Countdown to May COT...

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May COT is quickly approaching. I know of only 3 of us here who are in. Who else is going?

I still haven't commissioned, should be soon obviously.

I can't get on base to get all my uniforms, but I have a friend who can take me to do it. Does everyone have their stuff?

As I organize to close up my house for my renter, I am stressing about it getting moved before I leave for COT. I can't get to TMO before my orders.... kind of freaking out about that. I know I can have someone else do it for me, but it would have to be a friend, as I have no family here.

So many questions and lists in my head!

I'm out running to make sure I can keep up once I get there; it's a great stress killer.

monica

Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.

I think it would help if I heard others say they had the same experience and it all came together in the end! lol. I know it will all smooth out, but it is stressful for overplanners like me. I am not taking time off before I go. I work that last week. :)

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mid-wow, I must be high maintenance. I'm taking 3 weeks off. I need a little extra me time before I fully committ myself. I can't wait to hear from you after graduation.

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Specializes in L&D, mother/baby, antepartum.
I think it would help if I heard others say they had the same experience and it all came together in the end! lol. I know it will all smooth out, but it is stressful for overplanners like me. I am not taking time off before I go. I work that last week. :)

Let me make you feel a little better....First, when I left for COT I literally got my orders one week before I had to leave. Okay, maybe that doesn't make you feel better but at least you know how close they will cut things.

Here is my current situation: I found out that I was going to be PCSing to Alaska, which I was totally stoked about. As time went on I was wondering what was going on and why I hadn't heard anything. On a whim I checked the assignment management system on the portal about 2 weeks ago, and low and behold it shows a RNTLD as 31 August. Great, I just need a RIP so I can get my orders. After many phone calls to very incompetent and uncaring Airmen I finally get a RIP a week later. I ran all over base today trying to get signatures on a mountain of paperwork that is required to be signed BEFORE I can get my orders. My last stop was to the Tricare office where I was told my family needs medical clearance and that they need some papers signed. This will require a few doctors' visits. THEN my family's medical records have to go before a board. Oh, and guess what, there won't be another board until 18 May and that date is almost full. The lady at Tricare says "we hope to hold another board 25 May but it may get canceled." Great. Sooooo here I am, PCSing overseas, should already have my orders by now but instead will likely get them one month before I leave.

And to think, if I hadn't checked the assignment system on a whim I'd still be waiting to hear about my report date. AND I've killed about three trees just getting all the paperwork completed.

In summary...I empathize.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Let me make you feel a little better....First, when I left for COT I literally got my orders one week before I had to leave. Okay, maybe that doesn't make you feel better but at least you know how close they will cut things.

Here is my current situation: I found out that I was going to be PCSing to Alaska, which I was totally stoked about. As time went on I was wondering what was going on and why I hadn't heard anything. On a whim I checked the assignment management system on the portal about 2 weeks ago, and low and behold it shows a RNTLD as 31 August. Great, I just need a RIP so I can get my orders. After many phone calls to very incompetent and uncaring Airmen I finally get a RIP a week later. I ran all over base today trying to get signatures on a mountain of paperwork that is required to be signed BEFORE I can get my orders. My last stop was to the Tricare office where I was told my family needs medical clearance and that they need some papers signed. This will require a few doctors' visits. THEN my family's medical records have to go before a board. Oh, and guess what, there won't be another board until 18 May and that date is almost full. The lady at Tricare says "we hope to hold another board 25 May but it may get canceled." Great. Sooooo here I am, PCSing overseas, should already have my orders by now but instead will likely get them one month before I leave.

And to think, if I hadn't checked the assignment system on a whim I'd still be waiting to hear about my report dbate. AND I've killed about three trees just getting all the paperwork completed.

In summary...I empathize.

Have you talked to you PCM? Going to Elmendorf is technically going overseas, but you don't need recent firearms training/NBC training etc. There was a lot of that stuff on the list that you don't actually need. It literally took me two hours from the time I dropped off my paperwork for my family until I picked it up with a signature from my PCM clearing my whole family. I would talk to your Chief Nurse if you continue have trouble. By the way you also don't need passports if you are driving through Canada, but you will need a copy of your orders, picture IDs, and birth certificates for everyone. Stepchildren are a different story. Stepchildren I believe need a passport or notarized letter from their noncustodial parent saying it is ok to travel through Canada.

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Specializes in L&D, mother/baby, antepartum.
Have you talked to you PCM? Going to Elmendorf is technically going overseas, but you don't need recent firearms training/NBC training etc. There was a lot of that stuff on the list that you don't actually need. It literally took me two hours from the time I dropped off my paperwork for my family until I picked it up with a signature from my PCM clearing my whole family. I would talk to your Chief Nurse if you continue have trouble. By the way you also don't need passports if you are driving through Canada, but you will need a copy of your orders, picture IDs, and birth certificates for everyone. Stepchildren are a different story. Stepchildren I believe need a passport or notarized letter from their noncustodial parent saying it is ok to travel through Canada.

Most of the paperwork was easy to get accomplished. It's the 1466 (I believe that's it) that's a pain in the rear. I'm going to take it to the clinic to try and get it signed off on, however after getting it signed they said my whole family has to meet with a medical board to get cleared! WHAT?! Everyone is healthy in my family and I have no special needs family members. They told me that it doesn't matter, everyone PCSing overseas has to meet this board to get the OK. That seems utterly ridiculous--how on earth do they see EVERY family face-to-face? I'm going to try and speak to outbound assignments again, but I have to say that most of the people that work there are completely rude (and clearly don't care about rank since they yelled at a Major I work with the other day!) Yep, the next step is to get my leadership and the CN involved for sure.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Most of the paperwork was easy to get accomplished. It's the 1466 (I believe that's it) that's a pain in the rear. I'm going to take it to the clinic to try and get it signed off on, however after getting it signed they said my whole family has to meet with a medical board to get cleared! WHAT?! Everyone is healthy in my family and I have no special needs family members. They told me that it doesn't matter, everyone PCSing overseas has to meet this board to get the OK. That seems utterly ridiculous--how on earth do they see EVERY family face-to-face? I'm going to try and speak to outbound assignments again, but I have to say that most of the people that work there are completely rude (and clearly don't care about rank since they yelled at a Major I work with the other day!) Yep, the next step is to get my leadership and the CN involved for sure.

Take it to your family practice clinic and explain that you are going to Elmendorf Alaska (don't mention overseas) and ask them if your PCM can fill out this form. Get your Chief Nurse involved early! I made the mistake of not getting my Chief Nurse involved until late in the process, and ended up not getting my orders until the week before I left. Also, I would talk to your Chief Nurse and tell her that outbound assignments is being rude and unhelpful. You will be surprised the change in attitude when a Colonel gets involved.

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Specializes in L&D, mother/baby, antepartum.
Take it to your family practice clinic and explain that you are going to Elmendorf Alaska (don't mention overseas) and ask them if your PCM can fill out this form. Get your Chief Nurse involved early! I made the mistake of not getting my Chief Nurse involved until late in the process, and ended up not getting my orders until the week before I left. Also, I would talk to your Chief Nurse and tell her that outbound assignments is being rude and unhelpful. You will be surprised the change in attitude when a Colonel gets involved.

Thanks for the advice! I have a friend in the clinic so I'm hoping if I can't get anywhere with the folks at the desk that she will be able to help. I completely understand the whole board process if you have a special needs family member but that's not my case. As for the outbound clerks, you bet that I'm going to let someone know about this. I got the supervisor's name from the last person I talked to. I'm sure they've already heard from the Major I mentioned.

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Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.

oh goodie! I'm glad to see this is just my first experience with this level of frustration! lol

It does help knowing that it does eventually work out.

Good luck with your run around Ltlgreek.

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My CPR card expires June, 2010. At the end of June I will be finishing up COT to report to NTP by 1 Jul 2010. any suggestions? should I get it done now this 3 weeks that I have (I hate to spend that money) when i can get it for free in a military faciltiy or should i wait till I get to NTP to do it (when I COULD have free time).

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AFNUR-I would ask the recruiter. We can speculate but I would go with whatever the recruiter says. When I signed papers it did state that I would maintain all of my certifications and licenses without lapse. If it expires, they may blame you, even though you were at training. I would rather have too much than too little, if I couldn't get a 100% sure answer from someone. I'm very curious about the answer to this myself. Please let us know if you find out for sure.

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Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.

I had to send in my renewed nursing license this past week. I had never turned in the new one apparently (since I started this last year... lol). So my recruiter did call me to get it turned in, even though it doesn't expire until June. I had it of coorifice. I think I would go get the BLS card done, just to be safe.

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I contacted recruiter. he says to get it renewed now. It need to be current so the safe thing to do is to renew it.

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