Early Release

. Pregnancy or childbirth l Surviving family member l Separation of aliens . Separation to accept public office Regular Navy officers may usually submit a resignation after they have completed 4 years’ commissioned service. If their commissioned service is less than 6 years, they maybe required to join the Naval Reserve to complete a total of 6 years. Section 651, Title 10, United States Code (USC), provides, among other things, that all persons who become members of the armed forces on or after 10 November 1979 must serve in the armed forces for a total of 6 years. Each person under 26 years of age at the time of entry in the armed forces between 1 February 1978 and 9 November 1979 must serve in the armed forces for a total of 6 years. Approval of an unqualified resignation is not automatic; it is governed by the needs of the service, including availability of qualified relief. Favorable consideration for resignation normally will be given to an officer who will have no active duty obligated service remaining on the requested detachment date. An unqualified resignation must be submitted by letter in the format specified in the MILPERSMAN, NAVPERS 15560C, in order to be accepted by SECNAV. An unqualified resignation, once accepted by SECNAV, carries with it an honorable discharge. Early Release Reserve officers who are on active duty for the purpose of fulfilling their military obligation may submit a request to the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) for early separation. There are various reasons for this type of request. One officer may desire early release for timely school enrollment; another may do so because of a personal hardship. Requests for early release under any circumstance must be accompanied by documented evidence to substantiate the reason for the request. Some of the reasons for which early separation is not authorized are as follows: l Attendance at night school . Summer school (part-time sessions) . Part-time school Trade school Courses that prepare one for a hobby The officer is serving a period of active duty in return for schooling received after being commissioned Release of an officer to inactive duty varies from time to time and as the needs of the service dictate. Therefore, you should consult the latest instructions and notices for up-to-date requirements. Retirements An officer or enlisted member of the Regular Navy has a vested right to retire voluntarily upon completion of at least 30 years of active duty. Requests for voluntary retirement with less than 30 years of active duty will be considered on the basis of the overall needs of the service and the individual cases. Final approval of requests for retirement rests with SECNAV. If an officer qualifies for voluntary retirement by virtue of meeting the time in service, the officer must have a medical examination to determine if any nonincapacitating disabilities exist. If some disabilities do exist, the officer then receives a disability retirement. If no disabilities exist, the officer is voluntarily retired without disability. INVOLUTARY An officer may put forth his or her best efforts, but simply not be able to handle the responsibility of a job. The harder the person tries, the more the person bungles. In spite of rigid entrance requirements, it sometimes happens that a person who is not capable of performing the duties receives a commission. This, in many cases, is no direct reflection on the officer; the person is simply in over his or her head. Some fail academically despite their best efforts and others have a personality or physical deficiency that prevents them from doing the job as well as required. Officers who fail to meet the standards of their fellow officers are involuntarily separated. Resignation (Qualified) A qualified resignation is an involuntary separation. A qualified resignation is one that indicates there is some stigma, however slight, attached to the resignation that prevents the awarding of an honorable discharge certificate. A qualified resignation, if accepted, usually results in separation with a general discharge certificate. 12-2