The Things The Army DoesFollow

Not sure if this warrants a whole new topic, but there isn't a topic going it really falls under.

So, my husband is going to Afganastan, which I have complained about ad nauseam. Since he is leaving in February for a tour that will last anywhere from 6 months to a year and his original ETS date (the day your contract is over) is June 16, 2006, they have to extend him. We were aware that this was going to happen.

Today he pulls up his LES, which is the Army pay stub. On it, it tells you the usual pay stub things, plus the leave days you have earned and your current ETS date. As of this month's LES, his ETS date has been...changed! Not a huge shock I suppose, but why this is scary to me, is that he has not seen any orders or paperwork. Someone, somewhere on a computer just changed some numbers from 6/2006 to 5/2007 without any real warning. It gives you this thought of "they can -do- that??" Just arbitrarily...change the date that you were supposed to go home in a computer somewhere, and that's that. *shakes head*

What sucks even more is that when you sign your original contract, you sign for 4 years active, 4 years inactive. Since he has done 9 years active, he doesn't have to do that 4 years inactive; he served his full time. They can't call him back once he is gone. But that doesn't mean they have to let him go any time soon....

He feels trapped, and I sure can see why. Damn backdoor draft...

I've no idea what the service contract looks like when you join the Armed Forces so I can't comment on right or wrong. But I'm sorry you had to get such sh[i][/i]itty news, especially on the holidays.

yikes!
was that in fine print?

I thought it was common knowledge that they can call for a discharge freeze in time of conflict. I also could have sworn that the 4 years "inactive" which is actually more of a reserve period, extended after your discharge date regardless of how much time you've served.

But I've been out 6 years, and it's been a while since I cared or bothered to check.

They could really simplify the contract you sign if they'd just phrase it as, "We own your *** for 8 years, and however long after that we think we need it. Sign here."

They do not need orders to extend during a time of war or military crises


Not true, every contract is for 8 years + 4 years inactive reserves. All the inactive reserves means is that he will be called before a new recruit is created (boot camp + tech school) if his field is sufficiently low and in need of manning immediately.

The 8yr or the more typical 4/4, sounds like the one your husband is on, if just 4 years active, but at the end of that 4 years depending on a lot of things he can be forced extension, or can be a voluntary extension (sign a new contract and reup).

In either case, the extended time has NOTHING to do with the 4 years of inactive reserve time. that is 4 years AFTER you are sepperated from the service.

Also depending on your husbands rank and field of expertise he can be called back until he is 65 years of age. the higher your rank and the more specialized your field of training, the higher the odds of that happening. Both my father and grandfather were like that due to their rank. My grandfather was called back during the Korean war after serving during WWII and after. He had already put in 20yr prior to Korea and had been out for a few years before he was "reactivated".

I am hoping they do not do this to my fater who put in 27.5 years in the AF, but if his field is undermaned due to both his rank and skills he could be force reactivated and nothing he can do about it. That too is part of the contract your husband signed.

This is not a backdoor draft, this is the way the US armed forces have worked since Vietnam so probably longer then you have been alive. His extended date of speration is a shame and i am sorry to hear you are affected by it, but that is part of joining the military and if your husband did not read all of the fine print on his contract, then tough luck. that is why you should read every word of every contract and if you do not understand exactly what it means have it cleared up by a lawyer, not the guy trying to sell you something.