May 2013, Biden was selected as a direct commission officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve, a program that allows civilians with no prior service to receive a restricted line officer's commission after attending a two-week class covering topics such as military history, etiquette, and drill and ceremony, in lieu of boot camp. Because Biden was past the cut-off age for the program, he needed a waiver. Biden received a second waiver because of past drug use and drug-related arrests.[13][14][15][16] One month after commissioning, Biden tested positive for cocaine use and was discharged from the Navy reserve in February 2014.
On April 18, 2014, Burisma Holdings announced Biden's appointment to its board of directors in a press release. Burisma is the largest non-governmental natural gas producer in Ukraine; it was incorporated in 2006 and is based in Cyprus – a European tax haven.