A failure to communicate, a failure to find out
I got off the phone with my Unit Administrator and apparently I have been charged, rather than paid for having missed a mandatory weekend drill (battle assembly). I am PISSED and here's why. Apparently following enlistment, reserve soldier's have a 90-day grace period in which they are not obligated to attend weekend drills. I knew no such fact. But in all fairness, I new that the drills were taking place, but I was not informed that I was a. getting paid to attend drill yet, b. that they would be mandatory prior to basic combat training, and c. that I would be charged/fined for not attending a drill. So here it is, I'm off on the wrong foot. I only got around to starting in-processing at my unit last Wednesday. I'm really annoyed right now. So I'm gonna give my recruiter an ear full today.
Lesson learned. Address all nagging feelings when something feels incomplete and don't depend purely on anybody when given information. Research EVERYTHING for yourself because in the end, you take the fall for it and you HAVE to shutup and put up. And conversely, when I become an NCO (non-commissioned officer) or officer, I will make it a point to make sure those under me are well informed as much as it depends on me. It will not be fair that they get punished for my failure to divulge something that needed to be known. In battle, this gets people killed, especially in light of how people get killed anyway even when everything is done right.