Originally Posted by
sailingfun
We have very different experiences, I have never failed to hold a summer week regardless of seniority. I held a summer week with both my primary and secondary vacation this year. I have often also been able to move other vacations to the summer via move ups.
In my 5 years I've never been awarded a summer vacation. Closest I've ever gotten was late Sept. Then again I usually lose a day of vacation (due to deployments) and the associated screwjob that goes with not getting to bid two weeks (this needs addressed). Worse yet, two of the years I just got what was left over since I missed bidding while deployed...never was awarded a move-up, after they arbitrarily gave me the coveted mid Feb vacation. One year they did give me an October vacation...funny enough, never a summer week.
Originally Posted by
sailingfun
August schedules are released. I looked at 8 random categories. I did not find one single day in Aug where a APD or IVD would not be granted and most of the time a PD would work. That’s very different from what your trying to portray. Again not one single day in 8 categories for a IVD or APD.
I don't necessarily disagree with what you're saying. That said, as a habitual trip dropper, I've found looking at reserves avail after the first PCS is a more indicative of how it will look. Often going into the first PCS it all looks good, only for many in the bottom half to have drops/APD/etc.. denied because those numbers went black before getting to them. Long trips in my category make it tougher, but I've generally been able to make it work, many times at the last minute. Then again, supposedly I'm in a massively overstaffed category that may see a big displacement soon. With APDs/IVDs only making up 3 moves, the PD is where it really matters.