DOD bans all domestic travel for personnel and families amid coronavirus crisis

[Cirque du So-What]

Source: Military Times

Pentagon officials late Friday announced a total domestic travel ban for all troops, civilian personnel and their families until May 11 in an effort to limit their potential exposure to the coronavirus.

In addition, troops will be granted “only authorized local leave” for the duration of the travel restrictions, limiting their ability to visit family and friends in far away states.

“The continuing spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) necessitates immediate implementation of travel restrictions for domestic Department of Defense travel,” the memo announcing the new travel rules stated.

“These restrictions are necessary to preserve force readiness, limit the continuing spread of the virus, and preserve the health and welfare of service members, DOD civilian employees, their families and the local communities where in which we live.”



Read more: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/03/14/dod-bans-all-domestic-travel-for-troops-employees-in-response-to-coronavirus-threat/

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Article goes on to say this goes into effect on Monday, March 16.

[sarge43]

1. This is extreme.

Right up there with the hold put on discharges during the Berlin Wall crisis.

Speaking of discharges, what is going to be done about all the personnel scheduled for discharge or retirement?

[Cirque du So-What]

2. Article doesn't say anything about discharges

It sounds like transfers are on hold for now, however. I was transferred to a command 300 miles away when I was discharged from active duty, so that could happen.

[sarge43]

3. My way back machine immediately kicked in

The good old days when I was riding herd on a discharge section in Personnel.

Staff meeting: "Sir, I have 11 discharges pending this month, one of them a mook with an Other Than Hon. Are they duration and six or do they and possible virus just waltz out the gate?"

"Don't know, sergeant. Just handle it."

On the way back to the office, "Mother $#&)*!!+"

Taking SNAFU and FUBAR to a whole new level.

[GusBob]

4. It said

those “approaching retirement or separation are exempt”

Does seperation mean discharge? Im a civilian

[Cirque du So-What]

6. Yes, separation is discharge

[GusBob]

9. Lol

Wouldnt it be prudent to read your own posted link before giving out faulty information

You wouldn’t want to have folks speculating

N’est-ce pas?

[sarge43]

7. How you can waltz out the gate.

Separation is the generic term. As always, the devil's in the details.

Discharge: Contract fulfilled, no further obligation.

Release from active duty: Still some time on the contract to fulfill. Usually put in inactive reserve for the duration.

Retirement: Permanent inactive reserve status. UCMJ, Article 2.

[jmowreader]

15. There's a difference between "separation" and "discharge"

When you enlist in the active military, it's for eight years. Three or four of those years are spent on active duty. The rest of your enlistment is in either the Selected Reserve (where you join a Reserve unit and do one weekend a month, two weeks in the summer and deployments to countries that have oil your president wants) or the Individual Ready Reserve, where you are placed on a list in case they need to call you back to go to a country that has oil your president wants, but you don't have any other relationship with the military.

"Discharge" means your entire military obligation has ended. "Separation" means your active duty obligation has ended and you get to go home, but you're still on the rolls of the military.

And then there's "retirement." If you retire from the military, you are going to be in the military for the rest of your life. That's fine because, although you don't get to go out and shoot guns or dig ditches with your unit, you still get to go on base to use the PX and the Rod and Bottle Club.

[GusBob]

5. The article indicates

Troops approaching retirement or separation are exempt

[Cirque du So-What]

8. Missed rest of article

Thought it ended after the effective date statement. Fucking ads anyway!

[GusBob]

10. No harm no foul

I was looking thru there to see if it was just air travel

I fly government funded air travel for my job every month.

I reckon I will be grounded

[sarge43]

12. So how will they be replaced?

Probably get by without the two stripper. The Chief or Sergeant Major who has 30 years of experience and knowledge, that might cause some problems. S/he runs the show. "He couldn't spit if I didn't swab his throat every morning."

[sarge43]

11. Another action packed, fun filled scenerio: Boot camps

Thousands of younin's from all over packed in barracks (which are petri dishes) for weeks. Are they on hold?

Every DI and TI: "I'm going to shoot them or myself."

[Cirque du So-What]

13. I remember hearing stories from recruits at Great Lakes Training Center

Bronchitis was practically universal.

[sarge43]

14. Yup. Guaranteed someone will bring in something nasty.

Former recruit wrangler here.