Question about Kerry's DD214

Kerry Campaign ^ | unk | usnavy

[Stopislamnow]

Some sharp cookie at Ted Nugent's site brought this up.

Why does J Effin Kerry's 214 indicate he was discharged as an Ensign, wasn't he a LTJG?

Someone? Anyone?

[aft_lizard]

He was enlisted before he was an officer.

[aft_lizard]

There shouldnt be any difference between the reserves and active duty ranks.

This from when he went through basic training but hadnt gone through ocs yet, remember you are an enlisted member before you accept a commision as an officer.

[debboo]

Incorrect. I m not a Kerry supporter but... He attended a Naval Commissioning program. The day prior to his commission as an Ensign, he was discharged from his Enlisted position. An enlistment and a Commission are two different animals. He went from his Enlisted rank to an O-1.

[Faeroe]

I am thinking of Custer as an example of the difference between regular Army rank and reserve (?) rank. He made major general during the civil war, but his regular Army commission never went over lieutenant colonel.

[Polybius]

This from when he went through basic training but hadnt gone through ocs yet, remember you are an enlisted member before you accept a commision as an officer.

Actually, this was from when he went through OCS.

An OCS Officer Candidate holds an elisted rank equivalent to an E-5.

If he successfully completes OCS, he is commissioned as an O-1.

If he washes out of OCS, then he gets busted to E-1 and owes the Navy service in the enlisted ranks.

[Polybius]

I am thinking of Custer as an example of the difference between regular Army rank and reserve (?) rank. He made major general during the civil war, but his regular Army commission never went over lieutenant colonel.

That was back in the days of "brevet" rank.

Nowadays, rank is rank.

[Mike Fieschko]

Thanks for the correction.

[auusn]

I used to type these things when I was a Personnelman in the NAV. The first DD 214 Discharges him to accept a commission as an Ensign. If you look at the top of the 214, you will see his rank as OC (officer candidate). The second 214 discharges him as a Junior Goat (LTJG).

[Mortikhi]

Rank from Active duty to Reserve duty carries over.

In fact, alot of times, when you go to the Reserves from Active, the Reserves 'give' you a rank. That's what happened to me when I went Active to Reserves.

[Faeroe]

When I was in the Army, I served with a certain PFC/SP4 Griggs. She had a reserve commission, but was enlisted on active duty. I wonder where she is now.

[BIGLOOK]

Discharged from enlisted and reassigned to OCS. See post #10. This means nothing.

[igoramus987]

I've read somewhere that Page 1 in the pdf document is from just after his training, and Page 2 in the pdf document is from a later date (1972?).

Maybe the previous page of Page 2 in the pdf document contains something that he wants the public to know.

[El Gato]

This is the DD214 issued to Kerry when he completed OCS. He was commission as a LTJG.

No, he was commissioned as an Ensign. He made Lt. JG a couple of years later.

However his second DD-214 shows him separating from active duty as a JG, although his time line shows him promoted to full LT two days before his separation. That is decidedly odd, in two ways. First the that the DD-214 shows his rank as Lt. JG. and that he would have been promoted two days before his separation. Normally they require you to serve some period after a promotion, IIRC.

[El Gato]

January 1, 1970 Kerry was promoted to (full) Lieutenant, USNR

Or so he claims, however the DD-214 posted at his website shows his rank at separation as LTJG.

[El Gato]

If he washes out of OCS, then he gets busted to E-1

Or his original enlisted rank, whatever that might have been, if he/she was prior enlisted, either reserve or active duty.

[supercat]

Why does J Effin Kerry's 214 indicate he was discharged as an Ensign, wasn't he a LTJG?

Note that the cited portion of the form is produced by a rubber-stamp or equivalent, which would support the suggestion by others that this particular form was for his completion of OCS (since a lot of people would be completing OCS, it would be useful to have a rubber stamp for that).