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He was no longer in the military. He retired from the army a week before being sworn in as CIA director.
by harshreality 14y ago
He was no longer in the military. He retired from the army a week before being sworn in as CIA director.
- philwelch 14y agoGeneral Petraeus is still in the military. He's just retired -- he didn't resign his commission. The distinction between the two is that Petraeus continues to earn military pay, may be recalled to active duty, and is legally still an officer in the Army at the same permanent rank (four-star General) that he retired at. This is also the case for almost any living retired general you can think of, including Colin Powell, Anthony Zinni, Norman Schwarzkopf, and Tommy Franks. Anyone who has served in the military for 20 years is eligible for retirement, though, it's not just for generals. Actually leaving the military, if you're an officer, requires resigning your commission. For enlisted, one generally signs up for a limited term of enlistment, and is out of the military at the end of that enlistment unless they choose to reenlist. Once an enlisted servicemember reaches 20 years of service, they become eligible to retire at their current rank as well.
- afterburner 14y agoCareer military men are military men for life, so what they think in their head and what their military friends and colleagues think is going to remain important regardless of the nuances of their service status.