Cell phones at work or in school.

[danchapps]

There should be a method of getting a hold of a member. Is a cell required, no. It can be any number where a message can be passed relatively quickly to the member. My cell is usually on me all the time, but then again, I'm too new and un-important to be needed NOW. Ahh the joys of being the newb in the platoon.

 

[Run away gun]

By the looks of things, the army does things a little differently than the AF or Navy. We have fanout/recall that can be activated at any time, by pretty much anybody above you in your chain of command. Sometimes it is just testing out the fanout to see how quick pers can get to work. Sometimes there is a legitimate reason for pers to be recalled to work.

As for a cell phone, no they are not required. If you are going away out of the area you will have to submit a leave pass, with a contact number you can be reached at. (hotel phone number, friend's house number etc) If you are the on duty pers you would be temp. issued a cellphone/pager.

And if you want to stand in front of your WO or Sargeant-Major, sure go ahead and not answer your phone. But like I said, things are different in the other 2 elements.

 

[geo]

If the army wants you to have a cell, they will provide you with one at no cost to yourself.
They will make you sign for it - and they very well might make you pay for it if you intentionally destroy it
(but they,d have to prove wilful disregard)

 

[SupersonicMax]

Run Away Guns: What if you were away from your house all day and you have no cell?  How can they actually get you in trouble if you didn't answer your phone?  Are you expected to sit by your phone any time you're off work?

Max

 

[aesop081]

But like I said, things are different in the other 2 elements.

No, its the same thing.  Back in my army days i showed up 3 hours late for a bugout. The unit called my house and left a message but it was friday and i was out shopping and for dinner with the family. I eventualy made it and told the SSM what happenned. He understood and said it was something they expect to happen and i carried on with my duties.

Do you think we all stayed home next to the phone if not at work before cell phones ?

 

[2 Cdo]

No, its the same thing.  Back in my army days i showed up 3 hours late for a bugout. The unit called my house and left a message but it was friday and i was out shopping and for dinner with the family. I eventualy made it and told the SSM what happenned. He understood and said it was something they expect to happen and i carried on with my duties.

Do you think we all stayed home next to the phone if not at work before cell phones ?

Back in the dark old days of 1988 I happened to spend the night at a lovely young ladies residence and when I arrived to work the next morning the battalion had been bugged out complete. There were half a dozen of us left behind. When the battalion reappeared after lunch, a quick chat with my platoon warrant sorted everything out. 8)

 

[Run away gun]

Common sense obviously prevails. You cannot prevent things out of your control, but totally ignoring your phone because it is a work number that appears on the caller ID, as someone earlier in this thread mentioned,  is not the most advisable option

And I am not speaking from anything other than personal experience. I have seen young Ptes fry for showing up 1+ hours after the rest of the unit.

 

[PuckChaser]

Just have an answering machine. If the army really needs to find you, they'll send the MPs.  ;D

 

[aesop081]

but totally ignoring your phone because it is a work number that appears on the caller ID, as someone earlier in this thread mentioned,  is not the most advisable option

I've been in long enough to know when its advisable to ignore my phone when i see its work calling. Its that common sense thing you were talking about.

 

[navymich]

As for a cell phone, no they are not required. If you are going away out of the area you will have to submit a leave pass, with a contact number you can be reached at. (hotel phone number, friend's house number etc) If you are the on duty pers you would be temp. issued a cellphone/pager.

It's not always possible to have a phone number on your leave pass.  If I'm on block leave, I don't always know when and where I'm going somewhere.  It's often spur of the moment.  I have a cell phone, so I do put that number on it (although as previously stated, you're not always guaranteed a signal, esp if you're camping in the middle of nowhere...or if you forget your charger!).  But not everyone has one.  What I've started to see on leave passes for a contact number is a license plate number.  You state that you'll be travelling throughout Ontario or such and put your plate number down.  If it's that urgent, you'll be found!

 

[Sub_Guy]

I have seen young Ptes fry for showing up 1+ hours after the rest of the unit.

If they were "fried" I seriously doubt they had a legitimate reason for being late. If the young Pte was out shopping or away from his phone there is no reason why he should fry.

Surprise recalls were a rarity while I was a base brat, for some reason my parents both knew that the recall was coming, even from my Navy days those surprise recalls never happened.  Although the "snowball" in Lahr could have been a surprise, nothing like watching guys dropping kit bags down from the PMQ balcony and mobilizing at 2 am then coming back 6 weeks later.

 

[Greymatters]

If they were "fried" I seriously doubt they had a legitimate reason for being late. If the young Pte was out shopping or away from his phone there is no reason why he should fry.

There's always someone out there willing to 'fry' late arrivals, even when its not warranted.  Why? Either using them as an example to others or just because they can...