Absent Without Leave

1. I, Rachel Hopkins (Breeden-0562), am requesting an Exception to Policy (ETP) to retain my NPSEB. 2. I am asking for an exception; as I graduated Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in 2013 I had to go down to Arkansas for a family emergency. I knew I was not going to be down there for very long, and had no intentions of staying permanently. At the time of recently graduating I did not know that I could have trained with another unit instead of doing an Inner State Transfer (IST). All I knew was I wanted to be a good soldier and not miss any drills or be considered Absent Without Leave (AWOL). I figured that everything had to be done on paperwork and this was the only way for me to continue to have a good standing with the Army National
Guard while going through a family emergency. I came back two months later. 3. My Exception to Policy (ETP) request should be approved because since I came back after those two months I have reported to every drill, and annual training, I have never failed an Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and always put my best foot forward when it comes to the Army National Guard. I have had the same Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) as the day that I enlisted, with the same unit I was assigned to when I got out of Recruit Sustainment Program (RSP). If I would have known and had more information at the time of this incident I would have just trained with another unit and not done an Inner State Transfer (IST). 4. The POC for this action is Rachel Hopkins (Breeden) who can be reached at 443-616-9793, [e-mail].