What Is A "Deployment" Anyway?
- Thread starter Marauder06
- Start date
Box
Verified SOF
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2018
- Messages
- 1,781
There is plenty of semantics to throw at a question like that - is it a TDY, a TCS, a PCS ???
...those are all definable terms that "mean something" while "deployment" is just an emotional catch-all.
A couple of months to Panama covered by unit orders - was it a deployment - was it TDY - was it something else?
...never had to file a TDY voucher - but still got paid partial per diem when I got home.
...the government never gave me a sheet of paper that said "deployment"
Kuwait?
...stayed longer than I did in Panama but did a TDY voucher when I got home
90 day long trips along the Southwestern US in support of JTF-6 rotations?
Not sleeping in my own bed - not eating my own food - getting read the riot act for ROE - etc etc
...had to file TDY vouchers when I got home
Trips all over the African continent...
6-8-12-16 weeks
...all "TDY" trips as far as travel/pay documents were concerned
179 day trip to Afghanistan as a staff puke - no gunfire - never left the FOB - no TDY orders but does it count as a deployment because I wasn't doing cool stuff?
...still had to do a TDY voucher
Two week TDY in Afghanistan during a PDSS - got shot at - did that make it a "deployment" ???
Pulled trips in Afghanistan that lasted over 179 days and was given 'TCS orders'
...so, not really a deployment since it was literally a temporary change of station
It's just like the mental mind games that the US Military has been playing with terms like "SOF" and "Ranger"
For as long as I can remember there have been folks ready to go to blows over "what a Ranger is".
...an E7 Infantry Platoon Sgt with a Ranger tab serving in a designated/coded TO&E "V" slot in the 82d that does 6-12 months in combat - "not a Ranger"
...an E5 support MOS serving at 1st/2nd/3rd/ RGR BN HQ that isn't going out on daily gunfight patrols - "Ranger"
...DoD doesn't seem to find it "important enough" to publish formal distinction - so who knows
The fact is - ALL politicians are lying, fabricating, resume padding pieces of shit.
If "deployment" will gain more votes than saying "TDY" then those mother fuckers will talk about how many deployments they did.
Tim Walz did NOT go on a combat deployment and the mental gymnastics needed to defend any other conclusion will also come to the following "truths"
...all service members are heroes
...all veterans are beyond reproach
...the economy is doing great
...politicians are noble
...Americas youth still respects their elders
To tell you the truth - I don't know what the fuck a deployment really is - and don't know how to define it...
...but I know one when I see it
...those are all definable terms that "mean something" while "deployment" is just an emotional catch-all.
A couple of months to Panama covered by unit orders - was it a deployment - was it TDY - was it something else?
...never had to file a TDY voucher - but still got paid partial per diem when I got home.
...the government never gave me a sheet of paper that said "deployment"
Kuwait?
...stayed longer than I did in Panama but did a TDY voucher when I got home
90 day long trips along the Southwestern US in support of JTF-6 rotations?
Not sleeping in my own bed - not eating my own food - getting read the riot act for ROE - etc etc
...had to file TDY vouchers when I got home
Trips all over the African continent...
6-8-12-16 weeks
...all "TDY" trips as far as travel/pay documents were concerned
179 day trip to Afghanistan as a staff puke - no gunfire - never left the FOB - no TDY orders but does it count as a deployment because I wasn't doing cool stuff?
...still had to do a TDY voucher
Two week TDY in Afghanistan during a PDSS - got shot at - did that make it a "deployment" ???
Pulled trips in Afghanistan that lasted over 179 days and was given 'TCS orders'
...so, not really a deployment since it was literally a temporary change of station
It's just like the mental mind games that the US Military has been playing with terms like "SOF" and "Ranger"
For as long as I can remember there have been folks ready to go to blows over "what a Ranger is".
...an E7 Infantry Platoon Sgt with a Ranger tab serving in a designated/coded TO&E "V" slot in the 82d that does 6-12 months in combat - "not a Ranger"
...an E5 support MOS serving at 1st/2nd/3rd/ RGR BN HQ that isn't going out on daily gunfight patrols - "Ranger"
...DoD doesn't seem to find it "important enough" to publish formal distinction - so who knows
The fact is - ALL politicians are lying, fabricating, resume padding pieces of shit.
If "deployment" will gain more votes than saying "TDY" then those mother fuckers will talk about how many deployments they did.
Tim Walz did NOT go on a combat deployment and the mental gymnastics needed to defend any other conclusion will also come to the following "truths"
...all service members are heroes
...all veterans are beyond reproach
...the economy is doing great
...politicians are noble
...Americas youth still respects their elders
To tell you the truth - I don't know what the fuck a deployment really is - and don't know how to define it...
...but I know one when I see it
Last edited:
I did two 14 month deployments to Iraq. The first time there was about 3 weeks each way in Kuwait, 2nd time about 2 weeks. During that time I was responsible for the deployment and destruction of a veritable Navy on dry land.
Many lonely nights and afternoons in 100+ degree Porta-Johns...I deployed Seamen by the thousands to their untimely deaths. Straight into the blue slop, never to be seen again.
Take that you squid bastards...
Many lonely nights and afternoons in 100+ degree Porta-Johns...I deployed Seamen by the thousands to their untimely deaths. Straight into the blue slop, never to be seen again.
Take that you squid bastards...
Last edited:
This isn't anything official, but I didn't count any deployemt where I wasn't legit like, physically threatened. Fired a weapon in anger at a human, called fires, flew into hot zones- those counted for me. Everything else was a trip, but I would never think to call my time in Africa as a "deployment".
Danger is everywhere in the world. Albuquerque feels a lot more dangerous than Nairobi did. I didn't say I was deployed to New Mexico.
Danger is everywhere in the world. Albuquerque feels a lot more dangerous than Nairobi did. I didn't say I was deployed to New Mexico.
Florida173
SOF Support
I mean if you were in DJ and taking trips downtown or over to Lake Assal... I'd say no. If you were doing stuff in DROC, CAR, or western Africa... I'd say it at least depends a little bit more. My trips to Africa were always short and uneventful working for the TSOC.
I have two "deployments" to Kosovo.. and I'd say I would have called those deployments, even as peacekeeping missions. There was indeed a threat of it heating up in 2000/2001 again, but there were no combat patches received.. so who knows.
I don't think I'd consider any of my Jordan time deployed even though we did get some hazard/separation pay.
Maybe consideration between getting hazard pay vs per diem?
@Box thanks brother
For those of you just tuning in, I wrote this article in response to a conversation I had with one of my former West Point cadets. Box helped inform the discussion.
It's OK That You Never Went To War • The Havok Journal
For those of you just tuning in, I wrote this article in response to a conversation I had with one of my former West Point cadets. Box helped inform the discussion.
It's OK That You Never Went To War • The Havok Journal
A "deployment," to me, can be anywhere outside CONUS. A combat deployment means you're getting Hostile Fire Pay (HFP).
SpongeBob*24
Verified Military
You'd be surprised who gets HFP/IDP...in fact, looking at the list, I think I'm due back pay!!! 
https://www.dfas.mil/militarymembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/IDP-Areas/
https://www.dfas.mil/militarymembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/IDP-Areas/
Cuba? IDP? The only imminent danger I had at Gitmo was getting sunburned.
SpongeBob*24
Verified Military
Or a Cigar burn. 
You'd be surprised who gets HFP/IDP...in fact, looking at the list, I think I'm due back pay!!!
https://www.dfas.mil/militarymembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/IDP-Areas/
Afghanistan starting Nov. 1, 1988.
1988 in a country where we repeatedly denied deploying troops there in the 80's.
And El Salvador? Not listed, but SF soldiers were awarded CIB's, CMB's, and even a posthumous Silver Star.
