THE RELOCATING GUARDSMAN: A PROCEDURAL PRIMER
(note: although the procedures here are specific to the case of a Air National Guardsman transferring to a different unit of the Air Reserve Forces, the general requirements attendant upon transfers between Air National Guard units were the same. Transfer procedures outlined below can be found in AFM 35-3, Chapter 30, Para. 6: Transfers Between ANG and USAFR (dated January 14, 1970). Definitions that are provided are not complete, but are limited to that aspect of a given term to the discussion of Bush’s military records.)
It was the responsibility of all Guardsmen to attend mandatory drills with their units. If a Guardsman had to relocate, it was his responsibility to find another unit in which to serve. Until a re-assignment had been accomplished through the publication of orders, the Guardsman remained assigned to his original unit, and required to attend drills with that unit.
It was also the responsibility of the Guardsman to ensure that his “unit of assignment” knew how to get in touch with him at all times. Maintaining an accurate mailing address at all times was mandatory.
Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC): A number that designated a job/position for which a Guardsman was qualified. DAFSC (Duty AFSC) was the code for the current position held by a Guardsman in which he was required to train. (For convenience sake, AFSC and DAFSC will be considered synonymous).
Air Force Personnel Center (ARPC): Personnel HQ for the Air Reserve Forces (which included both the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserves). Guardsman who did not find a new assignment prior to relocating were discharged from the Guard, and transferred to ARPC (ORS), where they became subject to the procedures of the US Air Force Reserves.
Military Service Obligation (MSO): A statutorily based obligation to serve in the military for a specific length of time, that was incurred when a Guardsman originally signed up for the military.
Non-Affiliated Reserve Section (NARS): The “active status” part of the “Standby Reserves”. NARS-A was the “unit” to which those without MSOs were assigned. NARS-B was where those with MSOs were assigned.
Obligated Reserve Section (ORS): The Ready Reserve “unit” to which Guardsmen who had an “unfulfilled Military Service Obligation” were transferred if they relocated and did not have a new assignment.
Overstrength allowance: Guard and Reserve units were required to accept transfer requests from relocating Guardsmen even if no “suitable vacancy” existed, up to 3% over the unit’s “authorized strength”, as long as the Guardsman’s AFSC was compatible with the mission of the receiving unit.
Ready Reserve: A designation for those who were expected to be immediately available for active duty mobilitization during emergencies declared by the President, and in the case of National Guardsman, the state Governor. Those in the Ready Reserve were required to maintain their readiness by attending mandatory monthly scheduled weekends of “inactive duty training” with their units of assignment, and to take part in 14 (for Air Force Reservists) or 15 (for Air National Guardsmen) days of active duty training each year.
Standby Reserve: A designation for those who would be expected to be available for active duty mobilization only upon an act of Congress. In general, “Standby Reservists” were not required, or authorized, to participate in training for pay and retirement credit. The “active status” Standby Reserves were NARS. The “inactive status” Standby Reserves was called the Inactive Status Reserve List Section (ISLRS).
Suitable vacancy: An open position for which a relocating Guardsman could apply that would provide him the opportunity to meet his training requirements
Training requirements: Guardsman were required to train within their AFSC, and to attend 12 scheduled monthly weekends of “inactive duty training” with their units, and perform 15 days of “active duty training” each year. Under special circumstances, substitute duty could be authorized if it allowed the Guardsman to train within his AFSC.
When a Guardsman determined that he had to relocate, the first step was to notify his unit of assignment. Upon doing so, he would receive “counseling”, which included a detailed description of the procedures for re-assignment, information on how to find out about “suitable vacancies” and the consequences of failing to find another unit. (if the Guardsman was not available for counseling, a letter was sent.) The Guardsman would be required to sign a statement saying he had received the counseling.
In order to qualify for a transfer, the Guardsman would have to get a “certificate of satisfactory participation” from his original unit. The counseling statement and certification were usually on the same form. (sample).
The next step would be to find “suitable vacancies” in the area to which the Guardsman would be relocating. The Air Force provided such information upon request, and would provide lists of all vacancies upon request.
If a suitable vacancy was found, the Guardsman would then fill out an Application for Reserve Assignment (AF Form 1288)[1] and submit it, along with his Ready Reserve Service Agreement and “certification of satisfactory participation”, to the unit to which he wished to be assigned.
As long as the vacancy still existed (or there was no other suitable vacancy in the area, and adding the Guardsman was within the unit’s :overstrength allowance) the request had to be granted by the receiving unit. The unit commander would then indicate his approval on the back of the Form 1288, and provide certification that there was a suitable vacancy. (sample)[2] A vacancy would be held open for up to 180 days to accommodate relocating Guardsmen.
These items, along with a letter of resignation, would be submitted for approval by the Guardsman’s unit commander, and the State Adjutant General. Once approved, a discharge form (NGB Form 22) would be filled out, and orders discharging the Reservists (with an appropriate discharge date) would be drawn up that would include a request that the Guardsman be transferred to the new unit. These papers would be sent to ARPC, which would issue the transfer orders for the new assignment.[3]
If no “suitable vacancy” could be found, the Guardsman could ask for a new AFSC for a position for which he was qualified (for example, “pilots” had to qualify as “navigators”, and if there were no pilot positions available, a pilot could request a navigator AFSC) and apply on that basis. If there were no vacancies for which the Guardsman has the proper qualifications, he could apply for retraining in a specialty in which there was a vacancy.
If the Guardsman had been unable to find a new unit before he relocated, he would be discharged directly to ARPC (ORS), and be notified that he had sixty days to find a new unit. The (now) Reservist could apply for “Standby Screening” if he thought he qualified (see below) if he requested such screening within five days of receipt of the “60 day” notification. If he was not assigned to a unit in 30 days, and had not qualified for a “Standby” unit, he was processed for active duty (see below).
All Air National Guard members were part of the Ready Reserve, which was expected to be available at a moment’s notice for active duty mobilization in the event of an emergency on orders of the State Governor or President. The Standby Reserve could only be mobilized through an act of Congress.
In addition to ordering a Reservists to active duty who had not found a new position within 60 days, APRC could involuntary assign a member a new AFSC (and order them to active duty for training for that new AFSC), and/or to a new unit. Once a member had been transferred to ORS, his records were reviewed to see where he should be placed within the Air Reserve Forces system. Members without a Military Service Obligation (MSO) would also be considered for “standby screening” or discharge during this process. And if a Reservist with an MSO had requested “Standby Screening”, he would be reviewed for that.
The criteria for a “Standby assignment” was varied, and included Reservists who would experience“extreme hardship” if called to active duty, those in essential government or civilian occupations, those who were unfit for duty, and those whom Air Force Headquarters directed to be assigned there as people with “excess skills” no longer required by the military.
“Unfit for duty” included those who had failed to get mandatory physical examinations, but their assignment to “Standby” was temporary. They would be told to get the required physical in 15 days, and if they did not comply they would be ordered to “special” active duty to get the physical. If they didn’t obey that order, they were in serious trouble.
There was also a “loophole” for those with unfulfilled MSOs of less than one year. If a member had “participated satisfactorily” for at least five years, they could be assigned to “NARS-B” and finish out their MSO.
If a Guardsman did not find a position in 60 days, he would be sent an order to report for active duty in no less than 30 days, and notified that failure to show up for active duty would make him “subject to disciplinary action under the Military Code of Justice.” If he hadn’t had a medical examination in 12 months, he would be ordered to get one within 15 days. If he didn’t show up for the physical, he would be ordered to “special” active duty to get the physical.
The member could appeal for a delay of the date at which he would be required to show up for active duty, but could not “run out the clock” with a delay—even if his MSO expired, he would be required to finish out the tour of active duty ordered by ARPC.
If a Guardsman was not responding to mail, and wasn’t showing up for active duty, and thus could not be located, ARPC had to make reasonable efforts to find him. If the Reservist still could not be found, he would be designated a “non-locatee”, placed on “inactive status”, and certified to his local Selective Service Board for immediate induction under the Selective Service Act. If his local draft board says that the Guardsman is “non-inductible”, the Guardsman is discharged. (presumably under far less than honorable conditions.)
