John Patrie says he “played by the rules” when he took leave as a letter carrier after being called to active duty by the Maine Air National Guard, following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
That initial call-up turned into 14 years of service, including voluntary redeployments. Patrie kept his post office in Auburn, Maine, apprised of his whereabouts as required under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, and he received letters and gifts of appreciation—including a debit card for uniform purchases—from the post office.
So when he finally asked to return to work effective in January 2016, ...