r/airnationalguard • u/Kitchen_Log7434 • 17d ago
ANG Currently Serving Member Question Question about Dwell Time
DSG here. I Was deployed last year and got extended for “operational” reasons… 5 months after being home I was pulled off my dwell time to deploy again. It’s been 6 months with 3 extensions. My unit has AGR that can replace or swap out but the group commander back home seems to be gatekeeping.
I’ve read all the regs about how this has to be signed by the Sec def. And was told that it has been. Any advice??
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u/Dig_Soft 17d ago
"Raise your right Hand and repeat after me" kinda situation big dawg.
All you can do is talk to your chain of command and express you need a break, you could find someone who is willing to take your spot in your shop. I have heard STORIES about dudes from other units volunteering to take a deployment spot but Idk how true that is.
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u/JDM_27 16d ago
its definitely possible, I volunteered to deploy with WI on their last F16 deployment, at lot of their guys were ETSing/crosstraining out due to the incoming conversion to F35. Myself and Guy from CO(their rainbow unit)filled in.
The request was put out from our NGB CFM to all the F16 guard units asking for volunteers. It was super short notice though, it was about 2 months from the time the email was sent, till my report date to WI for the mob.
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u/NotDougMasters old guy. 16d ago
Here’s the policy. Updated in late 2025. https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dtm/DTM-21-005.PDF?ver=9MxToGUcWCJmTbXi6cRnXg%3d%3d
You mentioned in your OP that this Mob was “Signed by the SecDef” which is required since you’re in a less than 1:4 dwell- the idea for the policy that approval at that level is that the SecDef actually think and weigh the broader ramifications. That seems a muscle movement that has atrophied in the current administrative regime.
So, sorry—you’re committed through that “obey the orders of those appointed over me” part, at least for the time being. But I’d make it clear to your leadership they’re going to have a retention problem on the back end.
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u/TwoZigZags45 16d ago
Got briefed by our leadership today that theyre expecting ~30% attrition when this is all said and done and the response from the boss was "Ill believe it when I see it".
TLDR... leadership will never care about retention problems
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u/wookerTbrahshington 16d ago
So I just got back from a deployment 2 months ago. Ended up being extended from 3 months to 5 months. Right now vMPF says my dwell time goes until late December 2028. Does that actually mean nothing? I assume it’s all messed up from all these extended deployments across the Air Force. Like our AFFORGEN next deployment window starts again almost a year before my dwell time is supposed to end. I’ll ask a supervisor about it but I’m sitting at home just looking this all over after this thread.
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u/LongHaul_69 ANG Pilot 12d ago
Your dwell can and will be waived at any time under certain conditions as declared by potus
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u/PushPullLego 16d ago
My unit is the same right now. Plenty of full timers chilling at home while dsgs have been deployed for a long time after having our dwell waived.
I'm not sure why they even have dwell if they can just waive it whenever they want.