DU'ers with military experience (esp. with service commitments), help!!!!!

[geek tragedy]

I need help shooting down the discharge story (yeah yeah I know).

Here is what I need to clarify/confirm:

John Kerry had what appeared to be either a six year or a nine year commitment to the Naval Reserve.

http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/jkerry/offcandagr.pdf

The agreement calls for (A) three years on active duty as a Reserve officer in the USN; and (B) overall six years in the Naval Reserve, including both active and inactive duty.

If (B) includes (A), his commitment was six years and his obligation began in 1966 and ended in 1973.

If (B) does not include (A), his commitment was nine years and his obligation begain in 1966 and ended in 1975.

The question is--why did his obligation run until 1978, when he was finally discharged?

A satisfactory answer completely buries the discharge once and for all (the NY Sun article from today will be spread by the wingnuts).

Please advise.

[MSgt213]

1. Kerry was an officer different rules apply to officers then enlisted men

John Kerry enlisted in the Navy on February 18, 1966 with the intention of going to Officer Candidate School. Because of the enlistment, he had a statutory six year obligation. An important point to remember is that an officer does not leave the military when “his contract is up.” Something has to be done by the military service or the officer, after the statutory obligation, for the officer to leave. When Kerry was commissioned as an Ensign, you must realize that at that point he became a “Naval Reserve Officer.” There are only a few rare exceptions where an officer receives what is called an “active duty” commission. Most of the military officers on active duty today are “Reserve Officers.”

[geek tragedy]

3. My question is this, I guess:

The navy regs seem to indicate that Kerry would have remained in the inactive reserve for 1-3 years, and then would have been either offered the opportunity to remain for additional time or administratively discharged.

The puzzler is the fact that he remained on inactive for six years--which seems abnormally long.

Is there any explanation?

I'm sure it's nothing, but I would personally enjoy the opportunity to shut the Freeptards up.

[MSgt213]

5. He had to resign his commission. Officers stay in the inactive reserve

until they resign their commission or the military either has it revoked or withdrawn for misconduct. You and whoever is quoting the navy regs are wrong or intentionally misreading what they say as it applies to commissioned officers and enlisted noncommissioned inductees.

Key fact here is that Officer commissions are still in effect when the officer comes of active reserve duty and active drilling reserve if they don't resign their commissioned after completing their one weekend a month two weeks a year deal they will enter the inactive ready reserve and stay on that list until such time as they are removed by the military from that list (for failing to get promotion for example).

[geek tragedy]

6. This is all making sense. Thanks a bunch.

Here is what I was basing my understanding on:

http://www.navy-reserve.org/files/public/100139d.pdf

And, the language does not say what I thought it said:

"Officers with fewer than 20 years of qualifying service may normally remain in the USNR-S2 for 1-3 years. After that time members will be screened and considered for discharge unless . . ."

"Normally" and "screened and considered" are the crucial words, methinks.

[charlie]

2. Why bother?

We're at one day to election day, with a significant number of votes already cast. This hoohah isn't going to make a lick of difference to anybody. If Kerry pulled a set of 1975 discharge papers out of his back pocket at a press conference, do you think it'll satisfy the wingers?

Fugeddaboutit.

Put the onus on them to explain this:

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/9990590.htm

and let it go.

[Career Prole]

4. I understand completely...not.

You want it debunked that Kerry stayed in longer than he was supposed to? I believe the greater problem would be if he had gotten out before he was supposed to...like Shrub.

[geek tragedy]

7. I think I have it figured out.

The person making the allegation is a JAG with 30+ years of service, so I wanted to nail this down. I believe I have done so.

GT

[Cleopatra2a]

8. Doesn't matter how many years this JAG has in,

he hates Kerry and won't listen. I have a co-worker (E-8) with 25 years in, he believes this stuff also. He was dancing around last Tuesday about this big story coming out. He only listens to Rush and watches Fox.

[Career Prole]

9. Ah...a JAG officer! Or as we affectionately abbreviated them...

...a JAG Off. ;)