THE AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
SEPARATION AND RETIREMENT INFORMATION
Entry Level Separations for Enlisted Members: Airmen are in entry-level status during the first 180 days of continuous active military service, or the first 180 days of continuous active military service after a break of more than 92 days of active service. The member's service is usually not characterized unless the circumstances of the separation warrant an Other-Than-Honorable conditions discharge. An Honorable characterization can be given only if the service is clearly warranted by unusual circumstances of personal conduct and performance of military duty and is approved by the Secretary of the Air Force. The entry-level separation is given regardless of the reason for separation. This uncharacterized discharge is neither positive nor negative, and there is no provision to change it to a characterized discharge such as Honorable or General (Under Honorable Conditions).
Enlisted Retirement Grade/Advancement Grade: Regular enlisted members retire in the grade held on the date of retirement; there are no provisions of law that allow retirement in a grade higher than that in which last serving on active duty. The Fiscal Year 1997 National Defense Authorization Act provided for the retirement of Reserve enlisted members who qualify for active duty retirement after administrative reduction in enlisted grade to retire in the highest grade satisfactorily held. There are provisions of law, however, that provide for advancement of enlisted (Regular of Reserve) members at a later date to the highest grade in which they served satisfactorily on active duty. The determination of highest grade satisfactorily held is made by the Secretary of the Air Force. This advancement can only take place when the member's active service plus service on the retired list totals 30 years. Again, this is a matter of law; no legal provisions exist to advance a retired enlisted member at any time other than the 30-year point.
