If a service member wishes to cancel their contract early, should they be allowed to?

2015-10-01T18:39:25-04:00

I know for some military members, especially those who first enter the military, want to get out early. In my own opinion, it brings bad moral to a unit and can be very toxic if they have a negative attitude toward their workplace. I just want to know what other active service members and retirees think.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 6:40 PM

2015-10-01T18:40:57-04:00

No.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 6:41 PM

2015-10-01T18:41:56-04:00

No. I understand what you're saying and personally I'd happily be rid of some of them as well, but the contract has a duration for a reason, and a very large part of that is personnel and manning planning. If we allow people to leave early we lose all of the predictability of that process and there are significant compounding effects.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 6:42 PM

2015-10-01T18:42:05-04:00

Those folks that want out early should not have joined in the first place, but thats just me. But, since they are in, they are gonna have to ride their time out and then get out. Sucks to be them but maybe next time they will put a little more thought than "Call of Duty in real life...super sweet" mentality.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 6:47 PM

2015-10-01T18:47:27-04:00

You have breach of contract where one party doesn't uphold their part of the contract. You could have a termination clause in your contract. And then there is rescission or unmaking of the contract to the time before the contract, but you would need consent from both parties.

If I got discharged after they paid for my college, I'd be in a breach of contract situation since mine is 8 years. Or, I could talk to manpower and ask for recession or cancellation. There is no termination clause and worst case I join the IRR.

Response by PO3 Michael James made Oct 1 at 2015 6:51 PM

2015-10-01T18:51:32-04:00

A1C Fox, I think you summed it up very well.. Bringing bad moral to an entire unit, and it can be very toxic... obvious this has happened to Congress, as well as the VA..

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Oct 1 at 2015 7:05 PM

2015-10-01T19:05:39-04:00

Simply put, the government has a huge investment. It takes A LOT of time to make a servicemember viable. About a year to get someone to the "Fleet" The 3 years after that are a fairly reasonable payback for that education. Especially since the vast majority of us choose our specialties. In addition, we get a lot of benefits post service.

It's not about being unhappy. It's about paying back that investment.

Response by COL Jon Thompson made Oct 1 at 2015 7:09 PM

2015-10-01T19:09:34-04:00

One thing that makes the military different from civilian employers is that you cannot just quit when you want to. This is essentially what canceling a contract means. It is up to the leadership to make sure that all unit members are doing their job and I know the Army has ways to chapter out Soldiers who are sub-standard. But we cannot effectively have a military if people can just quit when they want.

Response by Capt Mark Strobl made Oct 1 at 2015 7:11 PM

2015-10-01T19:11:14-04:00

The U.S. Government and the individual enter into a mutually binding contract. Unless the service member, somehow, becomes unable (NOT unwilling) to uphold their end of the agreement, the answer is a resounding "NO."

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Oct 1 at 2015 7:34 PM

2015-10-01T19:34:11-04:00

No. If you sign on the dotted line you have an obligation to complete your commitment

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 10:12 PM

2015-10-01T22:12:27-04:00

Should a member have to pay back the government for their time and education if said member decides to just quit?

Response by Sgt Kelli Mays made Oct 1 at 2015 11:28 PM

2015-10-01T23:28:50-04:00

Unless they have a really good reason...NO....they need to do their time they pledged to do.

Response by SrA Matthew Knight made Oct 2 at 2015 8:05 AM

2015-10-02T08:05:35-04:00

No. There are many of us displeased with our jobs or whatever else, regardless of that fact you need to serve the commitment like everyone else does. If the environment starts getting toxic it is generally because they start showing a bad attitude at work which can either be solved by counseling or if it becomes a true and consistent problem they will get the boot and not in a good way.

We may not all know exactly what we signed up for in the beginning of our time in service but regardless of that you make a pledge to serve this country for at least four years. It's a long four years but just do it. If someone is beyond their first enlistment and sick of things then they should have not re-enlisted in the first place. First enlistment just get through it and leave on good terms.

The problem with allowing people to separate early is you get situations like we had a year or two ago when the AF called for E4 and up to voluntarily separate. They had so many rush to take the opportunity that when all was said and done they realized they lost too many. To my understanding there were certain career fields actually trying to call up the now separated airmen and beg for them to come back because manning took such a hit. With that much of an impact to manning for what was a limited number of allowed voluntary seps you can imagine what the AF would be like if they just opened it up for everyone.

There is no quitting here. Every time you sign for those four to six years you are pledging your life for those years. You know what you are signing.

Response by SGT David T. made Oct 2 at 2015 8:55 AM

2015-10-02T08:55:19-04:00

I think this would help with the draw down instead of forcing out folks who actually want to stay in the military.

Response by MSgt Michael Smith made Oct 2 at 2015 9:52 AM

2015-10-02T09:52:21-04:00

When I was 18 and first in the military this was me. I am SO glad that the Air Force made it difficult to do this, if not almost impossible. You don't know what you want when you are young and in the military, you just know that you are lonely, away from home, and that all your friends are having lots of fun back home without you. After 4 years you will see things MUCH differently. Change happens. The military just forces it a little earlier than college does. But the benefits you get, especially the GI Bill and Veteran status, are incalculably more beneficial than a couple extra years as a child

Response by MSgt Neil Greenfield made Oct 5 at 2018 5:46 PM

2018-10-05T17:46:14-04:00

I’d say it would depend on the reasons. And I have first hand experience with this. I was in the Army on my second enlistment when I requested an “early out” to enter the college semester. I was a SGT/E5 at Fort Meade, Maryland, 1985, and had declined orders for overseas back to Germany. I had about 8 months left on my enlistment and knew I was getting out. In retrospect I probably should have gone back overseas as I had orders to Bad Aibling. Beautiful place to be assigned. I submitted the necessary paperwork with recommendations to reject my request. I had included acceptance letters from the school I was going to attend. But. When my request got to the approving authority, my request was approved.
The day after my discharge January 15, 1986, I enlisted in the Air National Guard, as I did not want a break in service. I had every intention of serving for 20 years and get retirement. Plus going to a USAF school in satellite communications was a goal of mine.
If you’re a good soldier, airman, sailor, Marine, or coastie, and a good record, anything is possible if you go through the right channels.
Bad morale in my unit? Nope. Negative attitudes? Never happened. Maybe it was because I was in Military Intelligence and we were expected to advance our education. Maybe I was just lucky.