Re-up office keeps signing Soldiers on in Camp Al Asad

Photo By Staff Sgt. Ty Stafford | Sgt. 1st Class Patricia Benson, senior career counselor for the 64th Corps Support Group, has been a career counselor for the U.S. Army for five years.  

12.08.2005

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

The 64th Corps Support Group re-enlistment office at Logistical Support Area Al Asad has been busy since its arrival in Iraq.

So far, more than 80 re-enlistments have taken place and still more to come before the group leaves next year.

The 64th CSG, arrived at Al Asad in September but had one Soldier re-up prior to even leaving Kuwait, said Sgt. 1st Class Patricia Benson, senior career counselor.

Of the 80 re-ups, the majority have been junior enlisted Soldiers re-enlisting for six years, she said.

Within the group alone, Benson and her team are responsible for more than 300 initial-term Soldiers and more than 400 mid-term and career Soldiers.

Mid-term Soldiers have re-enlisted once and are under 10 years of service while career Soldiers have surpassed their 10 year mark.

"We've done several re-enlistments the same day the Soldier walks in," Benson said.

The re-enlistment process can be done within 24 hours using the Internet to access the Soldiers database. If the Internet is down, it can lengthen the process, Benson said.

Even though the office is augmented with re-enlistment NCOs from FOBs at Al Taqaddum, Tallil, Ramadi and even Camp Arifijan in Kuwait, it's kept busy on a day-to-day basis.

"We rely heavily on the re-enlistment NCOs at the other bases to do the leg-work since we can't travel to them," Benson said.

In her office, Benson is helped by Staff Sgt. Rosielani Coger, who became a career counselor in June and Staff Sgt. Simon Gordon, a representative from the 82nd Airborne Division, which has a task force sized element stationed at Al Asad.

The 101st Airborne Division used the re-up office while they were stationed at Al Asad, Benson added.

"Outside of the group, we have many units and Soldiers who are attached to us or do not have a career counselor and use us as their re-up office," Benson said.

For Reserve Soldiers, the office offers an RC to AC (reserve component to active component) re-enlistment option but does not actually re-enlist Reservists.

"I have a point of contact in Baghdad that handles all Reserve re-enlistments if they decide to stay with the Reserve system," Benson said.

Before the group leaves next year, Benson estimates more than 500 re-enlistments but it could easily surpass that with the other units attached to the 64th CSG.

In any event, the re-up office will continue to keep Soldiers informed on career decisions and help the Army meet its re-enlistment goals for the future.

• Date Taken: 12.08.2005
• Date Posted: 12.08.2005 08:36
• Story ID: 3991