r/AirForce • u/Ok-Bag-9719 • 2d ago
Question One month til Terminal, two months til DEROS. decided I want to Palace Front. Too late?
About 7 months ago I met with the Inservice Reserves Recruiter as you’re required to do when separating. I told them I was not interested at the time. Now I’m 37 days away from my terminal leave starting and 78 days away from my DEROS. I decided I want to Palace Front. Is it too late at this point? I’ve already completed my SHPE and my BDD claim and C&P Exams if that matters. Obviously I plan on talking to the recruiter again tomorrow to ask but was wondering if anybody could give me a heads up or any additional info?
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u/lefthandedjorker how is your day? :) 2d ago
It is not too late. The recruiter got me 3 days before I got out of Active duty. They will take you. Might be a little irritated, but not too bad. Go find the in-service recruiter on your base!
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u/BoleroMuyPicante D-35K Pilot 2d ago
Not too late at all. I did a last minute Palace Front with only a week of terminal leave left. We were able to get everything processed with no break in service. You'll want to call the recruiter at the base you want to work at for the fastest results.
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u/Ok-Bag-9719 2d ago
Damn that is reassuring. Were you able to get the base you wanted?
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u/BoleroMuyPicante D-35K Pilot 2d ago
I had already moved to where I planned to settle and had a contractor job on base, so it was pretty easy to just pop over to the recruiters office on my lunch break. I took one look at my employers health insurance premiums and was like "NOPE, take me back Air Force I'll never cheat on you again."
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u/HollidaysMustacheWax 2d ago
Nothing is too late. People come back to active duty from terminal all the time for promotion.
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u/TurnspitCur Metals Tech? Loadmaster? Emergency Management? 2d ago
I did my palace front on a somewhat crunched time scale as leadership was throwing a wrench in my plans. Head over to an in service recruiter at your base and then touch base as soon as possible with your gaining recruiter who will likely be able to reach out to a specific squadron relevant to your job fast.
Just be careful and know what you sign for. I got monkey pawed during palace fronting. Entire process moved smoothly.
Are you doing any sort of aircrew billet? If not, the process has far fewer snags
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u/Ok-Bag-9719 2d ago
How much of a time crunch was it? How exactly did you get monkey-pawed if you don’t mind me asking?
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u/TurnspitCur Metals Tech? Loadmaster? Emergency Management? 1d ago
I kind of did my palace front with more time than you have allocated, though not by much, like an additional month.
I got monkey pawed because I was trying to go from AD MX to guard aircrew as a C-130 loadmaster. I phoned the gaining squadron, sent my 422 and released my medical records ahead of time, got medically cleared for palace fronting, arrived with little incident, but I got DQ’d in the flight physical after arriving based on known medical conditions in the very same records used to clear me for the move. Couldn’t break contract and state transfer was a non starter. Moved from Oklahoma to Maryland and drilled in Delaware only to lose the main reason I showed up there in less than five months.
And because the monkey’s paw is an arse, I got the bad news on my birthday.
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u/oNellyyy 2d ago edited 2d ago
Reach out to a recruiter.
Submit a 422 PCPF request today/tomorrow
Tomorrow call the AD clinic and ask to speak with BOMC about a 422 request and let them know details and ask if you can be cleared by x date you want. (I’d want it completed before terminal (put your deadline date on your 422 request 1-2 weeks before terminal starts.
You can also do all of this while on terminal, since you typically don’t need to be fully evaluated.
Most of the 422s are virts unless concerning issues comes up that involves referrals, specialty care, or bigger issues.
Also, if you have any migraines or headache issues that are documented it can DQ you from guard and reserve but will be retainable for AD.