Group Commander "disapproved" my Skillbridge Because it is Against the Best Interests for the Air Force

I was just told that our MSG(Group) CC disapproved my Skillbridge. My application went up to the MSG commander because my former commander got relieved of command recently...and she said she was going to approve it so I'm hitting myself for taking too long so I can research who to do skillbridge with... UGH
I saw that the system automatically rescinded my Skillbridge application in AFVEC though because of the dates I put in the application.
I asked for the reason and my SEL shrugged and stated that maybe it's because he didn't see that it was for the best interest of the Air Force.
I did not get anything in writing though as far as the reason why he is against it.
I literally don't have any work at my unit because of the situation I am in and just come in to work to 'doodle' on my laptop and go home at COB so I do not see how me doing Skillbridge will affect my unit mission requirements.
My situation other than going through a MEB: I got an Art 15 back in March and was demoted from E5 to E4(my dream of retiring as an E4 mafia is coming true!!! lol) They aren't allowing me to do my job as I already went through an Intensive Outpatient Program at my local mental health facility for 10 weeks. I 'come to work' and work in our 'negotiation room' which is never used at all and used when we need to have private conversations with people. I LITERALLY don't have ANY work to do. My SEL literally told me verbatim that he doesn't care what I do here. He doesn't care if I play games, watch movies, etc. Just come to work since I wear the uniform and am employed by the government.

So with that said, the verbal "it is not in the best interest for the Air Force" is such BS and I know they are just denying my Skillbridge just for the sake of denying it because they hate me and see me as a DBA and don't want to see me succeed. My first shirt straight up said, "You DO know that this is a privilege, not a right, right?" after all I did was just ask him about the Skillbridge process and how it works when I'm going through a MEB.

I'm thinking of what I can do at this point, I know at the end that the commander can deny it for whatever reason and that I can't do anything about it like appeal it or whatever.
I'm at the point where I just want to directly send an email to the MSG commander while of course CCing my supervisor and SEL, and request/ask him why he is against me doing Skillbridge so I can have that in writing.
What does anybody think of this COA? I don't care what leadership thinks of me at this point or if I get chewed out about not being professional or how this is not how our unit does things, etc.
I'm going to be out either way lol. Just waiting on my ratings now. My package got sent up to the PEB after I signed the 618 last Friday.
This is just one of those things where it would help a lot and be nice to be able to use this program to pick up a certificate or two.

 

[KDawgie]

Just let it go honestly.

 

[tony292]

They want you out as quickly as possible… I was a commander once and had a career NCO with ten years suddenly have PTSD, lost a government laptop (he staged it being “lost” and then he miraculously “found” it again…) even though I couldn’t prove that, it was such a fishy story I didn’t believe it. he then got a DUI for running his car into a tree while drunk and had an MEB ongoing for his PTSD.. he also had domestic violence issues with his wife and had to have a no contact order for a while… (During all
Of these shenanigans, his wife would call me, his company commander and cuss me out, usually her ranting over TRICARE or whatever else she felt entitled to…).

all of this happened in his last 4 months of active duty… despite many (10 plus) years of good service… so the commander 05/06 above me (I was a company commander O3E at the time) both wanted to extend him on active duty in order to punish him and I told them flat out no Sir, please let’s just get him out (his DUI and DV were within 30 days of his Medical retirement)… so I convinced them to just let him go on terminal
Leave because if we had kept him in just to strip his rank and punish him; he would keep on doing more stupid things and keep winning more stupid prizes and it’s better just to get him out as fast as possible. My plan worked… he got his medical retirement and was out quickly and not our problem anymore…

Look at the issue as if you were them and you had to deal with someone who doesn’t add any value to the unit (actual work) and is a liability… most of these decisions are not personal, they don’t hate you, they just want the least amount of major headaches before you’re out…and believe it or not senior leaders get their asses chewed by Generals over this stuff. While in recruiting command the two star in charge at the time would cuss out and yell at the full bird Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels… it ain’t all rainbows and unicorns up there… they have more pressure than you’ll
ever know.

Honestly skillbridge is a fairly new thing, most of us didn’t get this benefit… it’s an amazing benefit, but like many benefits, it’s not automatic and it’s not always warranted in every case. It’s also NOT an entitlement… Take every good thing you can get and then head for the exit…keep your head down and go for the exit… it’s not worth the headaches of
Congressionals or EO complaints or whatever… those things will
Just wrap you up in negativity and you’ll just end up with less than stellar results that you’re seeking.

 

[pinkvenom]

Just let it go honestly.

I really want to... if everything was justifiable and reasonable, I really would drop it since I'm getting out.
It's just ridiculous how leaders higher up just don't seem to care about some of us down here sometimes.
But of course, in the end, worst case scenario is just me not being able to do Skillbridge. It was wishful thinking and I thought it would really be a great benefit and chance to up my chances with an employment so I can continue to provide my family of a wife and 2 kids.
Thank you for your input.

They want you out as quickly as possible… I was a commander once and had a career NCO with ten years suddenly have PTSD, lost a government laptop (he staged it being “lost” and then he miraculously “found” it again…) even though I couldn’t prove that, it was such a fishy story I didn’t believe it. he then got a DUI for running his car into a tree while drunk and had an MEB ongoing for his PTSD.. he also had domestic violence issues with his wife and had to have a no contact order for a while… (During all
Of these shenanigans, his wife would call me, his company commander and cuss me out, usually her ranting over TRICARE or whatever else she felt entitled to…).

all of this happened in his last 4 months of active duty… despite many (10 plus) years of good service… so the commander 05/06 above me (I was a company commander O3E at the time) both wanted to extend him on active duty in order to punish him and I told them flat out no Sir, please let’s just get him out (his DUI and DV were within 30 days of his Medical retirement)… so I convinced them to just let him go on terminal
Leave because if we had kept him in just to strip his rank and punish him; he would keep on doing more stupid things and keep winning more stupid prizes and it’s better just to get him out as fast as possible. My plan worked… he got his medical retirement and was out quickly and not our problem anymore…

Look at the issue as if you were them and you had to deal with someone who doesn’t add any value to the unit (actual work) and is a liability… most of these decisions are not personal, they don’t hate you, they just want the least amount of major headaches before you’re out…and believe it or not senior leaders get their asses chewed by Generals over this stuff. While in recruiting command the two star in charge at the time would cuss out and yell at the full bird Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels… it ain’t all rainbows and unicorns up there… they have more pressure than you’ll
ever know.

Honestly skillbridge is a fairly new thing, most of us didn’t get this benefit… it’s an amazing benefit, but like many benefits, it’s not automatic and it’s not always warranted in every case. It’s also NOT an entitlement… Take every good thing you can get and then head for the exit…keep your head down and go for the exit… it’s not worth the headaches of
Congressionals or EO complaints or whatever… those things will
Just wrap you up in negativity and you’ll just end up with less than stellar results that you’re seeking.

First, thank you so much for your input and advice.
I understand where you are coming from and I understand their side of things up there.
I really hope I didn't paint the picture of me being a DBA to you as well.. my head has been in a really crappy place the past 2-3 years...
I am in a similar spot like your career NCO I guess as far as time in the military goes.
My 11th year mark is coming up this Thanksgiving.
8 years prior Security Forces, so that is a lot of where I carried over the bad stuff in my head unfortunately..

So the education center literally explained to them how the Skillbridge won't affect my DOS.
They said once my MEB package comes back with a date of my DOS, factoring in my terminal leave and PTDY days approved, even if my Skillbridge goes past that date, it doesn't matter to the Air Force. They brought up that at that point, it is literally just up to me and the company if they want to allow me to continue my internship or class or whatever it may be, cut me off because I'm out of the military, or to hire me into the company or start paying me.
So with that said and if that is true, I don't think it would affect my DOS and get rid of the concern you brought up in your comment such as trying to get me out of the military ASAP to get rid of extra unnecessary headaches.
So in my honest opinion, they would really be doing me a favor and it would be like a last "thank you" gift at least from the Air Force on my way out by approving my Skillbridge and I don't really see a problem with that.. like what is so wrong with that?? But if yall are siding with my leadership and their decision, then I also value your input as well and will put that into consideration. Like I mentioned, I seriously know and acknowledge that this is NOT an entitlement or a right, it is 100% a privilege, I really get it because I denied one of my former troop's Skillbridge back in 2021, he was honestly the biggest DBA I have ever met. He stole government property, raped(allegedly) one of our other airman, and then got caught stealing at the BX...he tried stealing a whole meta quest VR, gaming laptop, Ipad pro, PS5, and a gaming monitor...also got caught jacking off to one of our airman in the office at work....yeah....a straight up DBA if I ever saw one...
Anyways! lol. Going back to my thing...I believe my leadership don't really care about us airmen.
I literally had a pistol to my head after countlessly trying to reach out and cry out for help... After I come back from that weekend...my leadership decides to punish me for that....that's a whole other story...
I have an SI seriously every other week... I really want to see the good in people and think that there are people out there who really wants the best for me and see me succeed and really want to help me... but my entire 11 years in the Air Force, I had toxic leadership and nobody seemed to care about the enlisted side and us lower airmen. Everybody was always trying to use others so they can get a bullet and get a promotion. One of my former commanders literally told us during a commander's call that we should all man up and stop being snowflakes and get emotional just because some weak coward who didn't want to face the truth and reality killed themselves. He said he would give everybody who killed themselves an Art 15 if they were still alive...wtf? He didn't last very long of course because IG came down but the last thing he also mentioned was that the parents and family or whoever raised these "cowards"(he said the word pus****) should be effin ashamed of themselves and that they never deserved to live. Yeah, try to continue being a commander after those comments...
Oh well...
Regardless, I really thank yall for your inputs.
I am just stressed and really scared...I am terrified to go out to the civilian world...scared that people would think I'm crazy for the symptoms I carried out from the military and that nobody would understand me...
I'm scared I won't be able to provide for my wife and 2 beautiful kids...but then at the same time, I don't want to kill myself and have them be raised up fatherless...
Sorry, I am in a really dark spot.