My wife's best friend is married to a guy stationed in San Diego.  I don't know what his MOS is, but it has something to do with armor.  Last week he and seven or eight other guys in his unit were notified that they were being discharged.  The officers and NCOs said they did not know why.

A little background:  He is 36 years old and an E-4.  Two more years and he would have been able to retire with twenty years of service.  He said that he thinks it was so the army would not have to pay his benefits.

I can't help but wonder if there is more to this.  I could mention a few more details, but I wanted to get opinions based strictly upon the above information first.

I think it has to do with failure to get promoted.  18 years and he is an E4.  No offense, but I went from E1 to E4 in 13 months.  Not that hard...just do your job, work hard and keep out of trouble.

ETA:  It could be because of multiple failures of PT Tests too.  I doubt is has to do with not wanting to pay benefits.  If he gets released from Active Duty and is in good standing, he could join the reserves to finish his time.  While in the reserves, retirement points can be earned and he can retire with full benefits.  

My guess is there is a lot more to this and you are not hearing the whole story...  it don't have anything to do with not paying benfits.

it's called RCP = Retintion Control point, but damn he should have hit that at 12yrs as an E-4, unless like other's have said he got busted a few time's. The Army has a certain point that they give you to get promoted, if you can't get promoted in that time frame then yeah they kick your ass out and if you can't get promoted because you a totally fucked up and can't do your job, show leadership attribute's and can't be trusted by the senior NCO's then no you will not get promoted.

Like the other's have said there is more to it than whathe is telling you and no the Military doe's not lay soldier's off they either ETS or get chaptered for alot of differant reason's, and yes RCP is basicaly a chapter.

Find out what rank and how long the other guys were in their respective ranks.  I suspect it's their lack of upward mobility or some other problem that makes the Army want to discharge them.  However, they should go into the reserves so they may continue earning time towards retirement.

Yeah, hes probably a shitbag. I've only been in 11 months and I've gone from E1 to E3.

You cannot retire from active duty as an E4.  Until just recently, you couldn't retire as an E5 either.  I call BS.

CORRECTION:  I just found out he is an E-5, not an E-4.

This more or less backs up what I was feeling.  There were in fact some, well..., other issues, but I was looking for the straight poop on the layoff question and did not want to bias the group first.

I suspected his record was an issue, but he said that there were seven or eight other guys in his unit that were given the same notice.

Soldiers don't get laid off. They get kicked out. And even then its tough to do with a war on.

Quoted: CORRECTION:  I just found out he is an E-5, not an E-4. This more or less backs up what I was feeling.  There were in fact some, well..., other issues, but I was looking for the straight poop on the layoff question and did not want to bias the group first. I suspected his record was an issue, but he said that there were seven or eight other guys in his unit that were given the same notice.

Okay then what you might have is that him being an E-5 you can only stay in the Army for 15 year's until you hit RCP then you are put out.

The only way you can stay in as an E-5 past 15 year's and retire at 20 year's is to become promotaible and keep your promotaible status until you either make the cut off score for your branch or hit 20 year's.

If at anytime after you get promtaible and loose it after you go over 15 year's and less than 20 year's then you will be put out under RCP.

What army unit, is in San Diego, let alone an Armor unit?
E-5 at 18 years in a combat arms MOS, sounds like there is more to this story....

Also, if a soldier hits his RCP, he can stay in until his enlistment is up.

Finally, it becomes very, very, difficult to kick someone out if they have 18 years in..  The Army allows them to stay till 20 to retire.