Army Deployment Schedule Rumors

RUMOR:

Your soldier will deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan as soon as he graduates from basic training.

FACT:

Not quite. First, he has other training to complete. At the very least, he will need to attend and complete AIT (Advanced Individualized Training) for his MOS (Military Occupational Specialty or job). He may also have additional training such as airborne, RASP, language school, air assault, etc. He will not be deployed until he has completed all of his initial training.

Can he be deployed as soon as he finishes his training? Maybe or maybe not. However, this seems to be one of the most famous rumors going around basic and AIT. I can’t count how many panicked emails I’ve received from spouses, parents and significant others who have just heard this rumor.

Whether he deploys immediately is largely based on the unit he is assigned to and where they are in their deployment rotation. In my husband’s case, he was deployed within a few weeks of completing his training. He was basically given time to inprocess at his new unit and then put on a plane a few days later. It was just the luck of the draw with the timing.

While its not unheard of for this to happen (after all, it did happen to us), more likely than not, it will not happen to your soldier. I know many more soldiers who have not deployed immediately than those who have. But be advised that being new or being assigned to a unit that is already in the middle of a deployment, does not necessarily “save” him from being deployed. It is up to the unit when he arrives as to whether he will be sent to join his unit overseas or assigned to rear detachment (rear d) and allowed to stay back.

However, the fact remains that the drill sergeants, nor anyone else, in basic training know which soldiers will be deployed immediately and which ones will not. This rumor is rampant in these environments but there is no truth behind them at this point. They can’t possibly know if they will be deployed since they won’t know until the end of AIT (or even later if he has additional training) where he will be stationed.

So rest easy and don’t borrow anxiety and worry.