Posted on 09/08/2004 5:18:05 AM PDT by scooter1
OK, OTH then. I plead ignorance. An enlisted man is subject to UCMJ through his entire commitment. I received my DD214 upon discharge after 4 years active duty in the USAF. Two years later I was mailed my "Honorable Discharge".
I didn't know Officers didn't have a General Discharge. I got two subordinates released from the USAF on charges that ultimately resulted in General Discharges. Not serious enough for the Dishonorable Discharges but definitely undesirable.
He initially had a 6 year obligation. When he accepted his reserve commission they restarted the 6 year clock.
Many people who came in from ROTC, or the military academies, or with direct commissions (e.g. doctors, nurses, lawyers) had no personal experience with the situation.
May I recommend the works of Ernie Pyle for your review regarding the matter.
Again, you've let your keyboard unload your ignorant-assed brain!
I'm not a lifer; I did six years enlisted; honorably discharged; obtained a Bachelor degree in Economics; have run a have a dozen companies (as a COO or CEO) and retired to pleasant life with a beautiful lady.
BUT, you sir, have enflammed my hot button - that would be challenging a FOOL who speaks without full knowledge of the facts or to whom he (or she) is speaking to.
As to your; "No one meant any disrespect..." remark, whether it was meant or not - it was delivered and you are fool for not recognizing your actions.
If the Navy had a board to try and issue Kerry an OTH, the news media would have picked up on it.
I'm not trying to make a big deal about it. There's more serious stuff to M. Kerry than what kind of discharge he may or may not have gotten. His activities post service were possibly treasonous at worst and harmed service members greatly still serving in Vietnam at best. Senator Miller emphasized that Kerry and those of his ilk made fighting the Cold War very difficult. If he wouldn't stand up to Global Communism, why would he stand up to Islamic Terrorism?
Yes his Anti-US stand after Nam and his senate record are more damning than his time in service. He chose the playing field. His refusal to release his records is hiding something.
It is also interesting to note that Kerry did not obtain an honorable discharge until Mar. 12, 2001 even though his service obligation should have ended July 1, 1972
where is the document or link that provides this date?
This gets my vote as one of the most naive statements ever made here at FreeRepublic!
I didn't provide a proper context. Kerry in the midst of his anti war activities was a (in my view - notorious) national public figure. If the Navy had convened an administrative discharge hearing or courts-martial to drum him out of the service under less than honorable conditions, there would have been such a wail in the MSM about the Pentagon and Navy "persecuting" Kerry, it would have been deafening and left a footprint.
Remember why the swiftvets said the 3rd Purple Heart (Rice in the Rear) and Bronze Star was kind of just let go? It was because the Officers and Sailors of Coastal Division 11 were just tired of Kerry and wanted him gone.
March 12, 2001?
I thought the only thing that happened March 12, 2001 was Kerry's DD-215 was signed, awarding him FOUR campaign bronze stars on his Vietnam Service ribbon.
(Instead of the zero he was supposed to have according to his original DD-214...)
---What you are confusing is Kerry's enlistment as an enlisted person preparatory to his assignment to OCS. Once he'd completed OCS he was commissioned as an officer with a totally new obligation.
He initially had a 6 year obligation. When he accepted his reserve commission they restarted the 6 year clock.---
With all due respect, I did take that into consideration. Even if you use the earlier dischage date of 1978, it stretches beyond the 6 year requirement. He enlisted in 1966. He applied for Officer School on the same day he enlisted, so even if you give him two extra years commitment (six years from commission date) that still only gets you to 1974. Why is he not discharged until 1978?
I repeat. It smells. He could put this to rest by releasing ALL of his records. Why won't he?
(a) The following persons are subject to this chapter:
(1) Members of a regular component of the armed forces, including those awaiting discharge after expiration of their terms of enlistment; volunteers from the time of their muster or acceptance into the armed forces; inductees from the time of their actual induction into the armed forces; and other persons lawfully called or ordered into, or to duty in or for training in the armed forces, from the dates when they are required by the terms of the call or order to obey it.
(2) Cadets, aviation cadets, and midshipman.
(3) Members of a reserve component while on inactive-duty training, but in the case of members of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard of the United States only when in Federal Service.
(4) Retired members of a regular component of the armed forces who are entitled to pay.......
Because Kerry was not retired and not involved in reserve training, he may not have been subject to the UCMJ when he was active with the anti war crowd.
This is his reserve discharge. Anybody have his discharge from Active Duty?
The only way he could be subject to the UCMJ is to be recalled to active duty to stand trial for the charges. Since he was honorably discharged in 1978, he is no longer subject to the UCMJ.
I sent you his release (vice discharge) from active duty orders, which transferred him into the inactive reserves. His honorable discharge is from the Standby Reserves, as is mine even though I had a regular commission and was released from active duty in 1972 and didn't receive my honorable discharge until 1978.
Interesting he was required to notify the Headquarters of the Naval Reserve if went on foreign travel. I wonder if he did when he took his little jaunt to Paris.
It has to be travel of 30 days or more.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.