deployments...

[stonewall22]

From what I've read and studied I've seen that deployments are typically about a year for Army, 6 months for Navy, and 3-4 months for Air Force, but I'm curious if anyone can comment on the frequency of deployments?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[IgD]

My Navy friend is going on her second deployment within a 2 year period. (6 months on, 6 months off?

 

[colbgw02]

It's service, specialty, and location specific. In the Army, "generalist" deployments are a year long; "specialist" deployments are 6 months. In my department, no one deploys twice until everyone has deployed once. But I know of some places where the newest guy to the department deploys, even if he just redeployed before PCSing.

 

[mcclesm]

AF follows AEF (air expeditionary force) guidelines...equates to about one 4+ month deployment every year and a half or so. Basically, you get assigned into a bucket (AEF #) and you will always know when you're eligible to deploy. Of course, there are always exceptions...

 

[mitchconnie]

AF follows AEF (air expeditionary force) guidelines...equates to about one 4+ month deployment every year and a half or so. Basically, you get assigned into a bucket (AEF #) and you will always know when you're eligible to deploy. Of course, there are always exceptions...

The above has recently changed. Deployments for most medical personnel are now 6 months, starting with the current rotation. My understanding is that the AEF cycling has also recently changed, particularly for high-demand specialties, and you may not have the usual time between deployments (roughly a year). Rumor mill says 6 months away followed by six months home for general surgery, but that may or may not be the case.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

Most AF docs now do 6 months deployed, 18 months home.

 

[edmadison]

In my department, no one deploys twice until everyone has deployed once.

I'm glad this is true for you. The problem with this concept armywide is that many Docs are not deployable. I don't have the numbers but it's not small. Some are old, some are broken, some are gaming the system and some are pregnant.

If you are in a FORSCOM unit, you are going to deploy more. Probably about every 2-3 years for a combat arms unit. My unit just got home in Nov. and is already gearing up for its early 2010 deployment. For MEDCOM docs filling slots through taskings and PROFIS, it's much less. For my specialty, pediatrics, it's probably about 4-5 years between deployments.

The difference between 6 months and 12-15 is huge. I'd much rather deploy for six months every 2 years than for 12 months every four (if I was staying in that is).

Ed

 

[oneyearwonder]

Many USAF GMOs (flight docs), especially those SME (flying squadron affiliated docs) are gone AT LEAST 4mo per year, often 6+months out of the year. Since the USAF is hurting for GMO flight docs so badly, many bases are deploying 6+ mo per year and while home for the other 5-6months you're getting hammered in the clinic while your partner is deployed.

Not all GMOs are experiencing this but many, many are. I still don't know what is worse: being away from my wife and kids for those 6months or being home putting up with all the on-base, GMO clinic BS.

Just thought you should know what the recruiters NEVER tell you. =)

 

[i want out]

From what I've read and studied I've seen that deployments are typically about a year for Army, 6 months for Navy, and 3-4 months for Air Force, but I'm curious if anyone can comment on the frequency of deployments?

Another question you need to ask, is how much notice before your deployment. This is more a quality of life issue than anything, but something you should be aware of.

in 2006, the Navy was bragging about increasing the notification time from below 30 days to an average of above 30 days notification before going on a six month deployment.

Even though the Navy average at that time, was 30-40 days notice, I know one Doc that got 12 days notice, and another that was notified 6 days before he left.
Think about that for a moment, 6 DAYS he was seeing patients on a Monday morning in his clinic, and his CO dropped by to tell him that he was going to be on a plane Sunday morning leaving for 6 months in the Sandbox. The nurse running the booking for his clinic wouldn't cancel his patients, so he was still seeing patients on Wednesday morning, until he pitched fit about having to get his predeployment stuff done.

At that time, there was also some Navy policy about how long you were supposed to be at a command when you first PCS's in before you could deploy, but it was regularly ignored, and many people deployed within a few months if not days of arriving at their new command.

I know of a couple of folks that were called off of their leave between duty stations to come in, and were told they were to deploy within the week.

Think about how much you have planned, or tentatively planned for the next six months, and whether or not being 7,000 miles from home would impact those plans.

i want out (of IRR)