Well… let me tell you how it’s been. My old job was ok with me going away for weekend including Fridays, and for 2 weeks, which pretty much covers OCS. However, I was also taking off a lot of time to run down to FT McPherson once a week or to the armory for something. OCS took a lot of my spare time even between drills. At work I received e-mails from other Candidates in the CoC and from the TACs. It started to really eat into my job and it angered my boss, and rightly so. I worked in a small architecture firm and I needed to be there to shoulder the burden on projects and it was difficult. I was informed that I would never be a project manager since I was always gone and could be called up. She was not happy about me going to EOBC (I’m a 21B to be) from 19SEP04 to 03FEB05. So… I got another job. I work for CH2MHILL on the Military Master Planning team. I’m now working on Air Force projects and we’re hoping to get more Army work. They hired me, knowing that I was going to go away for 5 months. Since they do military work, they think it’s fine that I happen to be a reserve component soldier. Hell, my new boss is an AF Reserve O-6.

So basically, I found a job that was willing to deal with it. I make more money now and my citizen soldier status is seen as a benefit.  As a (soon to be) commissioned officer in the Corps of Engineers I should have a easier time communicating with the clients, who will frequently be Army or Air Force Engineers. Maybe you can do the same thing. However, I do not believe that your current employer can fire you. You have to go to OBC, it’s not optional and they can’t can you for it.