Section 2: Leave of Absence, Assignments and Transfers

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2-1. Overview
2-2. Initial Assignment
2-3. Transfers
2-4. Transfer of Role
2-5. Transfer to Reserves
2-6. Transfer to/from Joint Aviation Command (JAC)
2-7. Submission of Extended Leave of Absence (ELOA)
2-8. Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR)
2-9. Discharge Request
2-10. LOA Procedures
2-11. Battlegroup HQ Discharge and Transfers
2-12. Holding Section
2-13. Attendance

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2-1. Overview

In 4IB, all members are assigned to our ORBAT in specified positions that define their responsibilities and their respective Chain of Command (CoC). Some positions that are held also dictate the rank that can be assigned to those positions and how members that hold those positions may be promoted within our Promotion Structure.

Transfers are for public transfers, usually posted by a member for themselves. Rarely, a discharge on behalf of a member goes here if it is on behalf of them and not due to an administrative action. These transfers allow members of 4IB to understand movements and reasons for.

Admin transfers are for sensitive transfers, administrative discharges (not at the request of the member), awarding of medals/ribbons, promotions/demotions or anything that you wouldn't want seen by anyone below LCpl.

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2-2. Initial Assignment

Upon passing an interview with the J1 recruitment team, applicants will be assigned to an area with available space based on the requirements of the unit. This is managed by BGHQ with feedback from the J1 recruiter. After successful completion of the Phase 1 Training Program, all members are passed out to a position within 4IB by the Phase 1 instructor.

This assignment will in most cases be done to best accommodate the new members' time constraints & wishes. However, all assignments shall be made with Operational Capabilities in mind, meaning that an individual’s preference on where they are assigned may not be met.

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2-3. Transfers

Transfers can be requested by any member for several reasons these include:

• Transfer of Role
  
• Transfer to Army Reserve Centre 1
  
• Transfers to/from Joint Aviation Command (JAC)
  
• Submission of Extended Leave of Absence (ELOA)
  
• Discharge Request
  

All above means of transfer are administered by J1 Staff.

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2-4. Transfer of Role

Transfers are made on a case-by-case basis and therefore are not guaranteed. Within 4IB, transfers are any positional moves requested by the member to another position, including E-LOA and Reserves.

All members must serve a minimum of 60 days within their assigned positions within the ORBAT unless authorised to transfer by their relevant Platoon HQ or Squadron Commander and then approved by Battlegroup HQ. They may then request a transfer if agreed by their current and prospective CoC. Exceptions to this authorisation can be made if the transfer destination is under Urgent Operational Requirement (UoR) however, this still needs to be communicated with current and prospective CoC.

Command Staff and J1 Staff maintain the right to reject any transfers in the interests of Operational Effectiveness and also for issues of discipline or attendance.

Please reference the Order of Battle (ORBAT) for more information on what roles are currently open to transfer. Additionally inquiries can be made via CoC whether there are open roles in certain areas of the unit.

It is important to remember that we are all here to have fun, as such we will try to facilitate everyone’s wishes, however, this is not always possible.

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2-5. Transfers to Army Reserve Centre 1

Any member of 4IB who can no longer meet the agreed attendance requirement for their respective detachment set by Battlegroup HQ, have the option to transfer to the Army Reserve Centre 1 (ARC 1). You must inform your current CoC before posting a transfer to ARC 1 as outlined in Section 2-4. Members must have been in the unit and active for 60 days after Phase 1 prior to transferring to reserves - this is to avoid members joining the unit and then immediately going into reserves. This requirement is not waivable except under SOP 10-1 and SOP 10-2.

Within the reserves, you are not required to meet the 50% monthly attendance minimum on a set night as required for active members and can fill in for people that are on Leave of Absence (LOA) on any given Operation Night. The direct CoC for a member in reserves is the relevant member of Battlegroup HQ.

As a reservist you are expected to attend/sign up to two of the operational events per calendar month and record this attendance using the ARC 1 Discord bot. If you go 1 month without meeting this requirement, you will be disciplined under Section 7-2, AGAI 67, Mi. 14. Repeat violation of the attendance requirement may also result in the reservist being discharged.

Reservists will keep their Substantive Rank but will lose all Acting Rank. Upon requesting transfer out of ARC 1 there is no guarantee that the reservist can return to their previous position or their previous rank, as outlined in 2-4.

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2-6. Transfers to/from Joint Aviation Command (JAC)

Any member transferring to the Royal Air Force (RAF) within Joint Aviation Command (JAC) as a pilot must complete the following courses before said transfer is completed:

• Squadron Specific Training as outlined in Section 9-7.
  

They will then transfer across at the appropriate rank within the respective detachment.

Any members transferring to JAC as Ground Crew must have an interview conducted by the relevant Squadron Commander before any transfer is completed.

Members who are transferring into, within and from JAC must meet the rank requirement as outlined in Section 9-7 and will be placed based on Operational Requirements as outlined in Section 2-2.

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2-7. Submission of Extended Leave of Absence (ELOA)

Any member of 4IB who cannot attend their assigned operation nights for anything longer than a 21-day period must inform their Chain of Command (CoC) before submitting a transfer to ELOA as outlined in Section 2-4.

An estimated return date and reasonable explanation for transfer must be provided to J1 staff to process. If the reason is sensitive, members must provide an explanation to their CoC and note this in their transfer.

Members within ELOA will keep their Substantive Rank but lose any Acting Rank they hold. There is no guarantee that a returning member will return at the same rank or same position they held prior to transferring to ELOA. The rank and assignment will be dealt with by Battlegroup HQ as per Section 2-4.

The limit of which an ELOA Transfer can extend to will be determined on a case by case basis by relevant CoC and Battlegroup HQ. With ELOA being part of Reserve Forces, members must have been in the unit and active for 60 days after Phase 1 prior to an ELOA transfer; this is to avoid members joining the unit and then immediately going into reserves. This requirement is not waivable.

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2-8­. Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR)

Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) is when Battlegroup HQ need to fill critical positions within the ORBAT to fulfil Operation Requirements.

When UOR is declared for transfers, the following points shall be followed:

• A transfer can be approved for immediate processing by Battlegroup HQ.
  
• A transfer can be approved for immediate processing if all involved parties agree.
  
• Role Requirements are negated.
  
• 60-Day waiting period between transfers is waivered.
  

Positions that are under UOR will be recruited for via approval from Battlegroup HQ.

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2-9. Discharge Request

If a member wishes to discharge from 4IB, a 3-Day Cooldown period will be placed on the respective discharge, allowing time for any change of circumstances. This Cooldown period can be opted out of if desired.

If the member wishing to discharge holds the rank of Corporal (Cpl), equivalent or above, they are both required to notify their Chain of Command (CoC) and then have an interview with Battlegroup HQ before submitting a Discharge Request as outlined in Section 2-4. This is due to the nature of the position and the responsibility that the member holds within 4IB. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action as outlined in Section 7-2, AGAI 67, Mi. 5.

If the Commanding Officer of the Battle Group wishes to discharge, they are requested to notify the existing Battlegroup HQ of their intentions so that a suitable replacement can be appointed.

There are multiple categories in which a member will be transferred to once a discharge request has been processed, these categories are outlined below:

All personnel who discharge from 4IB will retain Battle Honours and Unit Support Ribbons against their account unless that individual is Dishonourably Discharged.

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2-10. Leave of Absence (LOA) Procedures

A leave of absence is required from all members of 4IB, wherein they have prior knowledge they will not be able to attend a mandatory event. Each Detachment has a respective area of the forums to post Leave of Absences, the format of which will be found in these respective areas.

All Leave of Absences must be notified via the forums no later than 3-Hours before the current start time of 1900 GMT/BST.

When a member fails to submit a Leave of Absence for a mandatory event the following actions are to be taken:

1st AWOL Offence:

• Update Attendance Register with an Absent (Red) marker.
  
• The Section/Squadron Commander sends a Minor (Mi. 7) warning via PM within 72 Hours of the offence via the forums. The J1 Disciplinary Admin (identified via the J1 TS channel) is CC’d into all of these warnings for administrative purposes. This warning will stand on that member's Personnel File (P-File) for 30-Days and will be removed upon expiry. A representative from Battlegroup HQ, Platoon Sergeant and the Section/Squadron 2IC are also to be CC’d into this message.
  

2nd AWOL Offence:

• Update Attendance Register with an Absent (Red) marker.
  
• The Platoon Sergeant/Squadron Commander sends a Major Warning (Maj. 1) via PM within 72 Hours of the offence via the forums. The J1 Disciplinary Admin is CC’d into all of these warnings for administrative purposes. This warning will be active on that member’s P-File for 90-Days and remain after expiry. A representative from Battlegroup HQ, Platoon Sergeant and the Section/Squadron IC and 2IC are also to be CC’d into this message.
  
• Additionally, after the 2nd Offence – If no contact has been made with CoC from the offending member, or a transfer request to either ELOA or Reserves has been made. The member may then be discharged at the Platoon/Squadron Commander’s discretion, this discharge must be approved by a representative from Battlegroup HQ.
  

A leave of absence is not a request, it is a member informing their CoC that they are not going to be in attendance. At 4IB we understand that sometimes people might not feel like playing one evening and submitting a Leave of Absence stating this, is more than acceptable. However, should we find out that members are intentionally lying in Leave of Absences for example by stating that they are away and are found to be playing other games – then that members honesty and integrity will be questioned, this could result in disciplinary action as outlined in Section 7-2, AGAI 67, Gr. 10.

Leave of Absences must also be posted to notify CoC of expected Late Attendance. Please estimate where possible the expected time of arrival for these types of LOAs.

Leave of Absences can be posted for up to but not exceeding a 1-Month period. Anything exceeding a 1-Month period will constitute an Extended Leave of Absence (ELOA) as outlined in Section 2-7.

Unforeseen Leave of Absences can be posted after the event to inform the CoC of the reason for the delayed or lack thereof a prior Leave of Absence. The Platoon HQ reserve the right to act out Section 7-2, AGAI 67, Mi. 7 if the reasoning behind this is not just. If it’s found the just reason for a late LOA was fabricated, the member will receive further disciplinary action.

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2-11. Battlegroup HQ Discharges and Transfers

Battlegroup HQ reserves the right to at any time review any member and decide if that member is not meeting or is likely to not meet all SOP or AGAI requirements. If the member is not likely to meet these requirements, Battlegroup HQ can process a discharge for that member under Section 2-11 in accordance with Section 7-2, AGAI 67. These measures are in place to prevent further offences from being committed and are in the best interest of the unit.

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2-12. Holding Section

Applicants who have completed the application process and/or members transferring to a specific Company, may be transferred into a Company's Holding Section if an appropriate opening cannot be found immediately. Members within the Holding Section will have priority to fill in where space permits on their assigned Operation Night. The member will then be assigned to a detachment when a space becomes available.

Once an interview is complete, the individual will be assigned by Battlegroup HQ to a Company based on their available nights and operational requirements as per SOP 2-2. New members who are assigned to Holding Section will only be moved on the ORBAT once passed out from Phase 1. Once assigned on the ORBAT, an LOA thread will be created for the member to complete when unavailable on the Company's assigned night as per SOP 2-10. Their chain of command will now be the respective CSM for any issues, changes or other matters.

Holding Section members will have a standard attendance requirement of 50% per calendar month. This will be tracked by Battlegroup HQ and the respective CSM.

Holding Section members will have priority over fill-ins, allowing them to make the monthly attendance if there's space permitting. The assignment on the night will be controlled by the respective CSM to then adjust the fill-in numbers required.

Holding Section members will be transferred from Holding Section to the first available slot that opens in the Company they are assigned to as a priority. The rank assigned will be dependent on role and qualifications.

Individuals transferring from other detachments to Holding Section will retain their current rank.

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2-13. Attendance

All members are required to attend a minimum of 50% of their Official Mandatory Operations within a calendar month when assigned to a section or detachment on the ORBAT above the rank of SuT.

An individual's attendance requirement can be waived when raised by their CoC and approved by their CSM or BGHQ. CSMs are to notify BGHQ of all attendance waivers issued. Special dispensation is considered for active service members within 4IB. These attendance requirements are managed via the relevant Pl/Squadron HQ up to BGHQ to be agreed.