Army Timeframe to drop separation packet

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

DD214_DOC

Full Member
20+ Year Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2003
Messages
5,786
Reaction score
912
I know this has been answered in a relatively recent thread, but I can't find it after 10 minutes of searching.

What is the minimum amount of time from one's ADSO necessary in order to drop a separation packet? I've heard you can do it up to 12 months out. Is this accurate? Most people seem to do it around the 6 month mark.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Yeah, at least 9 months. I'd feel nervous about six. Someone -will- screw up or lose your packet. Or both. At least twice.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I know this has been answered in a relatively recent thread, but I can't find it after 10 minutes of searching.

What is the minimum amount of time from one's ADSO necessary in order to drop a separation packet? I've heard you can do it up to 12 months out. Is this accurate? Most people seem to do it around the 6 month mark.
Army minimum is 6 months from what I remember. 12 months maximum
 
I filed my separation paperwork about 5 to 6 months beforehand in the Air Force. My active-duty service commitment already had a specified end date and I had a contract with the Air Force that stated in writing when it was to expire. The way I saw it, I was leaving the military on that day regardless of what someone in personnel managed to screw up. I remember during my last week on active duty, someone told me that I would not be allowed to separate unless I completed some tasks and obtained some signatures. I merely replied, "I am driving away from base on Friday afternoon and never coming back regardless of whether or not I have your signature." Somehow, everything managed to come together at the end.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
my wife just got out-- for army REFRAD (release from active duty-- "officers don't ETS" per the admin folks) is minimum 6 months. some people don't realize this and just assume they will get out when their ADSO is up.

you can revoke you REFRAD at any point up until the very end. so if you submit it and for some reason decide to stay in you can. you can also submit any date you want-- so if your ADSO is up 30 June but you want to be released 20 July or something you can do that. finally-- if you don't turn in a REFRAD at all you can stay on AD essentially month to month, but will have to give that 6 month REFRAD notice to get out. obviously you would give up your bonuses (which obligate a year), but where this may come in handy is if you need to eek out a little more time for your civilian or spouse job to line up (and due to the 6 month notice not get deployed).

i'll likely drop my REFRAD in December then see how things play out from there. they're working on keeping me in via a PCS but until I see some orders I'm highly skeptical.

--your friendly neighborhood evaluating the grass on the other side caveman
 
Technically it's six months from when you want to start terminal leave. So if you'll have 30 days of terminal leave, you need to submit your resignation at least seven months before your desired separation date. Not everyone gets held to this, but it's what the reg says so play it safe.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
my wife just got out-- for army REFRAD (release from active duty-- "officers don't ETS" per the admin folks) is minimum 6 months. some people don't realize this and just assume they will get out when their ADSO is up.

you can revoke you REFRAD at any point up until the very end. so if you submit it and for some reason decide to stay in you can. you can also submit any date you want-- so if your ADSO is up 30 June but you want to be released 20 July or something you can do that. finally-- if you don't turn in a REFRAD at all you can stay on AD essentially month to month, but will have to give that 6 month REFRAD notice to get out. obviously you would give up your bonuses (which obligate a year), but where this may come in handy is if you need to eek out a little more time for your civilian or spouse job to line up (and due to the 6 month notice not get deployed).

i'll likely drop my REFRAD in December then see how things play out from there. they're working on keeping me in via a PCS but until I see some orders I'm highly skeptical.

--your friendly neighborhood evaluating the grass on the other side caveman

Just a point of clarification for someone reading this thread in the future. This is highly service specific. Navy letter needs to be 9-12 months and there is no going back once its dropped.

@Homunculus Hawaii or Landstuhl? I can't think of any other place that would be worth staying.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Just a point of clarification for someone reading this thread in the future. This is highly service specific. Navy letter needs to be 9-12 months and there is no going back once its dropped. .

this is important-- a lot of things between our dysfunctional .mil families are similar but this sounds like a big difference-- navy folks take note.

@Homunculus Hawaii or Landstuhl? I can't think of any other place that would be worth staying.

Hawaii is too far from family. we want to go back to the east coast or Germany. funny story-- I was told a few years ago by my consultant to the surgeon general and HRC that my specialty going to Germany would "never happen" when I asked about it-- even as a post operation tour "reward."

then, lo and behold, literally a year later (yes, as you probably would have guessed by now) someone in my specialty went over for a BDE surgeon tour then stayed on as their specialty at landstuhl. the longer I'm in, the more I notice that all these rules and regulations really just come down to who you know and how you play the game.

in the meantime I'm trying to do the (complicated) stay in/get out reserve/guard math. too many permutations at the moment, in a couple of months our civilian options should be more clear and the decision may be a lot easier.

my wife's take on now working civilian-- "it's like when Dorothy first walks through the door to Oz..." her first weekend on call she had 3 new onset diabetes and a PICU DKA admission. this would have easily been 2 full days of rounding, teaching, ordering supplies, etc. but unlike her .mil job she has CDEs and support staff that do most of that. she was shocked. her first day the clinic manager told her that "anything that is slowing you down or that we can do to make things easier let us know-- we're here for you." luckily she was sitting down at the time.

sorry. small thread hijack. BLUF-- you need to plan for your exit, don't just expect to stop going to work the day after your ADSO, lol.

--your friendly neighborhood 34 days left in Kuwait caveman
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Just a point of clarification for someone reading this thread in the future. This is highly service specific. Navy letter needs to be 9-12 months and there is no going back once its dropped.

This is true. I had a Navy friend drop his packet 9 months out and they still extended him for an extra month because of some delay. Lame.
 
Here's another question. Would I request a REFRAD or UQR? I will have completed my MSO by my ADSO. I will probably drop my packet as early as possible because my YMAV falls about two months after my ADSO, and I don't really want to get stuck with PCS orders and incur another 12 months obligation -- although I believe I read in an AR that one must have at least 24 months TIS to PCS.
 
For starters, they can PCS you whenever they want. I personally know two guys who were both PCSed with just over 1 year left - one guy had just over a year until retirement, one until separation. And the latter was sent to Korea.

Admittedly, they both fell into an unfortunate position of being on the bad side of our consultant...but the point stands. And frankly, I think the hate was unwarranted.

Request your unqualified resignation.
 
For starters, they can PCS you whenever they want. I personally know two guys who were both PCSed with just over 1 year left - one guy had just over a year until retirement, one until separation. And the latter was sent to Korea.

Admittedly, they both fell into an unfortunate position of being on the bad side of our consultant...but the point stands. And frankly, I think the hate was unwarranted.

Request your unqualified resignation.
Second this. A buddy of mine got PCS'd against his will with 1 year remaining on his ADSO. Talking to the HRC consultant yielded no help and once the orders were cut that was all she wrote. Of course he had just gotten back from deployment, bought a house, etc. It's just how the Army does business.
 
Top