BN Board Scheduling. Weeks of Silence. Recruiter Woes.

johnhenry · August 10, 2016

I've been working on my packet since last year from the civilian side. I had everything finished by the first week of June and should have gone to the July board. Recruiting office blew off my calls and concerns about approaching deadlines and June 18th multiple people in the office told me that my BN board was July 20th and the USAREC board would be August 8th. I called everybody I could find a number for trying to figure out what was going on and was told to chill out, dates change, don't believe the internet, why aren't you trusting me, and even "USAREC board isn't even that big of a deal". Sure enough there was no board in August and I missed a 98% selection. Ouch.

The BN board that was scheduled on July 20th didn't even take place due to a change of command ceremony. Now only 4.5 weeks away from the next USAREC board I can't get a word out of my recruiter about when the BN board was rescheduled. I've let go of even trying to figure out how all their info was so screwed up last month. He says he has left emails and voicemails with command and they haven't gotten back to him about anything. Its been 3 weeks of nothing.

QUESTION: I know each BN does things a little differently but is there a rough guide on when they conduct their own boards? My packet is submitted to them and all I need to go before the big board is a BN interview. I am on the fringe and the stress on me and my family is heavy. Am I freaking out too much? Would going to another recruiting office solve anything (already on number 2) if BN really isn't getting back to them? General informed advice welcome.

steve0 · August 10, 2016

Try contacting the battalion guys directly. Just keep calling higher up the chain of command. I had to eventually call the office of the chief of warrant officer recruiting to get anything done properly. If your recruiter is giving you information you feel is incorrect, its a sure bet your recruiter is lying or misinformed. Don't take anyone's word for anything. If your recruiter tells you your battalion interview is next Tuesday, you better call up the battalion office just to double check.

steve0 · August 10, 2016

Haha, 3 weeks of hearing nothing you say? I first started this back in March 2014, however I was working for a company in Korea at the time, and there was only one US army recruiter in the entire country and the US Army base he was stationed on wasn't even in my city. Had to take a train 2 hours to go see him and mostly had to wait months for days to pop up when Korean national holidays coincided with days where he was available. The train was $45 each way, plus a taxi ride to get to the Army base. It literally cost me over $100 every time I went to see my recruiter, and I probably visited him 5 or 6 times. There was a day when I finished my morning shift at work, took a 2 hour train ride to get to his office, spent 10 minutes filling out paperwork and doing fingerprints, and jumped back on the train to get back to work in time for my evening shift. Needless to say, I couldn't get much done, so by the time I came back to the US in the spring of 2015, my application wasn't anywhere near done.

Walked into my current recruiter's office in May 2015, and was told they would need to get all the documents I already did in Korea sent over to their station. They then blew me off until October when they finally decided they would just start the whole process over again. After many mistakes, misplaced paperwork and delays, Im finally set up to hopefully get selected in September 2016. 2.5 years after first contacting a recruiter.

johnhenry · August 10, 2016

Try contacting the battalion guys directly. Just keep calling higher up the chain of command. I had to eventually call the office of the chief of warrant officer recruiting to get anything done properly. If your recruiter is giving you information you feel is incorrect, its a sure bet your recruiter is lying or misinformed. Don't take anyone's word for anything. If your recruiter tells you your battalion interview is next Tuesday, you better call up the battalion office just to double check.

When they told my about those weird dates in June I called and talked to a guy at BN and he just asked who my recruiter was and said he would call them. 10 min later I got a prompt call from a different guy at my local office and he gave me the same dates. The feeling around their office was a little upset that I had called BN because it made them look bad. I don't really care but it also didn't answer any of my questions when I did call.

Try try again?

johnhenry · August 10, 2016

Haha, 3 weeks of hearing nothing you say? I first started this back in March 2014, however I was working for a company in Korea at the time, and there was only one US army recruiter in the entire country and the US Army base he was stationed on wasn't even in my city. Had to take a train 2 hours to go see him and mostly had to wait months for days to pop up when Korean national holidays coincided with days where he was available. The train was $45 each way, plus a taxi ride to get to the Army base. It literally cost me over $100 every time I went to see my recruiter, and I probably visited him 5 or 6 times. There was a day when I finished my morning shift at work, took a 2 hour train ride to get to his office, spent 10 minutes filling out paperwork and doing fingerprints, and jumped back on the train to get back to work in time for my evening shift. Needless to say, I couldn't get much done, so by the time I came back to the US in the spring of 2015, my application wasn't anywhere near done.

Walked into my current recruiter's office in May 2015, and was told they would need to get all the documents I already did in Korea sent over to their station. They then blew me off until October when they finally decided they would just start the whole process over again. After many mistakes, misplaced paperwork and delays, Im finally set up to hopefully get selected in September 2016. 2.5 years after first contacting a recruiter.

Cool story. A lot of great advice in there. /s

Insights_STG · August 10, 2016

Cool story. A lot of great advice in there. /s

the point he is making is that you need to be persistent and be open to going to a different recruiter..

there is your cool story.. bro.

sluggo832004 · August 10, 2016

Haha, 3 weeks of hearing nothing you say? I first started this back in March 2014, however I was working for a company in Korea at the time, and there was only one US army recruiter in the entire country and the US Army base he was stationed on wasn't even in my city. Had to take a train 2 hours to go see him and mostly had to wait months for days to pop up when Korean national holidays coincided with days where he was available. The train was $45 each way, plus a taxi ride to get to the Army base. It literally cost me over $100 every time I went to see my recruiter, and I probably visited him 5 or 6 times. There was a day when I finished my morning shift at work, took a 2 hour train ride to get to his office, spent 10 minutes filling out paperwork and doing fingerprints, and jumped back on the train to get back to work in time for my evening shift. Needless to say, I couldn't get much done, so by the time I came back to the US in the spring of 2015, my application wasn't anywhere near done.

Walked into my current recruiter's office in May 2015, and was told they would need to get all the documents I already did in Korea sent over to their station. They then blew me off until October when they finally decided they would just start the whole process over again. After many mistakes, misplaced paperwork and delays, Im finally set up to hopefully get selected in September 2016. 2.5 years after first contacting a recruiter.

You taught English in Korea?

steve0 · August 11, 2016

the point he is making is that you need to be persistent and be open to going to a different recruiter..

there is your cool story.. bro.

That's a better point than the one I had in mind, which was, "if you are frustrated and confused and about ready to tear your hair out, buckle up, it hasn't even gotten started yet."

johnhenry · August 11, 2016

That's a better point than the one I had in mind, which was, "if you are frustrated and confused and about ready to tear your hair out, buckle up, it hasn't even gotten started yet."

Small sorry there. My notification looked like a different person had just posted their story without offering any on topic information. Had I known it was you who had posted the above information (that was helpful) I wouldn't have been salty.

johnhenry · August 11, 2016

As a small update I talked to a guy at the office today who said he spoke to command two days ago and they said they didn't have a date for the next BN board.

His reasoning was that maybe BN was waiting for a date from USAREC which blows my mind.

steve0 · August 11, 2016

As a small update I talked to a guy at the office today who said he spoke to command two days ago and they said they didn't have a date for the next BN board.

His reasoning was that maybe BN was waiting for a date from USAREC which blows my mind.

Yea, I would call up command personally

johnhenry · August 12, 2016

Yea, I would call up command personally

So I got word from the SFC at the recruiting office and the answer to all this mess up since july blows my mind.

The Atlanta BN is did not hold boards for the July USAREC and will not for the Sept USAREC because this particular BN has a rule for itself that an ROTC, field grade officer has to be present for the BN board....and THEY DIDN'T ANT DONT HAVE ONE so they WILL NOT HOLD A BOARD. They are shooting for a BN board prior to the Nov USAREC with no guarantee they will have this unicorn then either. From what I gather this is ATL BN own personal rule as no other BN has this requirement.

I already tried to see if I could process through ATL but attend a board in Columbia SC but the SFC said they couldn't do that and I would have to send in everything I have myself and process through Columbia. Their board is August 23rd.

WTF.

steve0 · August 12, 2016

So I got word from the SFC at the recruiting office and the answer to all this mess up since july blows my mind.

The Atlanta BN is did not hold boards for the July USAREC and will not for the Sept USAREC because this particular BN has a rule for itself that an ROTC, field grade officer has to be present for the BN board....and THEY DIDN'T ANT DONT HAVE ONE so they WILL NOT HOLD A BOARD. They are shooting for a BN board prior to the Nov USAREC with no guarantee they will have this unicorn then either. From what I gather this is ATL BN own personal rule as no other BN has this requirement.

I already tried to see if I could process through ATL but attend a board in Columbia SC but the SFC said they couldn't do that and I would have to send in everything I have myself and process through Columbia. Their board is July 23rd.

WTF.

If this is coming only from the guys at your recruiting office, I would be skeptical. Call the battalion office directly. I highly doubt that it is possible the entire city of Atlanta is not processing Army officer applications for months at a time.

johnhenry · August 26, 2016

To update for happy ending:

I transferred my packet to South Carolina, different BN, in less than a week and made the board on Tues. I was told I got a full recmmendation with good notes and high marks. They appreciated my determination to get there. There was an O-6 and two O-3's on the board. No aviators.

The O-4 rule is for everybody but there are ways to file an exception. Before I transferred my packet to SC they said I could attend their board and still process through ATL. But i was told the SFC at the atl office didnt want to do anything to help me. Her way or the highway. Glad I took the risk and everything worked out. I still can believe they pulled it off.

Waiting on Sept now. Finally.

Dmurray · August 26, 2016

To update for happy ending:

I transferred my packet to South Carolina, different BN, in less than a week and made the board on Tues. I was told I got a full recmmendation with good notes and high marks. They appreciated my determination to get there. There was an O-6 and two O-3's on the board. No aviators.

The O-4 rule is for everybody but there are ways to file an exception. Before I transferred my packet to SC they said I could attend their board and still process through ATL. But i was told the SFC at the atl office didnt want to do anything to help me. Her way or the highway. Glad I took the risk and everything worked out. I still can believe they pulled it off.

Waiting on Sept now. Finally.

Great to hear. Good luck to you!

Gramps · August 26, 2016

To update for happy ending:

I transferred my packet to South Carolina, different BN, in less than a week and made the board on Tues. I was told I got a full recmmendation with good notes and high marks. They appreciated my determination to get there. There was an O-6 and two O-3's on the board. No aviators.

The O-4 rule is for everybody but there are ways to file an exception. Before I transferred my packet to SC they said I could attend their board and still process through ATL. But i was told the SFC at the atl office didnt want to do anything to help me. Her way or the highway. Glad I took the risk and everything worked out. I still can believe they pulled it off.

Waiting on Sept now. Finally.

Awesome! What all was involved as far as transferring your packet went? Did you happen to catch what the civilian deadline for the Sept board is? I may need to do the exact same thing you did, along with having some of PhrogGuy's luck, in order to avoid needing an age waiver.