Expert: Cynthia Bedell - 1/29/2005

Question
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Followup To
Question -
     Thank You for the answer, very clearly explained.  But since I was in the navy, I would appreciate it if you gave me the Navy rules.
    My discharge papers have me as 1st class petty office, I would like to know if I Had enlisted after the war what rank would I have had.
         Thank you Lou Lou  


If you either enlisted or were drafted during World war 11 and eventually received the rank of sergeant, petty officer, admeral, General, and when war was over, and you wish to renlist, would you lose your ranks, and have to start as an enlisted person with the lowest rank? Or keep the rank you received at time of discharge.

        Thank You        Lou Lou
Answer -
Dear Lou Lou --

This is actually a fairly complex question.  Whether you kept your war time rank after World War 2 depended on the source of your commission, or enlistment, and the source of your wartime rank.

For the Army, reserve soldiers, officers and enlisted, lost all wartime rank at the end of the war.  If they wished to remain in the service, they reverted to their pre-wartime rank, or the rank they held prior to deployment.  Regular Army soldiers and officers could maintain their rank, if the rank was bestowed by the War Department, but could not retain their rank, if it was a battlefield promotion.  Battlefield promotions could be validated by the War Department.  However, there was no guarantee that the battlefield promotion would be validated.

After the war, there would be no 5 star generals.  The highest non-wartime rank is 4 star.

If you left the service, and desired to re-enter service, your rank depended on all of the above, and also how much the Army desired your return to service.  Generally, you re-entered service at the lowest rank at which the Army could convince you to rejoin.  

The Navy had a different set of rules for promotion and retaining rank, than the Army did at this time.  

I hope this addresses your question.  Best of luck to you.

Answer
Dear Lou Lou --

The only answer I can give you, is that the highest rank you could have returned to service as would have been Petty, First Class.  Most likely, if you were discharged from service and tried to return to service, at a later date, the Navy would have allowed you to re-enlist but only at a significantly lower pay-grade.

You could return at your discharge pay grade at a later time, only if they were offering an incentive for Sailors of your specialty skill set to return to service.  This is true for all the services, if the service member does not re-enlist immediately upon discharge.

Good luck to you.