[RaceBannon]

On 18 Feb. 1966 John Kerry also signed an Officer Candidate contract for 6 years -- 5 years of ACTIVE duty & ACTIVE Naval Reserves, and 1 year of inactive standby reserves

Does this explain the 1978 discharge?

1966 + 6 years active + 5 years BNaval reserve + 1 year inactive reserve = 1978

[kabar]

Kerry was transferred into the Standby Inactive Reserve on July 1, 1972. A Navy board then decides when to drop officers from the reserves. They decided to separate Kerry from the Reserves per BUPERSMAN 3830.360 on Feb 16, 1972 and give him an honorable discharge.

Something similar happened to me. As a naval officer with a regular commission, I resigned from the Navy in 1972. I didn't receive my honorable discharge until Feb 16, 1978. I must have been before the same board as Kerry.

[Lancey Howard]

Does this explain the 1978 discharge?

No, I don't believe so. Yhe 6 years included both the active and reserve status. That's the way my enlistment was.

[Dubya]

Thanks for the ping.