If someone completes an initial obligation and signs a Reserve contract, will they be allowed to stop work or can they legally separate?

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 12:06:33 -0400

My friend had a question for me that i do not know the answer to. He has just completed his 8 year initial military obligation. He has also just signed a 3 year non obligated reserve contract in the navy reserves with no bonus. Does that mean he is allowed to stop coming or is he allowed to legally separate? Im just not sure what non ob mean?

Response by COL Randall C. made Jul 13 at 2025 1:23 PM

COL Randall C. — Sun, 13 Jul 2025 13:23:33 -0400

The confusion may be because many think a non-obligated contract is synonymous with the IRR (it's not).

The correct short answer: If they want to get out, do it the right way - submit to transfer to the IRR (notify CoC, submit NAVRES 1300/4, etc.) for the remainder of their contract.

However, I think your friend is asking the "what will happen" type question.

As they are non-obligated and don't have a bonus, the formal 'teeth' for the consequences are minimal, but if they just 'stop coming' the bridges that are burned can be substantial (OTH discharge for being dropped from the rolls, etc.) even causing issues with their existing "honorably served veteran" status (legally no .. but can it cause bureaucratic issues? Yes).
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* U.S. Navy Reserve (IRR Force Management Division) - https://www.navyreserve.navy.mil/Resources/-IRR-Individual-Ready-Reserve/

Individual Ready Reserve (IRR)

The Navy Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) is a force that consists of personnel who must fulfill their MSO under 10 U.S.C., 651, members fulfilling a service obligation incurred via contract, and those who have fulfilled their MSO but voluntarily remain in the IRR. The IRR is composed of the Active Status Pool (ASP) and the Volunteer Training Unit (VTU). The ASP is a manpower pool consisting of individuals who have previously served in the...

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Jul 15 at 2025 10:41 AM

SSgt Christophe Murphy — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 10:41:27 -0400

Col Cudworth nailed it as always. Non -obligated contracts does not equal IRR. They are two different things. Your friend needs to talk to the actual professionals and stop talking to barracks lawyers. Direct them to S1 and the other appropriate players on the game board and honestly afterwards I would wash my hands of it and keep my distance. Folks like this have a tendency of burning bridges and lashing out at folks when things don't go their way. They take misinformation to the bank and get real punchy when they discover it was all BS.