Changing duty stations via Army+: The Ministry of Defence provides clarification on the difference between orders and directives

Within just over two months since the launch of the duty station transfer service via the Army+ app, 13,000 service members have received approval for their transfers. However, service members sometimes wait for an order for a change of duty station, whereas a directive is prepared and sent to the unit's personnel office instead of the order.

The Ministry of Defence clarifies the differences between these documents and outlines how their enforcement is overseen.

Is there a difference between an order and a directive?

For officers, the Personnel Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine issues orders for a change of duty station, while a directive is issued for privates and non-commissioned officers. Both types of documents are mandatory and must be followed. Currently, formulating and communicating orders and directives regarding duty station transfers to units may take up to two weeks.

However, it is important to differentiate between these types of documents. When contacting the personnel office of the unit, a private or sergeant should specifically request the change of duty station directive. Army+ reports situations where a directive is ready, but a service member remains untransferred, awaiting an order.

If the position has recently changed, is a change of duty station possible?

The position of military personnel is not included in the transfer directive when changing duty stations. Only a service member's name, rank, military unit number, and taxpayer ID number are used. Thus, if a service member's position has changed within the same military unit, it does not prevent their transfer.

What to do if a directive or order is not being followed?

This constitutes a violation of a service member's rights, as both directives and orders are mandatory for compliance. In collaboration with military command authorities, the Central Department for the Protection of Service Members' Rights addresses potential instances of commanders disregarding orders and oversees their execution.