Amici Journal Publications: 2014

Captains Deployed to Afghanistan Get ‘Pink Slip' | Military.com

afghan rifle fires 600x400

At least 48 Army captains serving in Afghanistan are among nearly 1,200 captains who have essentially been given pink slips forcing them to leave the military as part of the Army's drawdown, service officials said Wednesday.

In addition to the 48 in Afghanistan, another 39 captains deployed overseas were also on the so-called captains' "hit list" for separation from the service in seven to nine months, the officials said.

A senior Army official defended the move to tell captains in Afghanistan that they had been chosen for separation rather than wait until their tours in the combat zone had ended.

The official said that the seven or nine-month clock for transition out of the Army started running when they were selected for separation and it was better to "give them the maximum amount of time" to prepare for civilian life.