I am an E-3 in the Reserve Engineer Corps, I am a 21W which is a carpentry/masonry specialist. I am in the middle of trying to swith units, and MOS's. I have found a slot for me and the unit would take me on a will train basis. Reason being, transportation to drill is difficult for me and relying on other soldiers to get me there is also a problem for me, work in the civilian world is not allowing me to support my mother who cannot work because of illness or my 3 year old brother she takes car of. I am looking to get released from my unit and transferred to a medical unit to pursue a medical MOS (68E, dental specialist) it will be something I can use for the civilian career goals I have and I feel I can better serve the army in something I really want to do, I can also spider up into dental hygiene if I stay enlisted. I have gone through my chain of command and spoken to my retention NCO, he says he would be shocked if they wouldn't release me because they would rather have a soldier that is serving the army and doing it well vs. being discruntle when now a days a soldier has the power to simply say... I'm not going to drill. Sure they will be put on the IRR or can request it but ultimately if a soldier wants out, he can get out. I don't want that, nor do I hope it comes to that. I have submitted a very good letter and given copys to retention, the unit administrator and the commander and I will be counseled this drill (this weekend) and hopefully it will get approved. I heard it then has to go to battalion and then back to retention for the ultimate decision, it has been two months now. What do you think my odds are? I would be SO happy to get my request granted.

Another issue I have is though I am a reservest I am enrolled in ROTC, this is my first semester and lack of credits is the only thing keeping me from contracting with ROTC and being non deployable. I would very much so like to be an officer and I believe I have what it takes however I fear deployement will get in the way, that they will snatch me up under a technicality and say NOPE you have not finished your first semester of ROTC so pff, your goin'. I have spoken with other cadets and they have told me that Lt. Col **** would be able to pull strings and keep me in the program and state side because they see it as no matter what I will do a tour, and that they would rather have me do it in the leadership capacity other than just another enlisted PFC, also it would be in the best intrest of the army considering I would have an additional 3 years active duty as a 2nd Lt. instead of the remaining 5 years on my enlisted contract. I am honestly scared that iraq will get in the way of my goals right now and that I will not be able to complete them. What do you think of the situation, help would be great I am really uneasy thinking about all this right now... being sent over some technicality like not having completed the "full" semester of ROTC so I get sent even though I'm in the middle of completing it right now.

 

How do you not have enough credits to contract? I wasn't aware that there was a requirment to contract at all. We haveseveral contracted SMP guys here who don't have many hours...

Is your unit set to deploy soon?