No snow days for these folks

[mickeyd]

Not All of D.C. Was Shut Down Last Week.

These guys were given the time off during the bad weather, but every one of them refused and manned their posts. This is Arlington at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
​

 

[freebird5825]

And they have my utmost respect...Salute!

 

[antmary]

Bless their true-hearts.

 

[ls99]

I don't think any member of the Honor Guard would risk being the one to break the chain of never having left the Tomb of the Unknown unattended. I known a few who served on the post.

 

[Purron]

Very impressive. I live in the area and that was one nasty snow storm. Started as sleet then came the "thunder snow" and wind.

Traffic was horrible everywhere. Took DH 6 hours to drive the 12 miles home from his office. Seems like everyone in the area was complaining about the traffic, power outages and other problems. Not these guys though.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Yes, bless them for their service.

I assume there are enough of these guardians that they can take sick days and vacation days?

 

[REWahoo]

I assume there are enough of these guardians that they can take sick days and vacation days?

Sick days? No such thing in the military.

Oh, and military members are not authorized vacation, they can only take leave.

 

[ls99]

Sick days? No such thing in the military.

Oh, and military members are not authorized vacation, they can only take leave.

And better have orders to prove being on leave.

 

[Ronstar]

Yes, bless them for their service.

I assume there are enough of these guardians that they can take sick days and vacation days?

+1

Very impressive. We had the privilege of watching the ceremony and talking with a few of the soldiers. Incredibly dedicated men.

 

[Walt34]

I don't think any member of the Honor Guard would risk being the one to break the chain of never having left the Tomb of the Unknown unattended. I known a few who served on the post.

I never served in the military but I do understand the motivation: "Not on my watch!"

 

[Nords]

I don't think any member of the Honor Guard would risk being the one to break the chain of never having left the Tomb of the Unknown unattended. I known a few who served on the post.

And they certainly wouldn't want to come to the attention of the command sergeant major, either...

But I agree that the servicemembers who are selected for that duty would never have thought about breaking the chain in the first place.

Yes, bless them for their service.
I assume there are enough of these guardians that they can take sick days and vacation days?

[-]That's pretty funny.[/-] Well, sure, no problem, as long as the watchbill can be re-written from three-section to port & stbd!

30 days of leave are awarded each year (in arrears, not in advance) at the rate of 2.5 days/month. After a certain balance (90 days? 120 days?) it starts getting cut off at the end of the fiscal year (September) except for extremely unusual hardship cases. I mean harder than the usual hardship cases.

Most of the leave has to be taken rather than sold back. IIRC only 60 days total can be sold back during an entire 20-year career, but the rules differ by service and by [-]wartime[/-] policy. And when it's sold back, the servicemember is only give the base-pay value of that leave without its allowances.

If a servicemember is seriously wounded then leave rules are temporarily set aside and convalescence orders are issued. However I'm pretty sure that those rules are also poorly written and inconsistently supported.

 

[braumeister]

30 days of leave are awarded each year (in arrears, not in advance) at the rate of 2.5 days/month. After a certain balance (90 days? 120 days?) it starts getting cut off at the end of the fiscal year (September) except for extremely unusual hardship cases. I mean harder than the usual hardship cases.

Most of the leave has to be taken rather than sold back. IIRC only 60 days total can be sold back during an entire 20-year career

When I was in, a maximum of only 60 days could be "banked" and I never met anyone who didn't lose a substantial number of days every year.

You're authorized 30 days a year (calendar days, not work days), but your boss has to approve your taking any. Since most outfits are usually somewhat shorthanded, I was generally lucky to be able to take 15 of my 30 days every year.

When I retired and sold my banked 60 days, it was a very good day.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Thanks--I can't remember what DH had re leave way way back in the nonvolunteer days (and he was first on the list of people to never call for the kind of duty involved in this thread)--I do know a meningitis scare sent him to sick bay (is that what it was called?) for a few days.

 

[braumeister]

Thanks--I can't remember what DH had re leave way way back in the nonvolunteer days (and he was first on the list of people to never call for the kind of duty involved in this thread)--I do know a meningitis scare sent him to sick bay (is that what it was called?) for a few days.

Actually, sick time doesn't count against leave. If you're in the hospital, or even just confined to quarters by the doc, that time isn't counted against anything -- it's just sick time.

The military (at least in my experience) was quick to recognize that if you counted that sick time against leave, people would try to make it into work no matter how sick they were, and probably infect the rest of the shop with their nasty germs. So it was better to keep them at home until they were obviously well enough to return to work.

There were probably a few who took advantage of that loophole, but I didn't know any.

 

[Nords]

Thanks--I can't remember what DH had re leave way way back in the nonvolunteer days (and he was first on the list of people to never call for the kind of duty involved in this thread)--I do know a meningitis scare sent him to sick bay (is that what it was called?) for a few days.

Imagine if every time you caught a cold, before you could stay home you had to have the doctor send a note to your workplace.

Of course your doctor probably isn't available every weekday morning at 7 AM without an appointment, first come first served. And if you happened to be overweight or have high blood pressure or a venereal disease, he probably wouldn't be obligated to report that to your boss either...

 

[vicente solano]

This is one of those things I admire. That sense of duty and loyalty.
I don´t think we have the same ritual.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Imagine if every time you caught a cold, before you could stay home you had to have the doctor send a note to your workplace.

Of course your doctor probably isn't available every weekday morning at 7 AM without an appointment, first come first served. And if you happened to be overweight or have high blood pressure or a venereal disease, he probably wouldn't be obligated to report that to your boss either...

I don't think he had venereal disease....

 

[Nords]

I don't think he had venereal disease....

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that after a liberty port then I'd be ER'd.

Waitaminnit...