Sanctuary

[HeyEng]

Heard a nasty rumor that for next year's festivities (i.e involuntary mobilization) the Guard Bureau is looking for a way not to activate anyone who is in the Sanctuary Zone. If this is true what’s the point of signing Sanctuary letters anymore if they kill the one chance of getting Sanctuary. This is all through the grapevine so I don’t know how true it is but I’m willing to bet Big Blue is all worried about a handful of Guardsman and Reservists getting an AD retirement and is starting to put pressure on units to keep people from getting Sanctuary.

[JarheadBoom]

I haven't heard anything about AFRC doing that, but I would not be surprised if they were.

[HeyEng]

It's amazing how upper managment in the unit buys the Big Blue party line, "If you get sanctuary, the active duty can sent you ANYWHERE! ANYWHERE!" and trys to scare you with lurid tales of the AD shanghaing helpless Guardsman and sending them to a foxhole in Afghanistan, come on really! first off as a flyer for over 20 years and having only a year and four months to get 7300 points, I already have a short tour for overseas, if I get mobilized I'm going to be deployed and get dwell time when I get back and can't get deployed and besides the AD does not want some 33 plus year crusty SMSgt showing up in their "day care" squadron! Plus as a Guardsman if you get sanctuary you become an AGR. All the flyers I knew who got sanctuary ended up staying in their units.

[ziploc158]

Just wondering but what is "sanctuary"? (Unfortunately I'm not guard or reserve)

[HeyEng]

Sanctuary applies to the AD as well. Basically what it says if you reach the 18-20 year point in your career, the military can't suddenly RIF you to screw you out of your retirement to save money. (At some point they most have been doing this to create this law) unless for some reason you wanted to get out at the 18 year point. For the Guard and Reserve they put into place a set of policys on how to adopt this to ANG/AFRC (and other services). I for example have accumlated 18 years of AD points (not reserve or guard points) Any time I do some sort of mission that's MPA/title 10 ( sort of like the AD renting or contracting out a ANG/AFRC to fly a mission) I have to sign a waiver saying I will not claim sanctuary. If however I get involuntary called up or mobilized I can declare sanctuary and serve out my remaining time on AD and recieve a AD retirement once I serve my time as opposed to getting my retirement at age 60 for ANG/AFRC. Sanctuary can be a confusing policy and Big Blue isn't exactly handing out color brochures or creating a course on ALDS to teach you the ins and outs of sanctuary!

[Loach]

I just went over 17 years of AD points and am learing a lot about sanctuary. I was told that in the event your squadron/Wing is "involuntarily mobilized" you'll be offered the opportunity to sign a nice, fresh sanctuary waiver, or simply not be mobilized/deployed, and the unit will have to replace you with someone else from within, or seek a hired gun to replace you.

When I was at Little Rock back in 2005, two of the instructors were GA guardsman who'd been activated for either OEF/OIF and went into sanctuary and declared sanctuary. They did in fact get the shaft, of sorts, as they PCS'd to Little Rock to complete their 20 years, rahter than stay at their base in GA. I know the AFI on the sanctuary program (AFI 33-332 WRONG AFI IT's AFI 36-2131 for Sanctuary in the Air Reserve Components) states that AFRC members who enter and declare sanctuary will be absorbed into the AFRC AGR program until they complete 20 years of active duty. I assume that since the majority of AFRC AGR positions seem to be either in GA, DC (Pentagon) or Colorado, it does mean a PCS for those entering sanctuary, although not to some armpit, third world hell hole.

What really sucks about sanctuary is that the program was designed to protect reservists, but makes it more difficult to enter onto AD when over or close (AFRC tracks all members over 16 1/2 years AD Points) to sanctuary as it requires a waiver, that until recently had to be signed by the NAF/CC (now at the Wing). It made it a pain to see an opportunity and apply (esp if it was short notice) only to know it would take some time to get a waiver, and therefore you really aren't competitve for the position in the first place.

Reason for the edit: I referenced the wrong AFI. It's AFI 36-2131 for sanctuary information for reservisits. First it was the eyes, then the knees, and now the brain/memory. Getting old sucks.

Edited October 15, 2012 by Loach

[Cap-10]

I think HeyEng hit the nail on the cranium. I think the intent is not to screw a guy when the full up unit is mobilized, but to prevent a guy who has 17.99 years, who then gets put on 30 days on orders, from declaring sanctuary on day one.

Cheers,

Cap-10

[ThreeHoler]

There are about 10+ reservists at Travis and McGuire who are completing their last two years as AD at the base where they were in the reserves right now because of sanctuary.

[ziploc158]

Thanks for the education!