Happy to report I got a line for October--less than a month since IOE completion!--and I have a couple of questions:
1) So I'm Reserve in Sep, Regular in Oct; I have a reserve block (non-X days) ending 30 Sep; first rotation in Oct starts 02 Oct. What is 01 Oct treated as in terms of a day off: “hard” or “soft”? In other words, can I be extended on an assigned trip during what I hope is my last reserve block into my day off in Oct? Does my release on 30 Sep (assuming not assigned a trip) follow the "will be released" at 1200, or the "may request to be released" rules?
2) I need some specific days off in November (not Thanksgiving, I know better), so I will be bidding accordingly. Am I better off:
a) Picking up a carry-over trip at the end of Oct and getting some credit during the first few days of Nov as a pre-award; or
b) Leaving Nov blank (no carry-over trips) so that PBS will have as many days as possible to be able to place awards “around” the days off that I need?
Hoping I can hold a line going forward, but happy to have these "problems" for Oct! Thanks for any help.