I recently recieved an email from my supervisor stating that the reserve needed to stand at least one night duty for each drill I do. I do not know if this is a base duty or unit duty..yet. But does this sound right? I have a pretty tight school schedule, and though I could probably swing it. I would be miserable and tempted to get out the CG completely. Despite TA!

Hmmm...not exactly clear what you're referring to.

It's kinda hard giving you advise not knowing anything about you.

Are you a non-rate? PO? What is your rating?

Are you at a STA? Sector? Where?

Filling in some of these holes will allow us to give you proper advice.

What type of unit are you in?

I'm a Corpsman at an ISC.
Any help is much appreciated.

As a student, it is only resonable for you to do weekend drills. They own you from Sat morn to Sun eve so they may have you stay overnight to work on call at a clnic. You are a student, and tell them that the weekdays generally don't work out for you.

I thought an IDT drill consisted of a minimum of four hours for one drill. Eight hours for two drills. If I am meeting those requirements, then what gives? I briefly looked over the reserve manual, but I don't see anything about duty.

I had a good schedule for a while. I guess I'm still in the shock phase of my schedule change. But I'll adapt and adjust. That is what being the CG is all about.

Sometimes it's a matter of commitment.

As a member of a PSU earlier in my career, I took off from work every Friday before drill and drove five hours to get there, spending the night in the barracks at Camp Perry.

Drilled all day Saturday and Sunday, then drove another five hours Sunday evening to get home.

Then back to work at 0700 hours on Monday (due to commuting, between a bus ride and train trip, I got up for work at 0430 hours and got home from work at 1715 hours every evening).

For all of that, I got my four monthly drills.

quote:

recently recieved an email from my supervisor stating that the reserve needed to stand at least one night duty for each drill I do. I do not know if this is a base duty or unit duty..yet. But does this sound right? I have a pretty tight school schedule, and though I could probably swing it. I would be miserable and tempted to get out the CG completely. Despite TA!

I'm sure the Coast Guard wouldn't want to do anything that might inconvenience you or make you miserable......

Gonna really mess you up if for some reason your are activated, ain't it?

Yup, it sounds about right. You may only be scheduled for four four hour drills, but guess what? "Needs of the service" trump all.

I'm a MST reservist and have been called out at 2.30 AM for a sunken vessel on a Sunday morning when its my drill weekend. When I do my ADT I am ALWAYS put on the response schedule for a WEEK STRAIGHT (due to a very small unit.)

Basically I figure when I am working for the USCG their needs trump mine. I signed the contract, so I could get TA money and the G.I Bill as well as have my resume list doing environmental response for the feds. I was made aware when I signed up that you will occasionally work longer whes needs be.

I made it through my double B.S degree plan while serving one weekend a month and intend on entering grad school AND staying in the reserves. If you can't handle the balance of school and one weekend a month then the USCGR isn't for you.

Besides, if you have duty overnights on a weekend, just study if school is overwhelming. Most weekends are laid back anyways.

Let me put it this way.

At 0030 one Monday morning (just finished a standard 4-drill weekend), I got a call from a hospital on a Caribbean island, passed by the OOD aboard a visiting WMEC: two seaman had been "chopped-up" by machetes and were there in the ER.

Should I have told the OOD and doctor that -- as a reservist -- I was off-duty? No. I crawled out of bed, drove to the hospital, and did all I could to assist my fellow Coasties.

I also joined the USCGR in college for extra money, and 25 years later, remain.

66,

So they are actually making you do the duty that everyone else has to do and you are whining about it? Leave. Take your lazy butt out and leave. Seems the only reason you joined was to have the taxpayers fork over the money to send you to HS school and then for you to go to college.

You don't seem to be a member that wants to DO YOUR JOB! Waa Waa Waa. Make a hole for someone who deserves the chance to get a slot.

quote:

I had a good schedule for a while. I guess I'm still in the shock phase of my schedule change. But I'll adapt and adjust. That is what being the CG is all about.

So why are people still piling on and giving this Coastie grief? He/she knows what the solution is without more senior persons being high handed about it. Bottom line is - an IDT multiple is a MINIMUM of 8 hours and a MAXIMUM of 24 hours. It does not includes travel, sleep and/or break time. Check the Reserve Policy Manual, Chapter Two for the definitions and Types of IDT.
6635919 - You had a valid question and you deserved a response. Too bad some folks see it as an opportunity to go on the attack instead of helping out a young, fellow Coastie.
Keep having fun.

IM IT,

You are incorrect. Why should we try and help someone who obviously does not want to do the job they are supposed to and was seeking input on getting around a duty schedule.

This "young Coastie" is a lazy member.

I wouldn't call them "lazy," because they simply asked a question or two and voiced concern on how this change in their duty schedule would affect them.

Now, if I were this Coastie and had overnight duty, I'd make sure to bring my schoolwork and use some time to study rather than sitting in front of the TV - of course that would only happen after all other assigned duties were taken care of.

Remember, folks:

ATTACK THE MESSAGE, NOT THE MESSENGER!

(You know better, BTDT).

First, last, and only warning.

With that said, Keep On Having Fun...

JerryG,
How would you phrase what 919' post obviously implies? I read it as "the CG has suddenly become inconvenient to me, how do I get around it?" "Or maybge I will quit" I would not necessarily call the person lazy, maybe unrealistic expectations. Too many of us Reservists work our butts off, often investing many more hours than we could ever get paid for, only to occassionally work with foks that are here to milk our service for everyhting it offers, while returning very little. 919 even mentioned Tuition Assistance! Wow, wonder how he/she will feel when they get assigned to a PSU? Not attacking the messenger, only doing what all good Chiefs do - telling the person what he/she needs to hear, not what they want to hear.

quote:

But I'll adapt and adjust. That is what being the CG is all about.

No need to call him/her a "lazy butt", it is apparent he/she has accepted the change and is moving forward.

If you take a look at the profiles of the folks who tried to give words of encouragement, you see a MC, a Chief and a couple of W's.

Take a look at the folks with the "negative waves": a retired E-5, and reserve E-6.

The "Chiefs" are doing their jobs and telling it like it is.

Those who aren't have a long way to go.

No Jerry, some of us who work full time, go to school for our Masters, study our butts off, work another PT job AND do our Reserve duty, (another set of multiple jobs requiring constant study and quals), get a little IRATE when someone whines about having to do their job!

If the OP is so flexible and willing, why did they bother posting in the first place?