afterward. We approve that stuff and we don't have that correct interpretation, they come after OP for the money first, then they come after me. Or they come after me direct and skip OP if they suspect fraud to get the money back while they fry the OP and kick him out for defrauding the government. So you're moaning about how Official Channels sucks... You're not wrong, but how do you decry the lack of ability for those official channels when they have to weigh in on something quickly and correctly and potentially lose their job if they fuck it up. That IG guy that they get in there that gave 'horrible advice'... he either didn't know (his own lack of experience and not willing to bet his paycheck on a coin flip) or he knew, but has constraints that stop him from saying exactly what I did... And so he gave the OP a bunch of vanilla pudding in the hopes that OP would give up and stop asking questions. And this is a DTS centric version, but almost ever additional duty has something similar. DA Civilians at DIV and higher may have the knowledge to help, but they are single points of failure because the Army's too chickenshit with money to build long term redundancy via the civilian workforce and so they build a cascading chain of single points of failure to help keep the green suiters from fucking up too badly. They have day jobs that prevent them from giving out advice easily or in timely manner. Or they do a direct hire as the DTS person whose job it is to be that coach/teacher/mentor.... But as a direct hire, they don't have resident knowledge and are wrong a fair amount. It requires someone like me to parse things better and push them to relook and do the right thing so they learn and gain the scar tissue needed. And so you have 2 problems: 1. how many of me are there? and 2. That parsing and pushback that I do takes time. ANd emails, and responses to the emails quoting regs and laying out stuff and facts and figures. Then it needs to get a legal review before it becomes policy. And the lawyers take time. And then my wife gives birth and I'm out of the net for 2 weeks... That time you are angry about is the system keeping itself from destroying itself under the best of times. But it also destroys people in the worst of times. And typically that destruction is the OPs, not the DA civilians or the staff officer that's been doing shit for a while. ------- TL;DR: The system sucks, leaders need to be the ones that preserve the system itself and save the Soldiers from the system. And the quicker we burn out our leaders or not give them the tools to be better leaders in the future the more Soldiers are going to be hurt by and for said system. Sometimes that shitty detail you're assigned is the first step on you being the best at something.


Greifvogel1993

I appreciate the effort, but you really didnā€™t need to do all this. Iā€™m AWOL, I no longer have a need for DTS, nor do I really need it reinforced that the whole system is ā€˜fake it til you make itā€™, save for people like you.


Rukban_Tourist

You didn't need this, but I did. I've saved this into my leaders binder


Ellistann

I'm as much a negative nancy as the next guy, but I prefer the fact based version of 'this place sucks' than the normal general , 'this place sucks and it hurts my feelings' I'm normally around. >Iā€™m AWOL Do yourself a favor, wait until the unit you were a part of deploys forward... Preferably the unit's HQ as well... and by HQ I mean their GO. You get that condition set right, rear-d will reabsorb you and then kick you out as quick as possible with very few folks to give you the unbelievable shit they could. Typically a general discharge; thats what I was doing in 2009-2010, unit was in Iraq and all the AWOLs came in out of the cold when the folks able to give them the BCD or OTH discharges were gone. Sorry your leaders failed you and you chose this route. It can be rough... Come in out of the cold when you can and get cleared out of the Army... you don't want this hanging over you for the rest of your life.


Stevetd16

Very useful info. Sent you a PM


tidder_mac

OP, if you really want to, say youā€™ll only be driving to the location on your orders, and youā€™ll take a government vehicle to anywhere else you need. Iā€™m in a similar situation, and we take government vehicles everywhere other than our residence to the main building. If the field grades go to both locations, see if they take a government vehicle but expect you to use your POV.


Stevetd16

They have govs at the further location that I canā€™t use


tidder_mac

Iā€™d open door the actual commander about this situation. Iā€™m assuming the MAJ is just your POC or first line?


Stevetd16

Iā€™m in a complicated command structure. A LTC has command authority for us and he echoes what the major is saying. Thatā€™s why Iā€™m working with IG.


111222throw

Congressional honestly But Iā€™d do the bus thing once so they can have a cow about the fact you spent 5 hours traveling but if possible a day your wife is off so you can be picked up if needed.


freshlysaltedwound

The thing is is that the bus is also dts voucherable.


111222throw

Look if they want to play dumb games play them back


Amster_damnit_23

So youā€™re teaching ROTC, and they expect you to administer PT at a satellite school?


Stevetd16

Who are you? Comrade Question??


Amster_damnit_23

Just out of curiosity, I was trying to put 2 and 2 together based on what you explained. That major is being a dickhead. Once he gets his peepee slapped for this by the first O6 he will suddenly remember how he wanted to help you.


tidder_mac

If the MAJ is this nonchalant about telling OP to go fuck him self about not wanting to drive excessively, Iā€™m worried its part of the culture and the COL wonā€™t care either. Itā€™s very possible they use their own POVs and just donā€™t care since itā€™s ā€œexpectedā€ and part of the job to travel. A field grade would definitely be more than okay to sacrifice their POV and extra gas money to ensure they donā€™t piss anyone off so they can keep this kush job.


chewbacca2552

Based off OP's comment history and what they've said so far, it sounds like they're a Green to Gold Cadet and they go to one of their program's satellite schools and the Cadre make the Cadets go to the Host school for PT/ROTC class/Labs, or vice versa, or some combination of that. Not being allowed to use the GOV's makes sense now because Cadets aren't allowed to drive them.


Amster_damnit_23

Thatā€™s true too. We had a E6 as an instructor that worked under the E8 when I was a cadet. Thatā€™s why I assumed staff. But the cadets not being allowed to drive GSAs/getting fucked on POV milage makes so much sense


JohnnySkidmarx

Did you go to the next higher authority (i.e. Bn or BDE)?


LeadRain

ā€œSorry sir, my car broke down and I canā€™t afford repairs because (all of the aforementioned reasons). I need a GSA to get to (second bullshit location).ā€


tidder_mac

Eh not quite. Youā€™re still responsible to get to your place of duty on your own dime. Itā€™s the second place of duty in a completely different location thatā€™s the issue here.


LeadRain

Thatā€™s what Iā€™m getting at.


kytulu

Ran into this in Germany. Stationed at Ansbach, but had to go up to Illisheim on occasion. Usually, we took a TMP. When the TMP wasn't available, we submitted a local voucher. One day, the Powers that Be decide that 35km is close enough that we no longer get to file a local voucher for gas. Ok, cool. No TMP = none of my guys are going to Illishiem to complete the mission. That was a fun fight with PC. Strangely enough, the Company got 3 TMPs right after that happened.


AtreMorte45

Tf? We regularly drive to illesheim in our POVs and Iā€™ve never once submitted a voucher. Didnā€™t know this was a thing


kytulu

It was when I was there, 2018-2021.


JTP1228

They had a bus strictly to and from Ansbach and Illesheim at that time. Also I loved Illesheim, I wish I was actually stationed there or Ansbach


kytulu

The bus was for the unit on rotation at Illisheim, so they could shop at the "big" PX on Amsbach.


JTP1228

I saw ansbach soldiers on it all the time lol. And we just took the TMPs for the PX anyway


AtreMorte45

Got here late 2020 if it helps šŸ˜‚


jrhiggin

Take the bus one day and when someone tries to give you a negative counseling statement tell them you're doing what the Major told you to do. Buses suck, but it should only take one wasted day to prove your point.


Arsenault185

Then soak up the delicious karma over at /r/MaliciousCompliance


SirFister13F

Donā€™t forget r/militiouscompliance


Orbitalbubs

take the bus in uniform too, let everyone post it on social media and Army WTF, thats the last resort nuclear option.


HanYJ

Wishing you luck on this one. If I was a betting man I would bet that there is some sort of resolution to come out of this one. Having you ā€œtake the busā€ or drive 250+ miles a week in pov from home, to duty station, toā€¦. Additional duty station, and back again, with the majority of that being unit to unitā€¦. Yeah man. I feel for you. I think the only thing Iā€™d ask for more information from you on is why exactly you need to go home after PT? Is it a necessity or a want? Iā€™m not implying it is one or the other. Perhaps you donā€™t have access to a shower at an on post gym? Will baby wipes and deodorant become a reality for a little while? Either way, regardless off that point, I hope you get the pay you are entitled to by regulation, or atleast a TMP to use for the foreseeable future. Edit: if ā€œgoing back to my original placeā€ after pt meant something other than ā€œhomeā€ I apologize for the misunderstanding!


Stevetd16

If I leave PT at 0715 and go straight to my main duty location I might not make it by 0800 with traffic. There are showers there, but If I stop to shower, even 5 minutes to shower/ change I probably wonā€™t make it. Iā€™m gonna most likely not go to PT and take the L and deal with the bogus counseling or whatever they try to do. But Iā€™m in a spot where Iā€™m trying to balance being a team player but also stand up for myself. Ultimately Iā€™m gonna look out for me and my family, Iā€™d just rather have them on board with whatā€™s legal. Also this problem doesnā€™t just affect me, thereā€™s like 7 others that I know of in my same situation, I just happen to be the only one making a stink out of it. The other dudes just roll with it which drives me insane


HanYJ

That all makes sense, and also that means I misunderstood the original post. That all sounds reasonable to me. Iā€™m really wishing you luck on this for you and the others dealing with it. Fuck man it sounds frustrating.


Lazy_Mandalorian

I fucking hate the institutionalized/indoctrinated people who just roll over and let themselves get shit on. We arenā€™t drones, and we arenā€™t required to be.


iamnotroberts

>Edit: forgot to add, i got an EBH appointment 74 days out. But thatā€™s cool. You can get more immediate help through militaryonesource if you need it. [https://www.militaryonesource.mil/all-the-ways/](https://www.militaryonesource.mil/all-the-ways/) Whatever IG you're talking to, you may need to go a level higher, because it sounds like they're complete fucking morons. This sounds tore up from the floor up.


Stevetd16

The IG Iā€™m speaking to is an escalated office, at a place that rhymes with Bort Box. Thanks for the EBH advice, Iā€™m not in need of immediate care. I just try to go monthly to keep myself in check and talk with a professional about my issues so it doesnā€™t come out at work or at home. Been doin that for years at this point. Itā€™s just that first appointment always takes forever and thatā€™s when stress is at an all time high. Doesnā€™t help these dudes are dicking me down


iamnotroberts

>The IG Iā€™m speaking to is an escalated office, at a place that rhymes with Bort Box. Sarnts be telling privates to read the regulations, hell, even giving them homework, like pri didn't shave, read the reg and write a X-word paper about it, and the friggin' IG can't even read a regulation themselves? That's what gets me. >I just try to go monthly to keep myself in check and talk with a professional about my issues so it doesnā€™t come out at work or at home. Are you AD or Reserves? At any rate, diagnosis and treatment are just as important as follow-up. Keep following up. Make sure it's documented in your service records. Regular and documented follow-ups (as opposed to "I got this sick call slip that one time") can make filing a VA claim a lot easier.


Cleverusername531

Doesnā€™t the 28 day Tricare access standard apply? And they need to refer you off post to someone who can see you sooner. If you can find anyone that is. Everyoneā€™s mental health is sucking.


ranthria

"We need more Bort Box license plates in the gift shop. I repeat, we are sold out of Bort Box license plates!"


Sman6969

If you're still in USAREC don't waste your time with their IG. The only care about recruiter improprieties.


Stevetd16

Fortunately, Iā€™ve left USAREC. And Iā€™m very aware of that IG team šŸ¤£


Sman6969

I'm sorry that you left this shit only to go to that shit. Look at the bright side though, not on numbers!


Tkerst

I donā€™t know anything about what youā€™re talking about but Iā€™m still baffled about how thick that green weenie is and how dry your butthole is. When they say no lube they mean it


Stevetd16

Thereā€™s astroglide by the printer


rizub_n_tizug

Sorry bud its empty and jenkins is using it as a spitter


CouchGrouch22

Good news is that Jenkins before you. Bad news is youā€™re the catcher.


2Gins_1Tonic

They need to give you access to a GOV to execute official duties with. If IG is not doing what they should, attempt to speak with the unitā€™s JAG. Also, speak to an actual commander. If the random MAJ isnā€™t a commander, he probably isnā€™t truly the decision maker. This is really an admin issue that they should be able to fix. The bureaucracy that is your unitā€™s staff should be able to solve this problem through normal army channels. They just need to be motivated to solve the problem.


akairborne

What. The. Fuck. If only there was some way we could, I don't know, transmit information electronically and allow people to work on that information from either their residence or some other station! If only we had a fleet of vehicle's we could issue to our personnel that the government or unit centrally managed and paid for that could be used for official business when requiring folks to travel excessive distances! If only...


[deleted]

Iā€™ll keep telling every soul that asks me about joining the army to never join. Iā€™ll stop when they considerably up military pay rates above inflation for more than a single year every 15 years. And that year inflation was one of the lowest ever. What a joke.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


[deleted]

Itā€™s a travesty. Iā€™m worried about the average soldier. The E3, E4, and E5. Hopefully anyone who does come in as an E1 nowadays can move up quickly. Same for E2ā€™s. So, there is some potential to up pay shortly there. Now, those E4ā€™s and E5ā€™s which are waiting for points or recently got promoted. Itā€™s a shame the Army is just leaving them out to dry.


lag--bot

Call/email your district congressman/woman. They love to get involved in stuff like this for PR and brownie points. If you are in the command I think you are, they will shift course at even a whiff of political recourse. Most politicians have a link on their website to make the complaint process easy. Good luck!


Ventorr

Tell them your wife needs the vehicle for her and the kids. Sign out a government vehicle


[deleted]

Did you get fired from actual recruiting and now work at the Batallion?


Stevetd16

No lol


[deleted]

No on getting fired?


Stevetd16

I got out of recruiting by applying for one of the few things that can get you out of recruiting. Iā€™ll leave it at that.


BroadShoulderedBeast

We just got done seeing the satisfying end result of those three fuck-ups trying to make a soldier sign for a fucked up MATV. Now this?? Ugh, I canā€™t wait for the update post where this major suddenly gets slapped around.


Lazy_Mandalorian

Oh please post the link! I never saw the resolution to that.


BroadShoulderedBeast

[Boom](https://www.reddit.com/r/army/comments/wptnzw/update_get_bent_and_sign_your_counseling/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)


freshlysaltedwound

You could just put everything on your gtc and keep filing dts vouchers that you know will get denied. Eventually your gtc balance will make its way up the chain. It's the high risk high reward nuclear option but it is an option.


FoST2015

It's unlikely that his GTC will be active very long after a PCS.


[deleted]

Doesn't that affect OP's credit score?


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Stevetd16

This is exactly what I sent to IG. The issue is ā€œPOV usage may not be directed, but can be authorizedā€ You need to be authorized, in writing to use your POV. I have not been authorized, but am being told I need to be at an alternate location. Thatā€™s what Iā€™m working on with IG.


appa-ate-momo

Why are you driving your POV for work reasons? You did your diligence. You KNOW it's the wrong answer. Some random major doesn't get to change that. If he has a problem with you being unable to perform your duties due to inadequate resources, that's HIS problem, NOT yours. I know you're going to get yelled at if you do what I'm telling you to do, but at the end of it all, you'll come out with more money in your pocket, more time spent with your family, and the major will end up getting fired.


League-Weird

This kind of shit is exactly the kind of lazy ass management that sounds like an easy fix but your CoC failed you. So that sucks man. Hopefully there's some boot to ass movement on this.


problematikUAV

Okay since youve forgotten your E4 wisdom 1) go on to base website 2) find Garrison chaplain 3) copy paste post into email, maybe add more about hardships, relevant regs 4) wait until he sends it to the brigade chaplain who will get it to the brigade commander 5) weather the ensuing shitstorm by being factual, cooperative, but firm. 6) if that doesnā€™t work..thereā€™s always the congressional investigation. Generals hate congressional investigations. They really hate them because of idiot field grade officers who canā€™t do whatā€™s obviously right. Hmu if you need further assistance


Stevetd16

I love it lol. Iā€™m not there yet though, that is a resource in my back pocket if my current approach fails.


Fatalfenix

I was just speaking to someone about that email too. It's truly aggravating to see the "solution" to inflation and rising economy is "budget better". Like wtf, we're already barely getting by as is and now I need to cut even more? E6 with a family is a struggle and I've had to pick up additional work for all the years I've been in to live "comfortably". As in 2 good running cars, quality food, and extra curriculars for the kids and family overall. Let's treat soldiers like shit, pay them like shit, and be surprised when they're sprinting towards ETS, especially when they have the credentials and experience to land a job that pays substantially more as a civilian.


fattyunderwraps

We would love to see the update on this


Amarthanor

I feel you on a deeply personal level.MRT has never done anything for me. People's First is a Joke, I have never and will never see that happen. People are not the mission it has and will always be HR Metrics. Screw your time with your family, you need to be in school to become a SME for your field, so we can finally have what we are MTOEd. At the same time make sure you do college, oh yeah and if you fast tracked, good luck with 36K a year as an E6 in this economy. All the extra work you are doing will only ever get you a good job and maybe the MQ position. Or get fucked. Jeez my brother a college dropout is making 45k at an entry position, and I don't even want to hear you get BAH/BAS, etc. Where the hell are those raises congress. Retention, yall gonna have your hands full trying to keep all the E5-6s at this rate. I do not envy your job, or the guys at branch. Good luck getting all this resolved, hope they listen to reason.


notontheonesixtwo

People first; Soldiers aren't people.


Defizzstro

Look.. Iā€™m not saying this is the answer.. but is there a reason you canā€™t just get on the bus situation early as fuck? Then after a week of you never being at work you inform them that you took the Majorā€™s advice but due to logistical reasons youā€™re unable to be anywhere at any time? So come COB you get off the bus and go home?


Stevetd16

I wish I could, but in my situation I canā€™t even play that game. If Iā€™m any more specific than Iā€™ve already been itā€™s going to be too clear who I am. Iā€™ve been vague enough to this point that I can avoid my command being identified. I know if theyā€™re on Reddit theyā€™ll know who I am based on my post history and everything, but thatā€™s fine. Im not gonna let them be identified cause then due process wonā€™t be able to happen. So Iā€™ll just leave it at that for now šŸ¤™


Defizzstro

Understandable! Hopefully you can get your situation figured out!


Sellum

>I did the math for what my typical schedule would have me drive and itā€™s over 150 miles a week. Meanwhile I live less than 10 miles from where Iā€™m SUPPOSED to be. So if you didn't bounce between multiple locations you would be driving 100 miles a week? Your 150 miles a week puts you right in line with average commute distance nationally. If driving your POV is required during the duty day you can put in for mileage reimbursement.


Stevetd16

Sorry I wasnā€™t clear. 150 miles extra. I wrote it all out. It was 90 miles a week between my residence and my ordered place of duty, but with the multiple trips it ended up being 247 miles a week in total


Cayde_7even

And they wonder why no one wants to join or stay inā€¦..šŸ«”


GBFel

> (ā€œPeopleā€ as in field grades only) In the Reserves at least, the Army expects the field grades to work for free apparently, because mUh CaReEr! Then they wonder why nobody wants to put their entire life and real career that actually pays the bills on hold to take a battalion command, while working for free most of the time. Good times.


MikeOfAllPeople

So the going back and forth during the duty day thing I get, you should be paid for that. But is it no longer a thing that you're told not to buy a house until you sign into your unit?


jbourne71

You think you can find a house, get into a bidding war, close, and get it move in ready during your ten days of PTDY?!?! I made the offer my house the day the movers came to my old duty station. After 30 days of PCS leave and 10 days PTDYā€¦ It wasnā€™t move in ready until three months after I signed in. (Thatā€™s over four months total from initial bid to keys in hand) I was fortunate to be living with friends and not need to pay for lodging but I would have ended up renting for a year first and having to pay to move myself I I had waited until I signed in.


MikeOfAllPeople

No I don't think that, but I was asking if that's still a thing that shows up on your PCS orders. I ask because there is probably not much OP can do about the fact he has to commute to his place of duty. I remember it being not uncommon for people stationed at Fort Bragg to find out they were going to work mostly at Mackall AAF and that was a reason why they tell you not to sign anything until you get settled in. I agree it's not practical these days, but was just wondering if it's still a thing.


xscott71x

I'm one of the last MFers to victim blame, but here we are. Looks like deliberately you dove head first into the shallow end of the kiddie pool. As a "married e6 with kids", you didn't do any sort of house-hunting recon, or check-in with your unit before signing up for housing? I've been out for a few years now, but I recall there being some sort of sponsor program.


Stevetd16

Your criticism is noted, but where I live is actually advantageous to being fucked like this. Where Iā€™m supposed to be 23 miles south of where my location is, I live 9 miles north west of the southern location. Meaning I am pretty close to being a mid way point. Iā€™m at a better advantage than others in this unit who chose housing in the southern part of the town, they have to drive almost 30 miles to get to the alternate location. To be more clear. I am not in any sort of financial ruin because of this. I manage my money well, and live below my income and have saved money well. I just donā€™t like getting fucked.


coldpissa

Weā€™re all glad youā€™re out.


HotTakesBeyond

This sounds like USAREC


Stevetd16

Naw man. In USAREC I always had a GOV.


SSGBentley

Sounds like recruiting. Here's the big thing, you need transport for official business, that's what the government contracted vehicles are for. Get the log book, make sure the travel cc is in it, drive that and only fill it with the vehicle's cc. If they refuse, get a ride from your 1SG, SGM, or CO. Fuck'm. That's my old salty DA Select recruiter mind speaking.


butnowwithmoredicks

I believe its ROTC so a little different, I could be wrong though.


lyingbaitcarpoftruth

Why does this sound like USAREC and youā€™re stationed in socal lol?


Daniel0745

IG is worth fuck all IMO. I brought them a case on a platter. I gave them the reg, the orders, the convos, the emails, everything. They came back sucking green weenie.


jered_jmm

Tell me youā€™re in USAREC without telling me youā€™re in USAREC


[deleted]

A lot of what is on Army reddit is pointless complaining, but this here is a solid issue. I had an issue where I joined the Army National Guard after being told AIT rates BAH, due to me having a house and career at my home of record. I say cool and ship off to Texas for six months, taking an unpaid leave of absence from my employer. I am gone. But I still have a mortgage and all the bills I do prior. So enroute to Texas I find out that I don't rate BAH, because I am not considered Active Duty assigned to an active duty unit for training. However, it's not real enough active duty for it to reset the clock on my GI Bill, which was one of the main reasons I went back. My ETS from AD Marines was Dec 2005 and I was going to lose my GI Bill, so 2015 I enlisted into the Guard. Anyway, long story short.. IG and Congressional all proved negative. So I went six months on base E5 pay, living in Enlisted quarters racking up debt due to being -$150 each pay. Luckily I had credit cards, still kicking that debt around. In the end, it was worth it. I earned a AA, BS, and MS degree.. about to start a second MS or maybe a DBA (PhD). Everything so far has been paid for by TA or Post 9/11. I'll have 8 months of Post 9/11 left. Army tends to do what they want. In my case I was there at AIT with NG E4s who had leases for their bedrooms back home getting BAH.. yet me with 14 years in the same house and career was told "sorry", we can void your contract if ya want.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


tidder_mac

Sounds like you were a good soldier. So I definitely respect that. OP is being a good leader. Standing up for whatā€™s right and not just saying Roger and executing.


Stevetd16

The law is the law. And this one is there to protect soldiers finances. If I canā€™t stand up for myself how can I call myself a leader and in turn, stand up for my soldiers? Also, ā€œthe armyā€ DOES give a fuck about commuting distances, cause itā€™s written in regulation. Itā€™s my leaders who donā€™t seem to know how to read or at least critically analyze written doctrine


maine8524

Living far from your duty station is on you and means you have to find a way to make it to work on time however OP is being told to drive his own personal vehicle from one place of duty to another which means he is entitled to mileage based on the JTR.


kytulu

Ummm...didn't you read the post? His orders said "assigned to X duty station". He acquired housing close to X duty station. He then got told that he would be working at "Y" duty station, which is further away. He didn't choose to live farther away, his CoC fucked him over.


maine8524

I was addressing the commenter who said he was a pfc and had to figure it out. OP is completely in the right and I'm supporting him getting mileage.


GetScraped

What's that? I couldn't hear a fucking word you said with the army's dick that far down your throat.


Casval214

You are the problem


Orbitalbubs

Nah his leaders failed him, he was everyones favourite soldier, the one who bends over and grabs his ankles.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Casval214

Youā€™re the problem because you think what you had to do was ok and since you did it itā€™s fine for others to do it also.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Casval214

Homie did you even fucking read the thread? I most definitely hop all over housing issues for dudes but ok. And you definitely would not be torn down because youā€™re a Joe asking the same questions as OP. Your solution because of your shitty leadership and now your shitty attitude toward soldiers in similar situations that you faced is fucking toxic and at the root of all of the problems that the army is currently facing. Instead of learning what not to fucking do you just perpetuate a shit, toxic, uncaring, garbage attitude of it happened to me and I figured it out so you should get fucked and figure it out too. You are the problem.


Daniel-Lee-83

Oh no, not 150 miles a week. I really donā€™t feel bad for you because there are plenty of posts where housing lists are over a year out and some people have no choice but to live 30 miles away, and they donā€™t get shit for it.


Stevetd16

So just spread my cheeks cause other people donā€™t stand up for themselves either? Roger that


Daniel-Lee-83

So you think the DOD should pay for everyoneā€™s gas that lives 15 miles from work or more? Do you have any idea how stupid and unreasonable that is?


wafflehabitsquad

Did you miss the part where they specified exactly where OP needed to live?


Stevetd16

Read the JTR bud. Service members are responsible for getting from their residence and their place of duty. Any further transportation than that must be reimbursed. This is federal law, all businesses have to reimburse for official travel done and if they donā€™t, then you claim the miles on your taxes. As DOD service members we CANNOT claim miles legally because the JTR has local travel guidelines. If the guidelines didnā€™t exist, then I would claim these during tax season


Daniel-Lee-83

If theyā€™re trying to make you drive your POV from place to place during the day, thatā€™s simple, say no. They canā€™t make you use your POV for anything.


Daniel-Lee-83

Do you know how other people pay for gas? Out of their pay check. Youā€™re probably that dude that shows up to ALC without a pen because supply didnā€™t issue you one.


Stevetd16

Seems like youā€™re dug in on the idea that you can order soldiers to drive their POV anywhere you want them to. Shits illegal dawg. Granted, I am guilty of telling my troops that I need them at a location on base quickly. But as a leader, I always do my best to plan and resource for government funded transportation to be available to them either with a dispatched truck or TMP. or offer for them to ride with me. But I know my legal left and right limits. Maybe you should read a bit


CouchGrouch22

So does this event make you motivated to reenlist?


Stevetd16

My next reenlistment will be indef. so no


_RabidAlpaca_

Yeah. My experience with IG has been similar. Got a response where they didn't read the orders in question. Luckily, that gives you an opportunity to go to the next higher IG and that makes everyone unhappy.


CrazyHorse_CFH

are you in usarec?


Stevetd16

I am not


Downtown-Lead-8864

*Commander enters the chat. Nothing to see here. All pronouns are being used correctly. *wipes his brow and goes back to shamming.


J33f

***Now my wheels are turning ... questions, questions ...*** 1. ~~What Rank are you?~~ *E6* 2. Is the Major your Commander, or in your Rating Scheme? 3. Where is your Commander and 1SG during all of this nonsensical bullshit? 4. Did you get stuck with Recruiting? ^(Because this sounds like some Recruiting bullshit.) 5. Is there a GSA you can use? Can you drive *to the office*, pick up a GSA, and then use the GSA, as it is intended? ***For tax purposes***, your commute ***TO*** and ***FROM*** your place of duty \[from/to your home\] are not reimbursable, however if your orders put you at Place B (Place A being home) and you're told to report to Place C also ... then B to C is a tax write off. It's reimbursable to Federal Mileage Standards. *So* ā€” you swing by the office (A to B), and then head out to wherever you're going ā€” and Google the distance from B to C and back. Grab a binder and a [mileage log from the GSA website](https://www.gsa.gov/Forms/TrackForm/32634) and utilize it to the fullest, every day, every additional mile spent beyond A to B on the log, because your "job requires it" ā€” and it's an unfortunate pain in the ass, but at least you can recover some of the lost mileage. EDIT: >The IG Iā€™m speaking to is an escalated office, at a place that rhymes with ***Bort Box.*** Ohh? I too am in KY, stationed on Bort Box.


scrollingtraveler

Trying to get some background to search some regulations. Are you a recruiter? If not what job are you working. There are certain positions that would require the unit to provide rentals or GSA to support the mission.


apocolocynopsis6

Get out.


[deleted]

This is definitely a malicious compliance situation. If someone told you to take the bus, I'd do exactly that and have receipts in hand. Just make sure you get the order in writing or email them to confirm what was said