Orders for USUHS/OBC

[evines]

I'll be at USUHS in the Fall, and OBC this summer. Although I was supposed to have my orders by now, they haven't arrived yet. I e-mailed my Army contact, and she said that there was a delay at the "fund site," which I was told has something to do with my pay.
I have no prior military experience and don't fully know what orders are, or how long it takes to get my move set up, how the commissioning works, exactly how to get uniforms, etc. I am starting to get a bit nervous since I feel like time is running out. OBC is in 6 weeks, and I have some trips planned between now and then (apartment hunting for one) that's cutting into my preparation time.
So my questions are:
Is it going to be a problem getting my orders this late? Or is this normal? Should most people have their orders by now?

Will I be able to get my stuff moved before OBC assuming I get my orders soon? If not, how do I get my stuff up to Bethesda if I am in Texas until the end of July?

Is there anyone I can call and pester to expedite my orders?

Am I worrying over nothing?

Edit: one more thing . . .Do the orders include instructions on how to do everything I need to do?

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[evines]

Another note . . . the website for HPSP/USUHS OBC is now up.
http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/obc/04-302index.htm

 

[evines]

Still no orders. Has anyone heard of USUHS students not going to OBC before M1? I'm beginning to wonder whether I'll get orders before OBC starts. I'm supposed to leave for TX in about 3 weeks, and my orders are now 6 weeks late.

 

[cdreed]

I know this sounds like a cliche, but don't worry. The wheels of the military turn slowly. For instance, I am going to COT on 1 Jun, and I still have not received orders yet. I would suggest that you contact the school to see if they can point you in the right direction or at least offer sound guidance.

 

[grumbo]

I was in the same boat as you - waiting for the Army to issue orders for me to attend OBC, then USUHS. I've been emailing Louise Taylor at human resources and she gave me the following checklist of things that need to happen to get orders.

Step 1 receive unconditional status from USUHS.
Step 2 is to gain a fund site from Human Resources Command (HRC).
Step 3 is to have your security status verified.
Step 4 Request orders and forward to Human Resources Command.
Step 5 AMEDD Ctr and School issues fund site to HRC.
Step 6 Orders and appointment published by HRC.
Step 7 Advanced copy of orders sent to me.
Step 8 I will e-mail you a copy
Step 9 you receive orders and appointment in mail and follow instructions

You don't really have any control over any of this, but it's nice to know the steps, so you can guess how close you are to getting orders. I got my unconditional notice from USUHS on 4/5 and I just got an email copy of my orders today (Step 8). My official orders should arrive by next week at the latest, then I can arrange travel and anything else I need to get done. Since my orders went through the fund site okay, I would assume you should get through soon too. It's frustrating waiting for those orders, but very exciting when you finally get them (or at least an advanced copy). Maybe it's just me, but I'm still holding back a little until I have orders in my hands and I'm sworn in. Shoot, I'm still going to be a little nervous until I get to Ft. Sam and check in and my name's actually on the list. We've all been waiting for med school so long, it's hard to believe that it's real.

Enough rambling from me. Evines, I'm sure you'll get your orders soon, and I'll see you at OBC.

 

[evines]

Grumbo, thanks. I think I feel exactly like you. I want to get everything started, and am afraid something will go wrong.
I've been bugging Louise Taylor also, and she gave me the same rundown of the steps, which I thought was a relief to know, but like you said, doesn't help me get my orders any faster.
I got my unconditional acceptance in January, and my orders have been stuck at step 5 since March. I don't understand how that happens, but there's nothing I can do about it. I've started to worry that I won't make it to OBC this summer, so it's nice to hear the wheels of the Army are still turning.
I reserved my apartment up in Rockville last week. Woohoo!! I like it up there.

 

[evines]

I was afraid something would go wrong, and it seems that it has. I've called USUHS now about my orders, e-mailed Louise Taylor again , and still nobody knows why I don't have orders yet. Everyone agrees that I should have received them a long time ago since my unconditional acceptance was the first week of February.
Now it looks like I might not be in San Antonio this summer unless a miracle happens. This is a huge problem for me for many reasons. Here are a few:

1. I already quit my job since I was told orders were on the way over two months ago. I was counting on the money from OBC to pay for the apartment I already reserved up in Rockville. Now I don't know where the money is going to come from, and I don't have a job. This summer could be a total waste.

2. My family scheduled their summer vacation around my graduation from OBC. They already bought plane tickets and reserved a hotel room in San Antonio. Now I might not be there at all.

3. OBC is a good time to meet future classmates. Now I might have to go through OBC with next year's class instead of my own. I won't know anyone in my class when school starts in August.

4. The big reason to me . . .I was hoping to go to Germany or South Korea or something like that next summer, like normal USUHS students have the opportunity to do. Now I might have to go to OBC next summer, so no Germany for me.

This just really sucks. It takes a lot to piss me off, but I am really pissed off right now. I feel completely screwed over.

If I hadn't been calling people, e-mailing people this whole time, trying to figure out what was going on, I might be able to understand that something was overlooked and, oops, no OBC for me. But I have been pestering everyone trying to find out what's up, and was told over and over again, "getting orders is a complicated process between many gov't agencies. There is no way to know exactly when you will receive your orders. Blah blah blah."

Welcome to the military, I guess.

P.S. Maybe I'll be proved wrong and I actually get my orders in time for OBC. But I've lost hope.

 

[MeganRose]

Evines-- Call the lady at the USHUS office and ask her if youve actually gotten a slot in the OBC class. My orders to go to an OBC class that started in January (I was an MP before) didn't come until the beginning of December but the secretary at my ROTC unit was able to tell me that I was slotted for school for sure. Its a bad thing to travel without orders but if you've been slotted for school, then USUHS as the sending unit is obligated to pay for you and orders should follow. The Army is kind of bad about orders and doesn't have email attachment orders like the AF yet so keep in mind that you're always waiting for snail mail. When you get the orders they are a little difficult to read. My mom (career AF wife, AF personnel clerk) still double checks my orders for me to verify stuff like housing and authorized travel. PM me if you need any help with this.

 

[evines]

I've been assured that orders are on the way, and that I should get them in time to go to OBC. But the thing is . . . my orders still have not passed the "fund site" step. So there has been no movement in my orders in 10 weeks. They have been "on their way" for 2.5 months!! Something is wrong, and nobody has acknowledged this fact yet on the other side. I just keep getting told to wait. But by their own admission, orders normally take about 3 weeks to get to a person. So they could have sent me orders three times already. I'd settle for just one set though.

I was assured somebody would e-mail me 2 days ago, but nobody ever did. So I tried to call the person who was supposed to e-mail me, and nobody picked up the phone. Now I am sure nobody will be in the office until tuesday because of Memorial day.

I am supposed to leave for OBC two weeks from today. I think I am going to give up trying to be polite, and start demanding answers and an explanation, because this nice thing isn't working.

 

[idq1i]

If you get the orders by tuesday, do you still have time to get plane tix? You may want to give AMEDD a call to see if they could reserve you one

 

[evines]

I am planning on driving (from Orlando). Will I need to contact someone before I leave in order to get reimbursed?

 

[MoosePilot]

I am planning on driving (from Orlando). Will I need to contact someone before I leave in order to get reimbursed?

It's been awhile since I've entered active duty. Talk to them and ask all your questions for the best answers.

Are you doing the training and then driving home with the plan to leave from home for USUHS? If that's the case, you probably just drive to your training location. There will be a certain number of days driving time allowed. That matters because they will only pay your hotel rooms and per diem for that amount of days, but the days are usually generous. They may cap you at what it would have cost them to fly you to your training. They don't care if you want to take your car, but they're not paying extra for your preference.

If you're planning on going to your training and then on to your permanent duty station, you should talk to the base moving office (we call them TMO in the AF). With a valid set of orders you can set up for movers to move your stuff while you go on to training, or you can set up a DITY (do it yourself) move, where the military pays you a portion of what it would have cost to move you. You can often make money doing that, but it's going to be hard to store your stuff on the way.

Well a disorganized account, but ask questions of your service. They should help you out.

 

[idq1i]

If that's the case, you probably just drive to your training location. There will be a certain number of days driving time allowed.

1 day I will have to do w/o a car for 45 days because I can't drive 1900 from NYC in a day

 

[MoosePilot]

1 day I will have to do w/o a car for 45 days because I can't drive 1900 from NYC in a day

They gave you one day? That's wild. I took four days to drive 2000 and found out later I had 6 days available. You can generally take longer if you're just coming on to active duty, but you won't get paid for the unallowed days and might not be covered by mil health insurance.

 

[pilotdoc]

I think you got some bad info about your moving time. You are supposed to drive 350 miles per day, that is how they calculate how many days you will be paid for. My coming into the Army move from Boston to San Antonio was 7 days. They DO NOT expect you to drive all that way at once - they figure on 350 miles, about 6 hours, as the maximum safe distance you can drive.

 

[kedhegard]

Even if you only do get one day (which is not true), take your own car anyhow. So what if you have to pay for another day on your own? Having your own car will definitely be worth it.

 

[idq1i]

Even if you only do get one day (which is not true), take your own car anyhow. So what if you have to pay for another day on your own? Having your own car will definitely be worth it.

Problem #2
Neuro final: 6/11, mid-day
Reporting to SA: 6/13

1900 miles.....

Not happening

 

[MoosePilot]

Problem #2
Neuro final: 6/11, mid-day
Reporting to SA: 6/13

1900 miles.....

Not happening

You can probably rent a car if needed. I've gone to military training before without a car and you can get by, particularly if your classmates are friendly and willing to include you.

How much time will you have off in this course?

 

[kedhegard]

Call San Antonio and tell them you will be a day late. They won't care, seriously. They are very easy going, and they know you are in school, etc etc. We had a few people that missed the entire first week (graduating from college), and nobody said a word.

 

[idq1i]

How much time will you have off in this course?

Just the weekends (except for the field training week). I guess the group from my college can rent a car in SA and split the cost if we really wanted to.

 

[idq1i]

Call San Antonio and tell them you will be a day late. They won't care, seriously. They are very easy going, and they know you are in school, etc etc. We had a few people that missed the entire first week (graduating from college), and nobody said a word.

I keep hearing this "summer camp" label, but I just can't get myself to believe it

 

[kedhegard]

Believe it. It's nothing. Looks like it might be a rainy summer, so you might be PT'ing twice a week if it turns out that way. Classes are cake, you're usually home by 2:30 or 3 pm, and the "field camp" is a lot of fun, even if you don't like camping out. You've got an air-conditioned (frigid, I might add) tent, a nice padded cot, and the only thing you carry around during the day is your little utility belt packed with candy and your M16. Nothing to it. At the end, you have about a day and a half to take a test that consists of various exercises (land navigation, patient transport, weapon maintainence) that can easily be finished early. Just pay attention in land nav class, and you will be sitting in your tent sipping Kool-Aid and playing cards while everybody else is wondering around lost in the jungle.

Have fun with it.

 

[evines]

Looks like I might actually get to go to OBC this year after all.

I'll believe it when it happens, since I still don't have orders, but I've been told (finally, after 11 weeks) that someone is working on getting my fund site up, and orders should follow. So tomorrow or Thursday I should get my e-mailed copy.

I read on the website for OBC that we are supposed to try to get uniforms before arriving. How do I get my uniforms? I think the nearest Army base is 100's of miles away. And what do I need? Will the people wherever I go know what I need?

If I need to, can I buy everything I need at Fort Sam?

 

[idq1i]

If I need to, can I buy everything I need at Fort Sam?

Only if you enjoy waiting on line with 200 other people who waited until the last moment.

The biggest bottleneck is making your nameplate/sewing on the 6 different patches. You also won't get to break in your boots

 

[evines]

Only if you enjoy waiting on line with 200 other people who waited until the last moment.

The biggest bottleneck is making your nameplate/sewing on the 6 different patches. You also won't get to break in your boots

This is why I want to try to get them now. Do I need orders to get uniforms? And I still don't know where to go.

 

[kedhegard]

It won't be that bad. You won't have to wear them until the second week anyhow. They know that people don't always live near army bases. Check the dry cleaners around and just off base for unclaimed uniforms. These will be super cheap, and will probably already be starched. You could go ahead and call the uniform shop at fort sam and order your nameplates. The dry cleaners will usually have someone who can do alterations and sew your patches on. Oh yeah, and as long as your pants fit, buy them. You will be tucking them into your boots.

Here is the number for the uniform shop: (210) 221-3794

Oh yeah, don't buy the gloves or the gortex jacket. All you need is two pairs of BDU's and a pair of boots. Don't buy your boots on post, go to a surplus store and get the kind with the thick soft rubber soles that are pre-shined. You will thank yourself a million times. They are like wearing tennis shoes. They might tell you that those boots are not allowed, but they will be winking the whole time. Everybody with half a brain gets those. Just trust me. They are the same price and worth hunting down. If you want directions to the surplus store (where you could probably get tons of stuff for much cheaper), let me know. That, or anything else relevant to your stay at Camp Easy-does-it.

 

[kedhegard]

No, you don't need orders to get uniforms. Just make sure you get the right stuff. The ladies there know exactly what patches you need. It's not that bad, trust me.

 

[evines]

Thanks for the quick replies

 

[evines]

I finally got my orders. I'm a happy camper again.