[ops33]

If I am wrong please help me to understand. I was under the believe that an officer did not receive a discharge the same as an enlisted member did. While enlisted had specified periods of enlistment and officer did not. He may have a minimum period he must serve, but he did not have an enlistment contract as an enlisted did. Is that correct?

When an enlisted member's period of enlistment expired that individual was discharged. But an officer's commission was valid until death, retirement, or separation. Is that correct?

So when an officer leaves the military is he separated or discharged? I may not used the term the way I understood it but I thought that only an enlisted member was actually discharged. An officer may receive a certificate attesting to his Honorable service but is it the same as for an enlisted member?

There has also been several comments stated that perhaps Kerry received a Dishonorable Discharge or a Bad Conduct Discharge. Are these not punitive discharges given only to enlisted as a part of the punishment from conviction by a general Courts-Martial?

If I am wrong please tell me.

Thanks,

[norton]

Regular officers are subject to recall until their dotage.
Reservists go back to a regular rank (E-6 or so) and are discharged from active duty, they retain their reserve rank so long as they elect to stay in reserve status or to 65 and sufficient points to be retired with benefits. While serving in reserves they are also subject to or can petition for recall in their reserve rank.

(dredged from 30 plus years back)

[visitor]

I graduated from University of the South in June 1960, enlisted in the Navy's AOCS program and spent the next 5 years as an Active Duty Naval Aviator and 7 years in the Inactive Standby Reserve, receiving my Honorable Discharge in 1972.

I was Commissioned Ensign in the USNR AS WAS KERRY, my "contract" when I enlisted in the AOCS program was for 5 years active and 1 year ready-reserve.

Following my release from Active Duty, August 1965, I was granted a waiver and did not have to attend the 6th year monthly drills, having entered Graduate School.

Because Aviators were in critical shortage , I was retained on Standby Status until the end of the Vietnam war.

My Discharge Document, as far as I know, is a Standard Document issued to all Veterans regardless of Rank, it is a Document worthy of framing as is any diploma. it is not a memo or letter and is something kerry should be proud to display on his website...rto