Passport and Leaving the Country

[BACONATOR]

I just got done some OCONUS travel (Europe at large) while on BDCP. Filling out a leave chit is all thats necessary, as long as you don't plan on visiting suspicious countries.

It gets a little more complicated if you plan on flying Space A. Those closest thing to legit papers we can use is a authorization for travel for reservists, and then you pretty much have to charm your way onto base. Good times...

If you have a military ID, there is no charming involved. ??

 

[pmasters]

Many base guards (esp. foreign ones) were unconfortable with me having an active duty ID card but travel authorization for a reservist, and being authorized for something like 3 months of 'leave.' Additionally, no one has ever heard of BDCP so the explanation always sounds a little bit fishy, what with active duty status being a technicality and no leave accruement,

Some days I got on base just fine, other days I had some 'splainin to do.

 

[BACONATOR]

Many base guards (esp. foreign ones) were unconfortable with me having an active duty ID card but travel authorization for a reservist, and being authorized for something like 3 months of 'leave.' Additionally, no one has ever heard of BDCP so the explanation always sounds a little bit fishy, what with active duty status being a technicality and no leave accruement,

Some days I got on base just fine, other days I had some 'splainin to do.

You DO accrue leave in BDCP? What are you talking about? Do you mean the fact that you don't generally have to take leave when you travel away from school? As for the reservist thing... ya that makes no sense. For all intents and purposes, you are active duty and should be treated as such, even on paper.

 

[Godspeed]

For all intents and purposes, you are active duty and should be treated as such, even on paper.

The spotter of bogey's is right, you are an active duty E-3 at the moment, and should be treated as such. You should have ZERO explaining to do. Should fortune smile upon you, you will earn your promotions to E-5.

I had to scrape the salt off myself before showing up to OCS. 3 years in BDCP will do that to you.

 

[Tomodachi]

It's recommended not to use "official business" passports for anti-terrorism purposes... better to blend in as a regular cake eater with a "tourist" passport.

BUT if your already sporting your dress uniform while at the airport instead of civies you have already made yourself a target.

 

[BACONATOR]

It's recommended not to use "official business" passports for anti-terrorism purposes... better to blend in as a regular cake eater with a "tourist" passport.

BUT if your already sporting your dress uniform while at the airport instead of civies you have already made yourself a target.

Since the OP is BDCP, I doubt he has either a Uniform or a gubment passport.

 

[Phoenix289]

I'm applying for BDCP right now and I'm going to be studying abroad all next year( or 9 months) in London at Imperial University. My board is going to be the month before I leave (September) so my recruiter and I are working hard to get everything done before I go. My recruiter said as far as he knows I have to be able to see him in person every 3 months to drug test, make sure I didn't gain 200 lbs. etc. etc. I can easily come back to the states every three months and I think I'm pretty competitive for the program with high ASTB scores, good GPA and an aerospace engineering major, I just hope this studying abroad deal isn't going to be a problem. Any insight?