National Guard schedule conflict... HELP!

I can tell you that while we did not take a honeymoon, out wedding was scheduled same weekend as drill weekend and my husband was able to get out of drill because of our wedding.

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Hi all,

 

My future husband and I are taking our honeymoon vacation Oct. 5th on the Allure of the Seas.

 

I have one issue, and that's because he has drill one weekend a month (he is part of the Army National Guard), and we don't know his drill schedule after this September, we have no idea if we have booked on a date where he will be gone.

 

We paid the final payment but starting TOMORROW, we start losing money if we cancel our trip.

 

Is this something that Cruise Care covers? Since he is National Guard and not technically "Active Duty" do they still cover us if we have to cancel our trip after tomorrow?

 

Some advice would be lovely... Thank you...

I am a Captain in the Guard and his Commander should have no problem excusing him from drill for a pre-planned cruise. October is a new fiscal year and as such, the next years dates are not usually published until AUG SEP. He just needs to keep his leadership informed and aware he has a planned and paid for vacation. He can make up those drill days anytime in that training year.

If they dont excuse him...when they have not published the dates yet, he needs to elevate it higher up the chain of command. eventually common sense will prevail

With that said, Most travel insurance covers call-ups, etc...but not usually standard drills.

Again, like another poster stated...he needs to keep his leadership informed...they dont need to find out a week before.

It will depend upon your husband's unit commander, but it is possible to do a 'make up' drill. I'm NG retired and a former unit commander. You can get an 'excused' absence which would allow your husband to make up the drill. If the unit grant's this excuse, he would make alternative arrangements with the unit where he could perform the duty and would still get credit and get paid. The National Guard is run by the states and this would all depend upon the unit's policy. Strongly suggest your husband contact his unit immediately and see what can be done.

I also am a former Army Guard Unit commander. The Commander has broad leeway to grant reasonable exceptions when one of his people has a conflict with a scheduled drill.

He should write a letter to his commander and turn it in to his First Sergeant explaining your plans and the circumstances and requesting a "make up" drill date if necessary.

I must say I am shocked that the National Guard won't work with him to accommodate a long planned vacation, especially honeymoon. Really?

Um, wow, that's just not how it works. When the Army calls, you show up. Period, end of story. I guess if you're dead that would be an exception.

Can't tell you how many of our friends have missed even their own children's BIRTHS (not birthdays, mind you, but the actual birth), not to mention countless other milestones: weddings, graduations, funerals...etc.

I hope this soldier is able to work it out with the unit. But we learned long ago that NO plans are ever firm when you have a military commitment. That always comes first.

Um, wow, that's just not how it works. When the Army calls, you show up. Period, end of story. I guess if you're dead that would be an exception.

 

Can't tell you how many of our friends have missed even their own children's BIRTHS (not birthdays, mind you, but the actual birth), not to mention countless other milestones: weddings, graduations, funerals...etc.

Thats an over exaggeration and dramatization and the military isn't black ro white. Leadership exists at all levels to make decision on common sense situations like this. We are not talking about a Natural Disaster call-up or a deployment overseas or some other major event. We are talking about a National Guard drill weekend. I have served in the Guard for over a dozen years and have served as a Company Commander. There is no reason, whatsoever, for the Commander to deny an absence for a situation like this, or a wedding, or a graduation. If he does...he is just being an A$$...and you can then elevate the issue above his left through the proper channels and get it resolved.

If he keeps his leadership informed well in advance (like now...or 2-3 months ago) and he hasnt had a recent history of missing training events....it should be a 10 second conversation and you guys will be good to go.

the ONLY WAY someone is missing a birth...is if they are overseas in a conflict theater such as Iraq or Afghanistan...but EVEN STILL... I have seen over the past few years some exceptions being made for that and getting Soldiers home for it....

If you have Friends who said they couldnt attend a wedding or graduation because of National Guard Drill, and they were NOT preparing for a deployment, chances are they didnt want to ask off....or they didn't want to attend the event in question.:eek:

the ONLY WAY someone is missing a birth...is if they are overseas in a conflict theater such as Iraq or Afghanistan...but EVEN STILL... I have seen over the past few years some exceptions being made for that and getting Soldiers home for it....

 

tell that to our friend who literally swung by the hospital and dropped his wife off in labor before heading to the pier one morning. he was NOT deploying, it was a short training exercise.

or the other one who was on duty when her water broke and wasn't cut loose until he next morning( his relief did come in an hour early for him)

tell that to our friend who literally swung by the hospital and dropped his wife off in labor before heading to the pier one morning. he was NOT deploying, it was a short training exercise.

 

or the other one who was on duty when her water broke and wasn't cut loose until he next morning( his relief did come in an hour early for him)

Yes, and everyone has seen a a$$hole CO at some point in their career. I would have been relieved on the spot for that kind of crap, and they should have been. If you don't respect your Soldiers (Sailors, Airmen, Marines), why should they respect you?

tell that to our friend who literally swung by the hospital and dropped his wife off in labor before heading to the pier one morning. he was NOT deploying, it was a short training exercise.

 

or the other one who was on duty when her water broke and wasn't cut loose until he next morning( his relief did come in an hour early for him)

exactly. i have learned this the hard way, over the last 17 years. know plenty of folks who missed their kids' births, graduations, family funerals...when my husband was deployed, he wasn't allowed back for ANY reason.

trust me, if the military let each soldier return home to witness these family events, they wouldn't be able to run a unit. simply doesn't work that way.

(another reason to book thru a military agency like USAA, and be sure to get good insurance.)

exactly. i have learned this the hard way, over the last 17 years. know plenty of folks who missed their kids' births, graduations, family funerals...when my husband was deployed, he wasn't allowed back for ANY reason.

 

trust me, if the military let each soldier return home to witness these family events, they wouldn't be able to run a unit. simply doesn't work that way.

 

(another reason to book thru a military agency like USAA, and be sure to get good insurance.)

exactly. if Mr Spook can cut his guys loose, he will. if he cannot, he will not and it's not that he is an @$$ hole . Mission first.

I spent my first 5 anniversaries alone. our first CO missed ALL of his kids' births

if you are unwilling accept the sacrifice that comes along with serving, then don't serve. .

exactly. if Mr Spook can cut his guys loose, he will. if he cannot, he will not and it's not that he is an @$$ hole . Mission first.

 

I spent my first 5 anniversaries alone. our first CO missed ALL of his kids' births

 

if you are unwilling accept the sacrifice that comes along with serving, then don't serve. .

Pretty sure all of your posts have been related to Active Duty (I include activated NG/Reserve for this conversation as well). If not, then those situations must have been extreme. As everyone else has posted the NG will most of the time take into account civilian situations and work with a soldier who has properly communicated with his/her COC. My dad, all 5 of my uncles and myself are current or former military and everything you've posted sounds like active duty.

There's no denying military duty takes precedence in most situations. In the NG there are plenty of exceptions due to common sense issues and the fact most units do realize it is not AD.

I can't tell if you are still unhappy about how things went with your experiences and you think everyone should have to deal with it the same way or you think there is only one way to exist in the military. Either way, it sounds more like a rant than providing anything helpful.

Yes, and everyone has seen a a$$hole CO at some point in their career. I would have been relieved on the spot for that kind of crap, and they should have been. If you don't respect your Soldiers (Sailors, Airmen, Marines), why should they respect you?

9/10 times I've seen that it's not even the CO making the call, its the chain of command not willing to step up for their member. some of these situations I've seem to disappear once it goes up towards the O-1/E-6 and above level.

9/10 times I've seen that it's not even the CO making the call, its the chain of command not willing to step up for their member. some of these situations I've seem to disappear once it goes up towards the O-1/E-6 and above level.

I've experienced that myself. One thing I learned early on in my life (not just military) was that you are responsible for the success of yourself. That includes taking charge of your own situation and not relying on someone else to make things right. Sometimes it is necessary to go around your immediate COC. I wouldn't suggest it for everything, but when something is that important you have to do what's right and sometimes that means going up the COC until you get the right person.

tell that to our friend who literally swung by the hospital and dropped his wife off in labor before heading to the pier one morning. he was NOT deploying, it was a short training exercise.

In the Navy, when a ship goes to sea, even for an exercise, its a deployment. The OP's situation is not a deployment....

 

trust me, if the military let each soldier return home to witness these family events, they wouldn't be able to run a unit. simply doesn't work that way.

Are we done comparing deployments to NG weekend training? Again...as stated before...they are not the same. All you are doing is worrying the OP for no reason

Pretty sure all of your posts have been related to Active Duty (I include activated NG/Reserve for this conversation as well). If not, then those situations must have been extreme. As everyone else has posted the NG will most of the time take into account civilian situations and work with a soldier who has properly communicated with his/her COC. .

Thank you....apples and oranges....like I said above...we arent talking about ship going to sea, a deployment overseas, etc...we are talking about title 32 non-federal guard weekend training. Its not the same.

Everyone is trying to compare two situations like they are the same because they have the word "military" in them. Like I said before the military is not black and white when it comes to decision making like this.

OP....dont worry....you will get to go on your cruise.

I can't tell if you are still unhappy about how things went with your experiences and you think everyone should have to deal with it the same way or you think there is only one way to exist in the military. Either way, it sounds more like a rant than providing anything helpful.

Spot on.... Typical over dramatization....like a damn FRG meeting....

Thought I would bring this thread back to life since I just went through this last week with my cruise leaving this Sunday.

As I mentioned in an earlier post I went through this situation last year and everything turned out fine. But I had far more time to deal with it than two weeks. I just went through it again last week which was totally unplanned. We drill 3-4 days a month, not just two days which allows my unit to not have a drill in the last month of the fiscal year (September). So, of course I planned my cruise during September and booked last December.

Our cruise leaves this coming Sunday and at my last drill a week ago they tell us, "Oh, by the way we will have drill in September". And, of course that drill happens to be during my cruise. I'm not going to get into how irritating adding a drill last minute like that is. :mad: Long story short, I immediately passed the issue up the chain, filled out a split train request and got the approval from my PSG, 1SG and CO. All in about 30 minutes.

That's how you take care of these things. Communicate the issue and hope common sense prevails (granted it doesn't always prevail :rolleyes:).