Little different in the Army. I've got about an 8 month diffenence between my ADSO for Flight School and my DEROS in Germany. Equate DEROS with a new ADSO. If you go overseas, no matter when your initial commitment is up, you have to stay in until at least your DEROS. Even if I would have gone back to the US after only one year in Germany I still would have owed another two years for the OCONUS PCS.

I find it hard to imagine that the policy would be different in different services.

I didn't look into it because I have no plans on moving out of the local area.

I did palace front and did not get Permissive TDY. What I did have was an outstanding squadron commander at Altus (T.M.) who gave me a pass for a few days to do house hunting. I did have to take leave about a week prior to my terminal leave date to close on the house.

As said above, the recruiters are very knowledgeable regarding the transition from AD to USAFR/ANG. I would recommend going to them first and get the big picture about what to do and then go to your MPF. Keep asking questions on here because there is a lot of communal knowledge and each of us has been screwed in one way or another and I don't see why any of us would not pass on lessons learned. My lesson I learned was that I was to trusting of those people to do their job and I did not keep a history of what I went through.

Document everything in terms of what you did, when you did it, and who you talked to. Keep emails, categorize them. When you go to finance and ask when your final pay will be, ask for their name and write it down right in front of them and repeat what they said. When you go to TMO, ask them when your Partial DITY money will be paid, write it and their name down as you are standing in front of them. You're not being a jerk, you are just showing them that you will hold them accountable if they are not doing their job. When I separated, my MPF insisted, in a snooty way, that I could not keep my Official Passports and that they would be mailed to my reserve squadron. Guess what, the medical records made it. The passports were accidentally shredded and I couldn't fly overseas for a few months. I should have just mailed them to my squadron and asked for forgiveness.

Most importantly, do not get a break in service. Make sure your right hand is up in the air, swearing the oath, the day after you separate. You do not want a break in service.

With all the a$$-pain involved, it is still very nice to be in the AF Reserve.

30MM,

You need to look in AFI36-2110 Chapter 3 on Overseas Duty. A few months ago I tried to go into the seperations office at Ramstein to start the paperwork and was told I couldn't yet because my voluntarily extended DEROS was my new "ADSC". While my case is a little different than yours I seem to remember some verbiage that basically said what the MPF weenie said, the AF treats your DEROS as an ADSC. You can request to "curtail" it, but I think you will probably have to get your wing CC to sign off on it and then it goes to AFPC for final approval. Reference table 3.11 Rule 3 and 4 if you are curtailing it for an approved seperation. It either requires your weapons system manager at AFPC (if date is less than 60 days) or HQ AFPC/CC (greater than 60).
My situation was quite frustrating since my DEROS extension was a drug deal where I didn't sign anything. My AFPC assignment manager has been easy to work with since it was a voluntary extension . I should see my DEROS changed next week so I can start my seperation paperwork.
Not trying to rain on your parade but it may be an uphill battle.

Webecheck - I'm up for the bonus now. That's part of the reason I was asking my initial question. If I can punch in Dec 09, I probably won't take the bonus. But, since most responses have led me to believe that I'm locked in until Sep 2010, it may be foolish of me not to take the bonus. However, then I'll be back at the whims of the flesh peddlers and probably suck up some none flying job and have to stay in. And then the broken record starts playing again . . . get out, stay in?

dec 09..sep 10....thats only 10 months more time versus a 5 yr bonus commitment??? i say do what YOU want to. i turned down a tx back to the viper in lieu of a better family life. i'm up for the bonus in 3 years. ill have no problem with taking a staff or ending up in u-28s or some other non fighter 5 years from now. if i can live in a nice location and have some predictability/stability i'm all in. but i damn sure aint living in sumter followed by remote followed by del rio........edit - i was also tactically trying to avoid uavs later on in the career, which is where most tx ineligible viper drivers will most likely end up, imo.

30 mm,
Do not take the bonus, unless you are sure you want to stay in. You will find many, many ways to spend it but you will not have the freedom that money can't buy. My 2 cents.

Adsc/deros
 

I'm a Hog pilot in Germany and I am currently going through the process of separating, going to a Reserve job and applying for the airlines. Here's your answer:

-your DEROS trumps your ADSC. It's possible to get a DEROS curtailment or Palace Chase up to a year early, but it's kind of tough. I would start well in advance, and you're going to need a good letter from your Reserve commander if you PC, or a good reason to DEROS curtail (there is a DEROS office here that can help you with that). Then I would get your commander here to bite off on it, as well as the assignment guy at Randolph.
- any type of military "service" or "support" staff member is actually an agent of the devil who will try to suck the life out you and recruit you to their demonic ranks. Avoid the urge to strangle them-I am constantly reminded of this every move I do, especially this one.

I forgot to add: look up the reg AF 36-3205 2.1. You are allowed a week of permissive TDY to "interview" with your Reserve commander. I tacked that onto my terminal leave to get out a little earlier.

Your DEROS is the date AFPC will allow you to separate... since your ADSC is earlier. I hear Palace Chase is about impossible unless you are within a year of ADSC/DEROS.