Getting put on assignment can be stressful to any Soldier. When a Soldier is placed on assignment to a duty location they do not want to go to, or they just do not want to leave their current duty assignment for a number of reasons, there is still a way out of it–though everyone should be aware that a request for an assignment deletion is never guaranteed. Branch managers at HRC place Soldiers on assignment for a variety of reasons, and they are only ones who can tell you what that reason is. Because of this, deletions, though not impossible, are a matter of timing, unit strength, and justification.
When attempting to delete assignment orders, make sure you give a reason that is justifiable and logical.
In order to request an assignment deletion, you must fill out a DA Form 4187 requesting deletion of assignment. A format for the DA Form 4187 can be acquired from your S1. Ensure you give a reason that is justifiable and logical. Just remember, the more information, the better. Also be sure to attach any supporting documentation you have such as doctor’s medical notes, memos from your child’s school, school reservation letters, etc. The documentation of course will depend on your situation. The DA Form 4187 must be signed by you, your company, battalion, and in some units, the brigade commander. Your DA Form 4187 will be routed to your S1 for input into the system (EDAS) or will be sent to your branch manager for approval. Based on my experience, branch managers usually make a decision within a week. Your S1 should be able to give you status updates.
If your request is disapproved but you would like a later report date, consider a deferment request using the same procedures above.
Comments
samanha garcia
i just got put on orders but i only have a year left. my report date will be only10 months prior to ets date. am i required to take a pt test before i can reup to pcs? this is i just had a baby 2 months ago.
Mackie
When was your last APFT? AR 601-280 has the requirements for reenlistments.
Kelsee
I am 3 months pregnant and my husband just got orders for an unaccompanied tour in Korea. I am due November 4th and he is supposed to leave October 28th.
This is my second child and I had postpartum depression with my first. Is there anyway that a doctors letter documenting my condition/risk could cancel his orders to Korea since it is so close to the birth of our second child?
dave
Im interested, did u provide the military a doctor’s statement saying this, did it work?
john
I recently got recruiting orders, but I was also accepted for MI and have all the proper documentation proving my acceptance. I got my 4187 signed by the whole chain of command, but the issue I am having is trying to figure out who to send it too. I called HRC they said call USAREC and they told me to call branch, because they could not delete my orders only HRC can, but HRC is saying the same thing. S1 did not do anything for me so I am all by myself on this one, everybody is giving me the run around and would like to know who can I call
Cait
i know this sounds selfish and as if im not a understanding wife. but I have been struggling with accepting the fact that my husbad is getting orders to go to south korea for 9months. ive had nightmares and cried myself to sleep about it ever since I got the news. they leave in june. I want to him to get out of it soo bad. I feel like its going to ruin our marriage. please don’t lecture me about trust and stuff. I know the ins and outs of a deployment to korea and what its like. word of mouth is everything when it comes to the army. please give me some advice on how I can get him out please.
Mark Gerecht
Cait,
Based on the information you provided there is absolutely nothing that would allow him to be removed from the deployment to Korea. As service members separation is part of the deal we agreed to when we raised our hands. Unfortunately that also includes our family members. It is tough and can be painful. I spent a lot of time away from my wife and child. It was not something either of us wanted but we accepted it. The bottom-line is typically no matter what job (Civilian or Military) there will come a time or times when work separates the couple. The military tends have more separations but usually the separations more predictable in the when, where, how long verses the civilian aspect of last minute.
The only suggestion I can make provide is that you look at this issue from another perspective. Let’s say your husband comes home one evening and says “Honey I have bad news, I know I just got back from a deployment but now I have to leave for another 9 months”. You say that’s “Crap” “WHY”! He states “Well there is a Soldier who is fully deployable but his wife talked the commander out of sending him so now someone has to go and it’s me”! I don’t imagine you would care for that situation either. You see if you pull one person out, someone else has got to go. The unit is required to maintain a certain level of strength during deployments and certain types of Soldiers during the deployment in order to perform the mission. Totally get this is not pleasant but it is reality. Trust me no one really enjoys it.
Here is an actual situation that happened to me: While serving in Korea a Soldier told me that Korea destroyed his marriage. I then began asking a few questions. Nothing accusatory, just questions for the Soldier to honestly and seriously think about given their situation. After we finished I asked “Did Korea destroy your Marriage?” His answer “No” CSM, I can see it had nothing to do with the deployment…now.
Marriage is for better or for worse and it is not easy. We celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary tomorrow. We began our service in the military when I was 18 and my wife was 17. I can assure it was difficult, trying and coupled with a lot of heart ache and loneliness at times. I am sure this is not the answer you were looking for but unfortunately it is the only true and professional answer I can provide. You see some people believe you can get out of a deployment by lying and other deceptive means however nothing can be further from the truth. This type of behavior will only cause incredible problems for the Soldier and their family. In the end the Soldier will still deploy only now they deploy with a group of Soldiers that know the Soldier did not want to come, did not want to share the burden, and did want to live up to their duty and responsibilities. That is an uglier road and it has a big impact on family.
The only ways to actually be removed from a deployment to my knowledge: 1. Reduction of force based on change of mission 2. The MOS is no longer needed for the deployment and the unit has enough personnel to meet strength requirements throughout the deployment. 3. The Soldier is critical ill and cannot deploy. 4. Death of a family member- This will typically only result in a Soldier being returned to the states long enough to visit family for burial. Usually emergency leaves of this nature are 1-2 weeks in length. Then the Soldier is required to return.
Hope this Helps!
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SR
CSM,
Soldiers have a tendency to “yell” at, or make fun of wives who are just trying to get help and reassurance. You’re 100% right. Time away can be very difficult. Another thing to think about is how it is going to effect the Soldier. A lot of stress is added into the equation when he knows that his wife does not want him to go, or that she thinks it will end the marriage. My wife thought the same way Cait does at first. When she realized that she was putting extra stress into the situation, she put more effort into being supportive of my committment. Eventually, she got used to the idea that I would be gone for periods of time, and she adapted. She would go to school, or pick up more hours at work. In the end, being seperated for a few months is a lot better than being seperated for life. Just thought I would add my 2 cents.
natalie
i currently have orders to korea and i have a school aged chiild who is about to start school i am the primary resident for this and my ex husband does not want to let him come to korea and i want to be for his first year of school. how can i get my orders deleted
SGT Wilson
I have a neck injury and I am currently under chiropractic care. I have orders to Korea so my doctor would rather have me stay under their care here at my current duty station and not in Korea where their are no legal chiropractic clinics. Are document on my injury and a memo from my doctor enough to have my orders deleted? It seems like my chain of command and HRC are in no rush to give me an answer or take my injury seriously. Also I was unable to medically out process while trying to get my orders because i am under a specialty clinic.
Nicole
My fiancé got orders for Korea for a year despite having returned in fall 2018. I will be going to BOLC while he is moving to Korea this year and we have a 13 month old who will be taken care of by her grandmother. He will have to pay for a car and an apartment in Korea since there is no more housing on base. Plus he has his truck here to pay for and has to help pay for us as well. We will not be able to afford all of that. On top of that he has to pay child support (he has a child from a previous marriage). He is approaching 19 years next year. I know orders to Korea are impossible but he was just there and we will not be able to afford this. It would be even easier if we could go with him but it is a restricted assignment.
Mark Gerecht
Nicole please contact me via email: Mark.Gerecht@mentorinc.us discuss,
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Nicolas
I recently went to ig to complain about my chain of command and I told them to not keep my complain anonymous and they could say my name. a few weeks later after if was around my company talking to my chain of command I got orders for Korea, can my command team call branch and suggest me for orders? My command team knows that me pcs’ing Will put a hardship on me.
Mark Gerecht
Nicolas,
I am sure you are aware assignments are made by Human Resource Command (HRC). I was an assignment manager at HRC during my active duty time. So I have some experience in this area.
There are a couple ways a Soldier could be placed on orders. They include:
1. Volunteering for an Assignment. Let’s say you volunteer for Germany. Mostly likely they will consider you for Germany but could also consider you for needs of the Army like Korea. This does not usually happen but I have seen it happen. This action requires a DA FORM 4187 signed by you.
2. You have sufficient time on station and time remaining in service to complete an overseas assignment. This means that it is basically your time to be considered for a PCS move along with the others Soldiers in the Army fitting the parameters for a PCS move. This action is completed by HRC. They look at where you would like to serve and the needs of the Army and assign you as appropriate.
3. You do not have enough time on station but would like an exception to policy to move. This action requires a DA FORM 4187 signed by you.
4. You do not meet minimum time on station requirements but the Army has more important needs and reassigns you according to need.
Now your command could pick up the phone and say hey I have a Soldier I want moved can you put them on orders for Korea but the odds an assignment manager would listen to that are slim to none. If the assignment manager participated in such a conversation and took action I would be appalled as the behavior is unethical and unprofessional. I personally would call the leaders command and report them for unethical behavior. Now is there a chance your chain of command is a buddy of the assignment manager sure that’s possible but in order for this plan to work the assignment manager would have to be willing to place his/her career on the line as HRC would not tolerate such an action on the part of one of their assignment managers. The the odds of this happening im my opinion are less than 1%.
Now let’s say this did happen. I am sure the command did not put it in an email or forge a DA FORM 4187 with your signature so the ability to prove such an action would be very hard.
You can call your assignments branch and speak with the NCO or the civilian and ask questions concerning your assignment. If you do this just make sure you are professional and ask questions that are well thought out. Do not accuse them. You can ask if they could tell you what date your assignment was made. It is totally possible you were placed on assignment before you made your IG complaint.
Now let’s talk about an IG complaint. The IG cannot make a commander do anything. They can make recommendations. So if you go to the IG about something, they go to the commander and talk to the commander and basically try and assist the commander in resolving the issue. If the commander has done something really wrong and the IG recommends a change and the commander refuses then the IG can go to the General and tell the General what is going on. The General can then decide to make the change if he believes it is appropriate. So why do I bring this up? I want to make sure you understand how the process works. Professional leaders will address a Soldier’s concern without being worried about the IG. Smart leaders work closely with the IG.
You stated PCS would put you in a hardship. There are some exceptions that are true hardships but usually the hardships brought up by a Soldier are not hardship but inconveniences. When you sign up you sign up to serve where your are told to serve. While I was an assignment manager the hardship reasons I received were usually something like: I bought a house, marriage problems, kids in school, etc. None of these are typically hardships. In some cases I would recommend deferments and give the Soldier another 3-6 months to prepare but the Soldier usually PCSd. If you have a true hardship you need to sit down gather the facts and get your paperwork together. Read AR 614-200 Enlisted Assignments. Believe it or not the individuals that will be most instrumental in a deletion of orders is your Commander and 1SG but they have to be able to justify your deletion. However you do not need their support to submit a deferment or deletion request. They can recommend approval or disapprove but the final decision is made at HRC. I understand where you are coming from but honestly I would encourage you to trust the system. I seriously doubt your senior leaders have that kind of pull at HRC.
Now my last point. Before you ask for a deletion I would ask you to take a long look at yourself and what you are asking for. It appears it is your turn to go to Korea. Nobody really wants to go to Korea. But somebody has to go to Korea to fill the slots. Korea is probably the assignment Soldiers try the hardest to get out of. For that reason you better have a strong request that you can support with facts and letters. If not the odds of success are slim. Also it is possible HRC will simply see your request as another Soldier that does not want to go to Korea. I went to Korea and was not thrilled when I was placed on orders but it was one of the best assignments I had during my career. Basically an assignment is what you make of it.
I would encourage you to do a gut check. It is important that as Soldiers we do what is right, because it is right. Take a moment to look at this issue from the Army’s point of view. If you really believe you should be deleted and can support your position with facts from an ethical point I understand, if not I would encourage you to do your duty. Last but not least understand if you are deleted from Korea that does not mean will not be placed on orders overseas in the next 3-6 months and your next assignment could be alot worse than Korea.
Hope this helps!
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Malia
I think that you made a lot of great points about Soldiers not wanting to go to Korea. I am not going to say that when I first came on orders I felt the same way as many Soldiers. I found out that I was going to Korea while I was on a 9 month deployment already. So once I returned from deployment I would have about 9 months home and back out the door for Korea. I thought about trying to get out of assignment but when I really looked at myself I thought how can I tell someone else to do something that I intern cannot do myself? So once again I am leaving my kids behind to go to Korea alone because they are doing well in school and don’t want to go. I chose to come in the military and know that moving to assignments that I don’t always want is a part of life. If there is a real reason for a person not to go I understand but to make excuse on why they don’t want to go is just a shame. Everyone has a job and it needs to get done just like you like enjoy getting paid on the 1st and 15th.
Mark Gerecht
Malia,
Thanks for the post! It is always difficult to leave family members even in the best of times! Our character is measured by how we respond under difficult conditions. Anyone can be a Soldier on a sunny day in the states. For over a decade we have asked so much of our Soldiers and their families.
Best Wishes
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Noa Lane
Hello there, I have a quick question if you dont mind answering it for me. Can a battalion commander reach out to an offifers assignment manager who is requesting a permissive assignment to be stationed with their spouse apart of the MACP married army couple program, and tell sed hrc manager not to give then orders when the manager already told sed officer they would give them pcs orders for reassignment, basically does the chain of command control this or is this the assignment managers/big army hrc decision?
Mark Gerecht
Noa,
This response is based on the information you provided. Do not use this information as the sole source for a decision. Do your own research and seek guidance from the chain of command, IG/JAG or other agency as appropriate.
I was an assignment manager on active duty so here is my opinion based on my experience. The Commander can certainly contact the assignment manager. However the decision to assign you is totally up to the assignment manager. The assignment manager will balance the current unit requirement against the priority of the assignment you are seeking. If the assignment you are seeking is a higher priority then the assignment manager should assign you to the new assignment. As a secondary consideration the assignment manager can also consider your status as dual military.
If the commander does stop the assignment you can consider filing an Article 138 complaint against your commander under AR 27-10. See our YouTube videos at:https://youtu.be/Xe0UXbvW8No
If you would like to discuss the Article 138 complaint process feel free to contact me at: Mark.Gerecht@mentorinc.us
Check out our YOUTUBE CHANNEL: Mentor Military https://bit.ly/2FPymVa
Hope this helps!
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PFC Stone
I am currently on orders to Fort Cambell KC. I don’t really have any justification as to why I don’t want to go other then the fact that I want to be closer to home. I was looking for a legit reason for getting my orders deleted and switch to FORT Stewart GA. I was wondering if you could assist me in any way possible.