Germany-based personnel unit goes to Iraq to ease GIs’ transition

[unhappycamper]

Germany-based personnel unit goes to Iraq to ease GIs’ transition
By Nancy Montgomery, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Monday, November 26, 2007

HEIDELBERG, Germany — Trying to plan their lives after deployment, the soldiers had sent in requests for extensions or another tour in Germany. But even as they battled insurgents in some of the deadliest places in Iraq, they were getting nowhere in the long, hard slog that can be the Army’s personnel system.

“A lot were coming back to us returned without action,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Steven McClaflin of the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment. “When we asked what that meant, no one could tell us. Bottom line — about 20 percent were actually getting approved.”

Enter, via Black Hawk helicopter, a crack team of personnel experts.

Armed with laptops, databases, and direct phone numbers to the Human Resources Command, the team from V Corps and the 1st Personnel Command made short work out of what is usually a lengthy and sometimes frustrating process.

In about four weeks, at five spots in Iraq and one in Kuwait, the team provided more than 950 soldiers of the 2nd “Dagger” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division with help getting what they wanted — whether it was extending in Germany, leaving Germany early, getting an in-place consecutive overseas tour or a spot in an Army school.

They did it all in minutes or hours, instead of the usual weeks or months, said Col. Joe Gill, V Corps’ G1 and the team leader.


Rest of article at: http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=50516

[flashl]

1. Amazing. No true benefits for the soldier

after all of the talk and money spent for a 'netcentric' military.