I've just been advanced to E-4 after ~18 weeks of IADT split by about 2 months back in the civilian world. My question is regarding the 48 drill periods required as part of SELRES. My new command seems to insist that i make up for missed drills due to A school and boot while I feel that i should be afforded some leeway as i no longer am entitled to paid leave from work and my family is suffering. Must I make up these drills? i don't see it as "easy money" as my retired chief does, i need to spend time with my kids for a few weekends! I should have all the points i need for a retirement year, no?

Check in the Reserve Policy Manual COMDTINST M1001.28A Chapter 4. Need some more information to figure that one out.

All it takes for a good year is 50 points. If you were at USCG training for those months you should not have to make up for drills missed while you were gone. If your unit has regular scheduled drill weekends, I recommend you attent those monthly functions, but as for making up for the past, you will find that the vast majority of commands and leaders would find that request to be unreasonable and not in normal USCGR practice. I'd love to hear where the USCG has a practice or policy to make up drills under these circumstances...

Your new command is wrong.

Remember, those periods you were away for CG schooling also count for points. One point for everyday at school.

With 15 points automatically for being a member, you only need 35 more points for a good year for retirement.

The only thing to think about is if you don't attend 90% of your scheduled drills (not 90% of all 48 drills), it won't be a good year towards a Good Conduct Medal.

There are good bits of info in all the above. While on any type of active duty, (ADT, etc.)you get 1 point per day and should be exempted from that month's drills. While 50 points is required for a good year for retirement, you need 70 points points for a good year toward the CG good conduct medal (and the resulting 1 point on the SWE after 3 yrs.). In short, if you were at school for more than 13 days, you not only fulfilled your ADT requirment for that anniversary year, but should have your IDT requiremnt waived for that month too. The PERSMAN and RESERVE POLICY MAN. are your resources.

Technically, you were excused from drilling while away at bootcamp/REBI and "A" school. You were under CG orders to be away from your unit. You should not have been scheduled to drill during those periods.

As I think about it - when you mentioned IADT (Initial Active Duty for Training) - I recall the old RK (student enlistments) program had slightly different requirements for that 1st year - you only had to meet 80% of scheduled drills or somesuch. Point is, check your enlistment contract, and the Reserve Policy Manual.

In general, excused absences from drill can be made up, subject to command approval, and if you have the time; but don't have to be.

Of course, you've got to meet the participation standards. In this case, you seem to have more than satisfied them.

As you move through your career in the CGR, you'll find nuances in the RESERVE regs that our AD commands don't always seem to catch.

My best advice to you is to read and understand the Reserve Policy Manual, and the appropriate parts of the Personnel Manual, and be able to explain them.

Congatulations on being advanced to Petty Officer Third Class. Start working on 2nd class!

thanks folks, my family and I appreciate it!

Every applicant I put in the Reserve in Seattle that had bootcamp, REBI or A school in that same FY did not have to make up missed drills during that time frame. If they missed drills after that, of course they had to make those up or suffer possible "bad year" for not enough points. PERSMAN, Reserve Policy Manual are you guide in this. CPO Kalbach

quote:

Originally posted by JerryG:
The only thing to think about is if you don't attend 90% of your scheduled drills (not 90% of all 48 drills), it won't be a good year towards a Good Conduct Medal.

If you read 4.A.2 of the RPM a unit besides a PSU will normally schedule 48 drills. You would need a minimum of 70 points for Good Conduct purposes. 15 for being a member, 90% of 48 is 43 and 12 days AT= 70.

Here's a simple solution to your problem: tell your XPO to read 4.A.3, paragraph (b) of the Reserve Policy Manual. It clearly states that your AT requirement for the FY was met during your IADT (even though there was a two month break between basic training and "A" school).

You mentioned that you were being required to "make-up" drills that you missed while in boot camp???? If that is true, your command is out in left field. I have heard some off-the-wall stuff, but that takes the cake!!

CPO Kalbach is correct, you will be required to attend scheduled drills for the remainder of the FY.

well, no one has said that i will be processed for discharge if all 48 drills aren't completed, but it did seem there was an implicit suggestion that they be made up in whatever fashion necessary. I'm not sure if my immediate supervisors are aware of the actual wording of the regs or maybe they feel new members should "pay their dues" in a sense by working a few extra days. thanks for the input everyone.