Deployment vs PCS vs Minimum time at Station

[Tooth]

There is a deployment coming up in my command for which I am respectfully declining to volunteer. If I am selected to deploy, I would return with less than one month to PCS. While commands usually take this into consideration, there is an unusual crunch this year that may cause them to consider me anyway.

Isn't there a DoD-wide minimum amount of time that a service member must stay with his command after a deployment? Isn't there a 3 month requirement to make sure the service member isn't going to snap after coming back from deployment? I really don't know.

Further complicating the matter, I will only have two years left of ADO at the time of returning from deployment. I understand there is a minimum two year obligation with funded CONUS PCS orders. Therefore, if my current command extends my orders by even just one month, it would force me to overextend my ADO by one month to comply with the two-year minimum time on station at my next command. The military cannot force anyone to overextend their ADO. So how is this supposed to pan out? Would someone with more experience please help me understand some of the rules better?

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[Kabek]

The military cannot force anyone to overextend their ADO. So how is this supposed to pan out? Would someone with more experience please help me understand some of the rules better?

Tooth,

Everything is at "the needs of the service." They certainly can keep beyond your ADO although it is done far less frequently then prior years. In the long term a month or two isn't a big deal unless of course your are trying to specialize and that time line will put you past July.

Sorry.

 

[krmower]

There is a deployment coming up in my command for which I am respectfully declining to volunteer. If I am selected to deploy, I would return with less than one month to PCS. While commands usually take this into consideration, there is an unusual crunch this year that may cause them to consider me anyway.

Isn't there a DoD-wide minimum amount of time that a service member must stay with his command after a deployment? Isn't there a 3 month requirement to make sure the service member isn't going to snap after coming back from deployment? I really don't know.

Further complicating the matter, I will only have two years left of ADO at the time of returning from deployment. I understand there is a minimum two year obligation with funded CONUS PCS orders. Therefore, if my current command extends my orders by even just one month, it would force me to overextend my ADO by one month to comply with the two-year minimum time on station at my next command. The military cannot force anyone to overextend their ADO. So how is this supposed to pan out? Would someone with more experience please help me understand some of the rules better?

There is a 90-day stabilization period following deployment. If you deploy your command could either keep you there for another year, or you could PCS later that summer/fall following the 90 day stabilization.

Any CONUS PCS the ADO is only 1 year - so you would have no problem with your 2 yr ADO. OCONUS ADO is 3 yrs accompanied and 2 yrs unaccompanied.

 

[Tooth]

Any CONUS PCS the ADO is only 1 year - so you would have no problem with your 2 yr ADO. OCONUS ADO is 3 yrs accompanied and 2 yrs unaccompanied.

That's what I was taught at OIS in '05 but, since then, multiple people have told me that CONUS orders are now three year orders with 2 year minimum time on station.

 

[krmower]

That's what I was taught at OIS in '05 but, since then, multiple people have told me that CONUS orders are now three year orders with 2 year minimum time on station.

May be different in the Navy than the Army.

 

[dentalOH]

That's what I was taught at OIS in '05 but, since then, multiple people have told me that CONUS orders are now three year orders with 2 year minimum time on station.

Procedures for military assignments are governed by DOD Instruction 1315.18.
It is correct that CONUS orders are for three years. This is the TOS (time on station) needed before you are able to PCS to another duty station. This does not affect you as you are already scheduled to PCS.

6.4.1 The minimum TOS requirement for all assignments within or from the CONUS shall be for 36 months. Waivers may be granted individually on a case-by-case basis by the Military Service concerned provided it is determined that the Service member is the most qualified resource available. The Secretary of the Military Department concerned may delegate the level of requesting a TOS waiver no lower than an O-6. Approval shall be by the Secretary concerned, unless otherwise delegated in accordance with this Instruction.

What you are calling minimum time on station is called retainability in the DOD Instruction. It varies depending on the category of move and may be waivered in the same manner as TOS.

6.5.1 CONUS-to-CONUS Moves. Require 2 years retainability after arrival at the gaining installation. (Service members who are being assigned from shore to sea duty or are changing occupational specialty or skill designator as a result of retraining must have a minimum of 1-year service retainability.)

6.5.2 CONUS-to-Overseas and Overseas-to-Overseas Moves. Except when authorized in this Instruction, Service members shall not depart the CONUS or other departure ports unless they shall have obtained the retainability for serving the prescribed tour, whether an accompanied or unaccompanied tour length.

6.5.3 Overseas-to-CONUS Moves. Require a minimum of 12 months retainability, except as indicated in subparagraphs below...

6.5.4 Exceptional Moves. Members reassigned CONUS-to-CONUS or overseas-to-CONUS as a result of humanitarian reasons (subparagraph 6.4.2.10., above), prisoners (subparagraph 6.4.2.15., above), and patients (subparagraph 6.4.2.16., above) respectively who cannot effectively be used at, or in the vicinity of, the installation; and Service members returning from operational contigencies overseas (operations in hostile environments) should have a minimum of 6 months service retainability at the gaining installation.

If you are deploying, it appears as if you would fall under Exceptional Moves and only need 6 months retainability.

http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/131518p.pdf