"Kerry joined the Naval Reserve." True?

[Touchdown]

Browsing what used to be a decent forum that's been invaded by mouth breathers, I came across this little thing. First time I heard it. I think this is an attempt to make Kerry's service equal to Chimpy's ANG days, by making Kerry a "weekend warrior".

What's the story...Navy, Naval Reserves? It doesn't really matter in the end. He served, and he asked to go. Bush didn't.

[jtb33]

1. Yes, but what does it matter? eom

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. True. But don't dump on Kerry calling him a weekend warrior.

[Touchdown]

9. Nobody's doing that.

I'm paraphrasing what was said on this board.

[NMDemDist2]

3. IRR

non active, IRR like most who get out, they can be recalled for up to a total of 6 years active. (Serve 3 + 3years IRR or serve 4 + 2years IRR)

he didn't have to weekend warrior at all, just keep the Navy informed where he lived "just in case"

[wurzel]

5. Kerry wasn't in Vietnam only on weekends, was he?

[A_Possum]

4. He "joined" the Navy

After he returned from Vietnam, he was an aide to an admiral for awhile, still on active duty. Then he resigned and went on "active reserve duty" until 1972. Then he was in the Standby Reserve until 1978.

So yeah, he was in the reserves AFTER his active duty. Big diff.

[Touchdown]

7. Thanks for the clarification, and no it really doesn't matter to me.

but you know how Freepers are. They are implying Kerry's lying. They said he NEVER was in the Reg Navy and was only reserves, which would give "questions to credibility".

That is how it matters. They'll keep pushing until it enters the zeitgeist. Remember..."It's not the sex. It's the lies about it".:eyes:

But if he was in the Navy, went active reserve, then inactive reserve until '78, then it is them that are lying....again.

[A_Possum]

16. They sure are bold liars

This really does take the cake. It's like they just start with what Bush did, claim Kerry did it, and expect everybody to gasp and call KERRY a liar!

This is quite a lesson in how lying works!

[oasis]

13. Reserves AFTER active duty. Thanks for laying this to rest.

[Journeyman]

6. When I enlisted in the Air Force. . .

between the time of my physical and my actual induction into the service, I was considered to be a member of the USAF Reserve. I even got discharge papers from the Reserve when I was two weeks into basic training.

[BlueCollar]

8. USNR

United States Naval Reserve

Kerry apparantly did the same thing I did. I chose to serve in the U.S.Navy by joining the U.S. Naval Reserve and serving in an active duty status...i.e. full-time.I served full time for three years and nine months after making a commitment to initially serve three years full time and three years as a weekend warrior...but, because I served the extra nine-months (At the "convenience of the government"...known as "stop-loss today) I was discharged from active duty into the Individual Ready Reserve meaning I didn't have to do the weekend warrior thing, but I was eligible for recall to active duty if called up by the Navy. For all of that I got a DD-214

The devil's in the details...in a nutshell...the active US Naval reserve is not the National Guard. Kerry showed up...did his time and got a DD-214 to proove it...Bush was supposedly a member of the Texas Air National Guard...but there's no DD-214 to proove he was honourably discharged.

Clear as mud now eh?

[NMDemDist2]

10. doncha just love buracraticese?

:eyes:

[BlueCollar]

11. I should have added

I was in the enlisted ranks...

It gets a lot more complicated if you are a commissioned officer...

Bottom line: Kerry served, Bush swerved...

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

12. My brother was in the Army 20 years

starting as an enlisted man and rising to Chief Warrant Officer. When he retired he kept in his wallet his "orders" that told him where to report if called upon. He kept them in his wallet until he was 62.

[Grins]

15. And the same happened to me. No big deal.

It happened to most everyone.

I went through Army ROTC during my 4 years of college and, just like almost everyone in the program, was commissioned a 2LT - in the Army Reserve! I was on active duty in 1970 with the 1st Infantry Division (the "real" army) for 2 years, got out, and was then automatically put into reserve status for the next 4 years. I never say that I joined the reserves, I say it the way Kerry does about his Navy service - I joined the Army, and I was in the real Army.

I don''t know if the Navy has anything like this, but I presume they do. The Army has something they refer to as RA, or Regular Army. This is mostly for the guys that are going to make the Army a career. You can apply for it, but those slots are few. At the end of my 2 year service, the Army was winding down and they "RIF'd (reduction in force) lots of officers (and some of them were really great officers). Who got cut? The non-RA types. RA guys were given preference. Everyone that got RIF'd went on Reserve status, and had to go find a job on the local economy.

[lolly]

14. Newsworthy Now

Heck, let's let them pull this up into the news, since the whole "IRR" stuff is part of the new backdoor draft.

People who thought they were done with their commitment are now being called up out of the blue, pulled away from jobs and families, and being sent to Iraq.

So, yeah, let's get people talking about what a post-service "Reserve" assignment means.