How do I apply/put in for a late deployment?

Question

My wife is due with a little girl in OCT and my unit (Active Army) has floating rumors about deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan around that time. No one in my COC (chain of command) knows how to do one because they've never done one before. My research has led me to find nothing. Hence my question.

Answer 1

Don't mean to sound like a jerk here, but your chances are slim to none on this one. Do you know how many men have missed the births of their children due to being deployed?? This isn't just some field problem that you can skate out on...this is war. You're going to have to go and you can see the child on your R&R. In my husband's unit alone this year, 4 men have missed their children being born.  

Answer 2

You don't put in for a late deployment.  There is no such thing.

The only thing that your Chain of Command has to do is request that you be placed on Rear-D for 30 days after the initial deployment of the main body.  If your BC and CSM is gracious enough and can do without you for 30 days, then they might allow your request.  If not, then there's nothing you can do about it.

If your wife has extenuating medical circumstances (such as high risk or a known birth defect) then your chances of staying are higher because of it but it's still not guaranteed.  Reason being is because you can always send your wife home to be taken care of by family.

Speak with your CO and 1SG and tell them that you would like to make a request to the BC and CSM.  If you can get your CO and 1SG to endorse your temporary stay on Rear-D, then that might also help you as well.  Just remember that if your unit leaves on 14 Oct and the baby is born on 28 Oct, then you'll have 17 days to spend with your newborn.  Just keep that in mind because once those 17 days are up, you're likely to be on the next flight to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Hopefully your entire Chain of Command can endorse this.  This is mainly a leader's call...not anything covered in the regs.  I've seen it happen before and it's worth a shot.  The worst they can say is NO, but don't accept the answer if you haven't even asked yet.

Answer 3

You put in a leave request chit starting on your wife's due date. Be sure to specify that your wife is due to have a baby as a special consideration.

Deployment dates change and rumors are never ending.

If your not scheduled for deployment during that time expect the leave to be approved, provided you already have the time earned on the books.

But be prepared should your unit deploy, it will be up to your chain of command wether they can afford to let you go during that time. Do you hold a special MOS that would compromise unit readiness ?