15 January 2009

wishing for the emails to stop

This email rubbed me the wrong way today:
Alcon,

You have been identified as having Reserve obligation left on your
enlistment contract. If you are interested in returning to an Army
Reserve unit, I can assist you with that. There is a lot of Benefits
and Incentives for you to return to the Army Reserves.
By the way, this isn't the only email I've received on this topic.

I was declared unfit for duty. I was separated from the Army and put on temporary disability retirement. And yet I'm getting contacted about coming back into the Army because they think I'm in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). Does the right hand not know what the left hand is doing?

To get off of the list of those in IRR I need to contact the Human Resource Command (HRC) and provide a copy of my DD214. Once upon a time I had access to one of the internal, secure websites the HRC uses for personnel information. I know I'm in that system. But I also know that system doesn't properly reflect those that are in the National Guard or the Active Duty components. And, to be fair, the end of my "active" status where I went to drill was the same month of my retirement. So , yes, it's quite possible that there's a disconnect between systems. That doesn't change the fact that it's annoying.

I am not fit for duty. I am not interested in trying to get back in. I am done. D-O-N-E. Done.

Is it too much to ask for the emails to stop?

2 comments:

Stan68ar said...

First - thanks for your service.

It is frustrating to many Reservist that the supporting administrative systems are often insufficient to provide for mobilizations, TDYs, training and pay. The Army Reserve has been underfunded for fulltime support for so many years that the increase in mission and deployments has been jeporsdized as a result.

I served 18 years as a Reserve Mil Tech - 6 people to support a Brigade of 800 personnel - never adequate...and the story is the same for IRR, Retired Reserve and other parts of the Army Reserve.

Hopefully the renewed emphasis on adequately resourcing the Reserve Components will result in process improvement for all.

Techno said...

From my retraining on, I had been doing admin work -- I have a good understanding of what you're talking about. While deployed I tracked vaccinations for over 600 soldiers, with better-be-accurate-strength reports at least twice a month. I think the only reason why things went "mostly" smooth was because the entire brigade was admin personnel of one flavor or another, servicing Reserve soldiers throughout theatre.

When I was working with a local unit during my MEB/PEB process they had four full timers for two units. I made five. The workflow from downrange waxed and waned, and I think we spent just as much, if not more time getting the office organized and unearthing "missing" paperwork.

I know it's tough. I know the system is stretched to the limits. It's frustrating -- if a form gets lost, it's automatically our fault. And it could have a huge impact if it never gets found.

I wonder how long it'll take to get the right people in the right places.