I got discharged from the Army Reserves yesterday!!!

[IrateCitizen]

Many of you know that I was an officer in the Army Reserves. Many of you also know that I knew that the Iraq war was total bullshit, and had pretty much used every tactic I could to prevent them from being able to send me.

Well, almost two years of fighting the man has finally paid off. I received my honorable discharge from the Army Reserves yesterday (effective 1 September), and the very first thing I did was go down to the Vigil for the Fallen at Union Square (NYC) and speak my mind at the microphone!

It also gives me special pleasure that I was able to get my discharge on a sort of technicality, so that after the military has used every tweak in its regs to screw over so many soldiers, keeping them in past their committment, I was able to use their own system against them and get out, even as my MOS (Engineering Officer) and especially rank (1LT) are in extremely high demand over in Iraq.

I also have to give a special plug to Iraq Veterans Against the War (http://www.ivaw.net), an important group carrying on the noble traditions of VVAW.

[GOPisEvil]

1. Congratulations.

Maybe you should write a "how-to" manual. :7

[demnan]

2. Congratulations!

Glad you could save yourself. I wish that for others as well. No one should have to go to this war.

[UrbScotty]

3. My Dad was an Army Reserve officer in the 1970's.

I think he made it to the rank of Captain.

Thank you for your service to your country, IrateCitizen.

:-)

[IrateCitizen]

6. Promotion status is actually how I got out, I think....

Last year, I received notification that I was up for the promotion board for Captain, but that they were missing some key items of paperwork. I didn't send the paperwork in, so I got passed over for promotion.

This year, the same thing occurred, but they still selected me for promotion anyway! But after that occurred, I received some paperwork in the mail stating that even though they had SELECTED me, I couldn't actually be PROMOTED until they received the required documents. One of my options was to "decline the promotion".

So, that's the route I took. Funny thing is (and I knew this at the time), if you go through the board for Captain twice without getting promoted, they automatically discharge you. ;-)

Also, I like to think that I'm serving my country in a much more important and effective capacity right now by speaking out against injustices and working to right wrongs. :-)

[sangh0]

23. You see? It pays to work within the system!

:evilgrin:

But seriously, that's FANTASTIC news. I'm very happy for you and your family.

[Capn Sunshine]

24. Wish I'd known that

I like to advise actives and reserve status on all possible exit routes.

[Throckmorton]

25. My Brother In Law just did the same thing,

Navy Reserve, and the Lt-Commander Board.

[IrateCitizen]

27. Good on him.

How many years did he have in? It must have been at least 12 to have been up for O-4. Did he do it on purpose like I did?

[Throckmorton]

29. Yes,

Academy Grad, Four years active duty, 12 years reserve. Due to stop loss, he couldn't resign his commission, so he blew two O-4 review boards off, last spring and this spring. Just got his discharge last week.

[Nlighten1]

4. Sweet

Welcome to the club of ex-soldiers.

[IrateCitizen]

8. Thanks.

I joined a pretty nice subset of "ex-soldiers" yesterday. That would be "ex-soldiers who are pissed off at the way that soldiers are used and veterans are ignored".

[MuseRider]

5. I have thought about you

and this issue almost daily. I wondered how you were doing. I am so happy to hear this. Good for you. :yourock:

[IrateCitizen]

9. Thanks, but you can't be as happy as I was!

I think I jumped up and down in my office for at least 30 seconds and had to hold back from screaming out loud!

Then, I went right down to Union Square and met up with the guys from Iraq Veterans Against the War (http://www.ivaw.net) and told them the news, and the next question from them was, "So, you're going to speak then?" After I was done (and surprisingly was able to get the crowd gathered 'round into a crescendo of applause as my talk went on), one of the leaders of IVAW hugged me and said, "Wow, that must have been building up in you for two years now!"

[TNDemo]

7. Congratulations! My brother just got out after 20+ years.

I had been on his case to get the heck out and finally got him to put in the papers and he got out this past year. Now his old unit is shipping out.

[truthspeaker]

10. Congratulations, but beware IRR.

Inactive Ready Reserve. They can call you back if they really want you.

[IrateCitizen]

11. Nope, not a concern for me.

If I had to worry about that, I would have been TRANSFERRED from my battalion to the IRR. That's not what my orders say. My orders are for an HONORABLE DISCHARGE from the US Army Reserve.

I'm in the clear now. :bounce:

[Hobarticus]

12. Congrats, welcome home...for keeps!

Good to hear you got away, man.

[bicentennial_baby]

13. Yay!! Congrats!

I remember you talking about all of this before. Good for you! Rock on!

[MrScorpio]

14. Congratulations, IrateCitizen

Thank you for your service.

My own retirement from the Air Force is coming very soon.

I like the plug fro IVAW. I'm going to look them up the and really consider joining them, the second my retirement becomes effective next year.

[bearfan454]

15. Super !

They hate it when you use their own system against them. I love it.

[redqueen]

16. Congrats, IC

Glad the work and worrying is finally over.

:toast:

[IrateCitizen]

17. Well, the worrying is finally over -- but the work is just beginning!

The work before me (and all of us, actually) is to work to ensure that our government finally begins to honor its side of the contract it makes with servicemembers, that it doesn't use them in senseless wars of conquest, resource control or exploitation -- and that it gives all veterans past, present and future everything they deserve, rather than simply discarding them when they've worn out their usefulness.

It's just one small piece in bringing justice to our society and the world, but it's a vitally important part.

[redqueen]

20. Yes well that work *never* ends

That necessarily comes along with all that eternal viligance stuff, I think. :)

[underpants]

18. Congrats

welcome to the world.

[JVS]

19. Good for you

I'm glad for you

[Khephra]

21. That's great news!

I'm glad everything worked out for you!

[Gracie43]

22. Salute

Good going, Citizen. Especially good that you made the system work for you. Do you still have an obligation or did you get a complete discharge?

I never thought I'd ever say this, but I'm happy as hell I'm too old, fat and useless to be dragged back on AD. I just couldn't take that creature's orders. So, know how you feel.

[IrateCitizen]

26. Complete discharge. Honorable. (nt)

[Gracie43]

30. Good

n/t

[Kolesar]

28. I remember your glum report when you were called up

I am so glad to hear that you are out now. I am celebrating in my heart--and throwing and anti-Bush rally tomorrow!

[liontamer]

31. yay you!

did you have to have consensual homosexual sex to do it?