Expert: Aaron Shifferly - 6/26/2009

Question
QUESTION: My fiancee has been in for about a year and is being deployed in Aug.  He would like to request a PCS to Europe upon his return, but as we understand it, he is required to serve at his current duty station for 2 years before he can request a PCS.  My 2 questions are: (1) Will his tour count towards the 2 year requirement?  (2) If so, how can he request a PCS?  We have tried to get this info from websites, the FRG and even his company.  Everyone seems to give a different answer!

ANSWER: I need more information before I can give you an intelligent answer on this. First, he's Army? Second, what job and what rank does he have? Where is he currently stationed and how long has he been at his current station? Thanks.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Sorry!!!  He's a PFC Army MP and is currently stationed at Fort Drum, NY.  He will have been at Ft Drum 11 months at the time of the early Aug deployment.  

I'm not sure if this has any bearing, but there are talks of a promotion to Corporel (sp?), skipping Specialist, before the end of the year.

Answer
OK. Your fiancee doesn't request a PCS.. the Army will tell him when its time for him to go. He will generally be at Drum about 3 -4 years before he's going to be sent elsewhere. There is a place on his AKO (he'll know what I'm talking about) page called his ASK area.. he can put his assignment preferences down so that when it is time for him to PCS he can get the station he wants. Germany is viable for him as an MP, but he'll probably have to re-enlist and get it as his reward. There's no real difference until he makes SGT, so he needs to keep working towards that end. Second, you need to marry him before he moves overseas because otherwise you can't accompany him. You can go as a tourist, but he'll be living on base and it's generally a pain to get around that. The last part of your question, yes.. his Iraq tour will count as time at Drum. Basically any time his things are at a particular station they count him as being there as well. So bottom line, once he gets back he can start looking to PCS but it will probably be around the 3 or 4 year mark before he does. Moving also depends on how much time he's got left in the military.. to go overseas he'll need at least 2 years left to make it worth it to the Army. Tell him to update his ASK on AKO and then also to consider a 'station of choice' re-enlistment option. Please feel free to follow up with any other questions.