Thursday, November 17, 2011

Out-Processing - (Korea) Day 353

I am officially out-processing today, so I did not have to go into work at all. This gave me time to focus on all the places I needed to visit on post. I have a battalion out-processing checklist and an installation checklist. Each of these checklists have various places that I need to physically go and have the people sign off and stamp my paperwork stating I'm OK to leave the post. With all the technology available these days I would think this could all be done electronically. They are getting a little better at least because unlike when I out-processed from Fort Gordon, my installation checklist had about four places that had me already "pre-approved"…but this is like four out of forty places.

I started the day off by going to the office and getting the office car and taking off to my first appointment. I'm lucky being able to use the office car, there are a lot of people out-processing that do not have this luxury and have to walk anywhere they need to go. My first appointment was at the transportation office. I took about an hour with an agent scheduling the pickup of what little I have here in Korea and focusing on all my household goods that are still in the states to be sent to Germany. I'll be shipping both my car and my motorcycle, which is going to be a pain in the short term…but it will be awesome to be able to have our car and motorcycle in Germany. I'm looking forward to some long bike rides with my wife across Europe! We have to do some follow up with the household goods and the vehicles in the states, but my stuff here will be picked up on next Wednesday.

I then started going to the locations furthest away from my barracks. I hit the vehicle registration and pass office, which is a little strange because I don't have a car here. I then went to the ASAP (alcohol and substance abuse program) and was marked off there. Medical…Dental…Library…and so on. Most places I walk in and state I'm out-processing, they grab my paperwork and find their little section, then place a stamp and signature in it. I dropped off the car back at the office before lunch and left it there for them for the rest of the day. I had lunch in my room and video chatted with my wife.

After lunch I headed back out, only on foot. I hit some of the S shops in battalion as well as the armory where I turned in some empty magazines and a blank firing adapter. I stopped by the company and checked on my leave papers, which I'm glad I did because they were still sitting on the front desk. The sergeant on duty said she would process them asap. Looking through my paperwork I found out that I needed several copies of the finished leave form before I could attend a financial brief that is required before I leave. They have the brief on Monday and Wednesday, so she told me to check back on Monday morning. I'm hoping there are no snags this time with it.

I continued to get items checked off my list, sometimes going to places on the post I've never known existed. I think I finished about 60% of it today. We do get 5 days to out-process, but I want to get as much done as possible so I'm not stressed out as my flight out gets closer. I ended up getting called back into the office near the end of the work day because they needed me to drive a lady from our protocol office to pick up some plaques. There are only two of us currently that have licenses to drive the office car here in Korea and they are just now in crises mode trying to get both SPC Mick and PV2 Charlie in the next class…something that should have been done a long time ago. It was about 1730 or so by the time we picked everything up and I left the office for the day.

I headed to my room and felt pretty exhausted. I couldn't help but take a nap for a while. I then got up and watched an episode of Chuck and then read a book on my iPad. I have to say that being able to purchase books electronically and read them with this handy little device is pretty awesome!

Tomorrow I start the morning off early again and try and get the majority of my out-processing done.

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