I have an odd situation I am in. I reenlisted into a SFC (E7) position in my unit. I was not MOS-Q in the slots MOS so I went to MOS-Q school, 21Y. Now, to geet promoted I have to go to BNCOC all phases to be promotable to SFC. My date of rank predates the need for WLC and it has been waived. Since I am already occupying my promotions slot (E7), how does the promotion work?
Normally, an E6 becomes promotable, puts in an EPS packet. When he is the highest points he is offered any E7 positions in his primary MOS, that are within the miles he specified in his EPS packet. He is then offered that vacant E7 slot, he accepts, transfers to that unit, and gets promoted upon arrival. But, since my E7 slot is occupied by me, it wont show up on the vacancy list, so how does the promotion work? Once I complete BNCOC can my unit put me up for promotion since I am already in my E7 slot? No one at my unit seems to know. All I hear is that I shouldnt have been able to sit in the E7 slot if I wasnt MOS-Q in the slots MOS. But, that was part of my contract.
It is wrong to consider the E7 slot you are in as yours; sitting in a position that is a grade above yourself gives you no inherent rights to the position. You may have been enlisted to the position because a SSG position was too far away from your residence. So rather than lose the enlistment you were brought in against a one grade higher position. In order to become a SFC all that is required is you are offered, accept & move to a SFC position thru EPS. In order to get on the EPS roster you must be eligible for evaluation (the EPS packet you speak of). Since you came into the Guard as a SSG in a SFC position, you may have agreed to not be eval eligible for a minimum of 12 months to as long as when the next SSG-to-SFC eval occurs. This gives current EPS SSG 21Y's first crack at vacancies. Plus you may be coded as excess to the SFC position which means an EPS fill can be requested by the unit and filled even though you are in it. Also a prior service 21Y SFC could enlist into your state and be slotted in the SFC position you are sitting in and it would be their position. If your unit is playing the game of waiting until you come to the top of the 21Y SSG roster it could be some time before that happens for the reasons noted above. This is also wrong to currently eligible SSG 21Y's that are willing to commute to your unit for a SFC position. EPS was created to end the 'good ole boy' promotion system. However, units do know that if they don't request an EPS fill for a vacancy probably no one will make them. The problem with this is that 2 soldiers are then hurt, the one on the top of the roster willing to make the drive for their next promotion and the soldier sitting in the slot waiting/hoping they get to the top soon. Hopefully this isn't the case. If it is, the MACOM CSM isn't doing a very good job for the enlisted soldiers they are charged with being the advocate for.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: roppd,
I agree with everything you said. I recall early on in this telling the unit that they needed to be sure this is possible. There are only 2 SSGs 21Y in the state of California. Me and a guy at Division who is not promotable and wont drive in excess of 50 miles (its 100+ miles for him to drill at my unit). There are no SFCs. The unit needed to fill someone in this slot or they could not field the equipment. It is a tough MOS to qualify for so your average NG enlistee wont qualify.
I guess I was a "special case". The unit really wanted and needed me, as did those at Division wanted me in that slot on the IBCT team.
I am not on the UMR as an excess man, I am actually in that slot and it doesnt show up as vacant. Now, Division also has a 215D WO slot open that they really wanted me to drive into. I heard that the SSG at Division was going to put in a packet for that WO slot, he is deployed now. When I heard this I decided not to put in a packet to defer it to him.
So, all that said... How will I get promoted? I made E7 once before, i can make it again somehow. If I dont, I am out. I told my unit that they have a year and 4 months to accomplish this. I will do what they need me to do, but I wont reenlist with no path to SFC.
Hi Oldervet. This is unrelated to your current topic. I'm a recruiter out of Washington and I've got an applicant interested in the daily life of 21U. I saw that you were/are a 21U on another posting. I'm wondering if you could give me some insight on your daily/drill/deployment duties that I can pass along to this applicant? I appreciate any response. I'm on the global. Ryan.W.Allen
Daily life of a formerly known as 21U, now renumbered to 21Y depends on what unit you are attached to.
The school gives you the equivalent of a BS in GIS. I have spoken to many GIS professionals in the civilian sector and the Army 21Y GIS soldiers are better trained and more knowledgeable than the average college GIS grad. Plus you get a Secret clearance out of the deal. GIS is now one of the top 3 requested degrees in universities right now and is fast growing field. OK, enough of the recruiting stuff.
Depending on if you are a BCT or Division level Topo team will determine what equipment you will use. Mine is a IBCT and is a Humvee mounted system, very small a nd tight space. We work with the S-2 a lot and create TDA's, Tactical Decision Aides, which are coolio looking map products using a variety of data.
We are usually formed into a four man team. One E7 or WO, and three others, usually E5, E4 and E3. We work on a variety of map related products in a way that remarkably resembles a small business. Its a quiet life and not remarkable. You have to be good with computers and like imagery and databases. But, you will also train like the grunts do too. I also have lots of stuff that needs sweeping and latrines that need cleaning. We get farmed out often when there is nothing for us to do.
an alaract came out last year about giving potential e-7's 1 year to complete bncoc, maybe you can run that up pole.I will look for the message. I tired it with my unit, they said I have to get selected, and I wont get selected until I complete BNCOC and phase II will be a little issue for me. I already got a slot lined up too.
here is a newer MILPER MESSAGE NUMBER : 08-272 I wish I could find the other one but this one probably cancells it out. It pretty much says if hqda may determine due to your unit's deployment schedules that you didnt have time to attend bncoc, they may waive it.
Not sure it applies to me. Seems it was for AGR soldiers. My unit CSM is talking about just sending me to ANCOC instead and skip BNCOC. I dont think that is possible under any situation. I grow confused... maybe I should just ETS and call it done.
in my mos ancoc is pretty much a rehash of bncoc.or it least it was 3 years ago it may have changed. I know of one e7 decide to reclass to 11b so he could do 11b ancoc. then went back to his duty mos
