Problems with HPSP advisor

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kedhegard

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Has anybody else (specifically those with last names A-K) had any problems with their HPSP advisor? Mine is a real ass, for lack of a better term. If you have had any issues, please post them here...I'm compiling a list of complaints at the request of his supervisor, b/c I've really reached the end of my rope with this guy. Thanks for your help, everybody.

-KE

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Army. Sorry, should have said that to begin with.
 
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He is mine, I haven't had to deal with him yet, but my friend at school can't stand him.
 
Any stories?

Here's one of mine:
Last year, after I got back from summer ADT, he got my school start date wrong, and I was shorted two weeks pay. I called him about it, and he simply said "you did not start school on that date". I said "Actually, I did, and I can fax you whatever you need to prove it." He says "I don't need you to fax me anything, I know you didn't start school on that date. You started on [a week and a half later], and that is why you did not receive your stipend." Well, I was livid; I faxed him our school calender, a hand written note from our dean of student affairs, and asked him to clear the situation up immediately. I called him back the next day, and he acted offended that I would doubt him, but said that obviously there was some mistake ON MY END, and he would get back to me on it. He never called me back about the paycheck, but two weeks later, my check was doubled. dingus.

SEVERAL times, something like this has happened (i.e., supplies, health insurance, setting up other ADTs, etc.), and every time, even if I was not completely right about the problem, I definitely had a better idea of what I was talking about than he did. Anybody else have this kind of stuff happen to them?

Please, help me, help yourself, and help upcoming ADT students out by posting your stories. I'm going to be filing a formal complaint, and while I won't use your names, I would definitely like to have a little backing, or else it will look like ME with the attitude problem. Thanks a lot guys.

-KE
 
Nothing comes to mind? I know exactly what you mean about the attitude. If you happen to think of anything, I'm sure even the most insignificant story would help.

By the way, you weren't in OBC last summer, were you?

-KE
 
Originally posted by kedhegard
Nothing comes to mind? I know exactly what you mean about the attitude. If you happen to think of anything, I'm sure even the most insignificant story would help.

By the way, you weren't in OBC last summer, were you?

-KE

Since I'm busy planning my ADT, I'm sure something will come up very soon.

Nah, wasn't me
 
I think he was a non-commisioned officer (NCO) who retired out of U.S. Army, and he is not such a bad guy once you get to know him. Just ask him few questions about his military experience. Interacting with different people from different backgounds is the situation you will face in the military. Your success as an officer will be attributed to partly on your relationship with NCO.

Just remember you are not only student he is dealing with...

From prior enlisted HPSP.
 
Originally posted by haujun
Interacting with different people from different backgounds is the situation you will face in the military. Your success as an officer will be attributed to partly on your relationship with NCO.

in a nutshell, if there is only one person in the military that can help you, don't piss them off.

a friend of mine who is army hpsp and i were going to Ft. Sam for ADT's, and they were "out" of on-base housing, which isn't a big deal on ADT because you get reimbursed. it's awfully inconvenient though. well, come to find out after being nice to the housing lady (the person in charge of all housing assignments) we were able to get a couple of attic rooms in the visiting officers quarters that just opened up the day we got there. and i'm 100% sure we weren't the "first on the waiting list" for temporary housing on base, lol.

moral of the story-- don't kick santa claus in the balls.

as for the HPSP guy-- i've personally never had a problem with him.
 
He's not the only person who can help me, he's usually the first one I have to deal with. And it's been a bad experience almost every time. Other HPSP students at my school have had similar experiences, as well as people that I talked to when I was at OBC. Everyone seems to echo the same sentiments...so it's not me "kicking santa claus in the balls." I wish I could say that the problem was as simple as an incidence of impatience or anger on my part, but I've been nothing but civil to the guy, and gotten flack in return.

In response to the prior enlisted's comment, it's nice to think that if you just talk with people they'll be willing to open up and be your friend, but that's not always the case. And even if he were "really nice underneath", that's not any of my concern. I should be able to call the guy a few times a year and ask a question or get a phone number without catching an attitude. What he needs is to be more professional and courteous, not friends. It's not my place to chum up to him; like I said before, I've always been as professional as possible. That should be plenty. Any job I've worked at in the past, if I had spoken to people the way he does, I would have been out the door in a heartbeat.

-KE
 
K,
You might just want to get used to having to work with people like that in the military.
The military's labor force is composed of a lot of very young enlisted folks whose salary will be less than what you will pay in income tax!!
The disbursing clerks who will submit the frequently incorrect paperwork for your pay are these same people. Learn not to piss them off, otherwise, your pay will probably be screwed up for years. I'm not kidding.
Do yourself a favor....get used to people who will not do their jobs as you would do yours...learn how to work with them.

If you're lucky, you'll serve with some of the most dedicated people also, but you'll have to take the bad with the good.
 
Got to agree with MilitaryMD on this one, this guy can only hurt you. If he's retired, that means he has a federal civilian sector job now, so he is untouchable. I'd wait to lodge your complaint until after you're safely matched at the residency of your choice, then let him have it. Do it before, and your application will be lost, your pay will mysteriously disappear, you'll get ATs in Nebraska, he might even find a way to get you a long distance rectal exam for that lost medical paperwork.

NCOs can be tremendous people, and I've worked with the finest. But some are bitter, still harbor resentment toward the "Goddamn butterbars" or the like, and will screw you. Like I said, Federal civilians have the ultimate in job security, this guy will not be fired, they never are. I almost got into a fist fight with a retired Navy chief at PSD on the day of my internship graduation. Long story, but it was the final straw in a months long battle. He still works there despite intense hatred and complaining by most of the interns. And now I'm sure I get to see him again come July.

Swallow the anger and get him talking about his favorite duty station or deployment. No, life shouldn't work this way, but welcome to the club.
DD

Oh yeah, and remember, I'm the "happy, positive one" on SDN military, so yes, it really is that bad.:scared:
 
I think we all have had bad experiences with "administartive stuff" with HPSP. Mine has been a cluster f**k since day one!

I think the real problem is that being HPSP you are not part of the "real army reserves" YOu don't do one weekend a month, two days per year, you are not attached to any unit, you do not have a commanding officer, etc etc.

So when you call up the army and try to straighten things out with them, they have no idea who you are, and oddly enough, neither do you.

Its frustrating but just like some of the stories you guys have posted, it does get resolved in the end. Yeah its a nuisance and frustrating at times, but all you have to do is be persistent, stick to your guns and the situation will get resolved.
 
Originally posted by bustbones26

So when you call up the army and try to straighten things out with them, they have no idea who you are, and oddly enough, neither do you.

well said :laugh:

"you need to take this up with your unit (insert position here)"

"umm . . . i don't have a unit. . . well, i do, but it's only on paper and only in st. louis. no, i don't get any benefits other than a stipend. no, i don't do any training. well, actually i do active duty training 45 days a year. no, it's at a hospital. yeah, by myself. no, i don't have a unit i train in. but i am in a unit on paper in st louis."

military purgatory. :)
 
Originally posted by Homunculus
in a nutshell, if there is only one person in the military that can help you, don't piss them off.

Excellent advice.

Here's a freebie based on my 24 years of active and ANG military service, enlisted, NCO and commissioned:

NEVER piss off the cooks, the finance people, the flight surgeon, or the first sergeant (especially as an officer). If you're aircrew, never piss off your crewchief, either.

And remember, if this guy is commissioned, he'll be out of there in awhile and you might just have to work with him at some point. If he's a civilian with an attitude problem, he has a supervisor, and if you can document his incompetence AND harm that comes to you thereby, you can go directly to his boss and have a discussion. After all, you're really NOT in the military system yet, and they can't really screw with you too much.
 
Back when I started school there were only two HPSP folks handling all of us (A-L and M-Z, I believe were there names). Anyway, back then if one of them was out the other would be able to help you. So I propose (and this may no longer work), when you dial up 1-877-medarmy, choose one of the other HPSP advisors.

G
 
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