I'm about to get kicked out of the Army. Will I get Honorable or General Discharge?

Question

Here's my story:

As a civilian, I went through four years of college and got a bachelor's degree at age 21. I enlisted in the Army at age 22. I went in as an E-4 Specialist and got the MOS 68K because my recruiter was impressed with my ASVAB score of 99. Now please keep in mind that this is only in the U.S. Army Reserves; it's not Active Duty. So I started Basic Combat Training in November 2012. In February 2013, I graduated from Basic and moved on to AIT.

Now my AIT has two phases; they call it a Phase I and a Phase II. Phase I was supposed to be only six months long, but I got academically recycled for failing a difficult class. In October 2013, I graduated from that and moved on to Phase II, which is also supposed to be six months long and is where I am today. Due to my general incompetence in my job, I have been recommended by my NCOIC for relief from the training program.

Now, they're going to contact the program director back in San Antonio, Texas and see whether they want to keep me or get rid of me. If I get approval on that and it goes through, then the final step is asking my reserve unit back home whether they want to keep me or get rid of me. However, it seems unlikely as of now that they would want to keep me and pay for even more of my training. I figured that because first of all, I've already failed in the process of my training once in the past; this is the second time they've had to decide what to do with me. Second, the person right above me in my chain of command is saying I can't do this job; there's little indication at this point that my program director or reserve unit would disagree and want to keep me considering all that.

So if I'm not mistaken, there are three things (in ascending level of likelihood) that are going to happen to me now. First is that I get academically recycled in my training and have to redo the past two months of my life over again. Not likely because of my past history, and because the very people evaluating my performance aren't confident in me. They've already vouched for my dismissal. Second is that my reserve unit acknowledges that I royally screwed up, but they need a soldier so badly that they decide to keep me anyway but slot me into a different MOS (most likely another medical MOS that they have shortages in and need people in the reserves for because they're a medical support unit). I'm not seeing how this is likely to happen because I've already failed at training for one MOS, so there's no saying that I won't fail in the training for another MOS.

The more experienced junior enlisted soldiers around me are telling me that I'm most likely about to get kicked out of the military altogether. Because I'm only in the reserves, my reserve unit is not going to reclass me into infantryman or truck driver. They're probably going to tell me to pack my bags and go back home to Fort Couch. That's probably going to be considered "failure to adapt" and be considered either an honorable discharge, a general discharge under honorable conditions, or a general discharge.

I'm seriously hoping against a general discharge because that doesn't look good when it comes to civilian employment and will most likely hurt my chances of getting a career in law enforcement in the future. I've been told, however, that I could do something like wait six months for a general discharge under honorable conditions to turn into an honorable discharge. Is that true? What kind of discharge would I most likely be getting in the first place? If I wanted to re-enlist and pick an MOS better suited for me, could I just do that and go straight to AIT as prior service, or would I have to go through Basic again? And please don't tell me I picked the wrong MOS or shouldn't have messed up; I'm more worried about the future right now and don't want to ponder what I could have or should have done different in the past.

? · Accepted Answer

Okay here's a few things!
1. You only get a dishonorable discharge if you committed a felony and get tried at a courts martial!
2. In order for an OTH (other than Honorable) you need a paper trail (article 15's, counseling statements, etc.)
3. A civilian employer is NOT allowed to ask a veteran what the nature of his discharge was, only when applying for work with a company that has government contracts, or for government jobs (law enforcement, fire department, FBI, CIA, etc.) this IS by law!
4. The chances of getting a discharge for not being able to complete AIT is slim to none, you're most likely going to be forced to select a different MOS.
5. There IS a chance you'll get recycled and redo AIT from the start, if this happens try to remove your head from your rear end in a rapid manner!
6. you could even just get an ELS (entry level separation) since you have failed to pass IET (initial entry training, this is BCT and AIT)
7. Regardless of what actually happens there isn't a whole bunch you can do, one thing is for certain you do not qualify for an Honorable Discharge (this is ONLY handed out to those who can no longer serve due to injury, or extenuating circumstances, or because they ETS'd after fulfilling their contractual obligations).

Your best bet is to contact your NCO at your unit, he'll be able to provide more details for you, as well as more clear cut information!

AJ · Answer

They are not just going to kick you right now. They have already made a huge investment in you. They will find an easier job for you. It might not be in the exactly same reserve company, but as long as it is within a certain distance of your home, that's what they'll do. Only as a last resort will they chapter you out.

FYI, a general discharge under honorable conditions is the same type of discharge as a general discharge. They are the same discharge. The only difference is a characterization of service.

MAJ Kev · Answer

What Wine and Wraeth say!

You know ... the Army is pretty much at a 10th grade level of work .... just saying.  

I would be pondering what I did in the past, as you have screwed something up as simple as AIT - you might want to address your problems.

FYI:  your Reserve unit has not paid for a single thing for your training yet.  Units - AC or RC - do not pay for BCT and AIT.

dothan_mike · Answer

At this point, you are simply going to be sent back home.  Because you are in the Reserves and not Active Duty, that is ultimately for your unit to decide.

But in most cases, failing AIT results in a discharge.  Ultimately, it depends on the needs of your unit.  They may want to take a chance and send you to AIT again, they may assign you to an OJT job, or they may decide to cut their losses and let you go.

Regardless, a General Discharge is nothing bad.  Essentially at your point in your career it is like you were never in the military.

spence.tricky · Answer

I don't think you can get a dishonorable discharge for general incompetence…if what it comes down to is that you truly just weren't very good at your job.

As far as I know, the only way you can ever get a dishonorable discharge, is if you **** up and break the rules. Being late all the time…not showing up for work (without leave), severe lack of ethics/judgment, blah blah blah. Things like that are what get you a dishonorable discharge, which looks really bad on your employment record and will follow you for the rest of your life. However, if they are getting rid of you simply because you aren't "good", that is not grounds for a dishonorable discharge.

I have no idea how it goes in the Army (or the Marines, I'm a Poolee), for that matter, but your story seems to be either withholding some information (like you broke this rule or did that), or is just ****** up in many senses. Worst case scenario IMO, is that you have to do a shitty grunt job. Unless of course, you didn't tell us about how you leaked national secrets through negligence or something.

Echo · Answer

Be sensible. Crazy goals like losing two dress sizes in two weeks will almost always end throughout tears, lost motivation and greater than a little comfort eating. You can only ever appear to be a thinner you – so set standards you know you can achieve.

jeeper_peeper321 · Answer

1. there is no such thing as a general discharge under honorable conditions

there is just a general discharge

2. you have been into long for an ELS - entry level separation - which are usually given to those with less than 180 days of service.

Mrsjvb · Answer

attitude matters.   have you been proactive in asking for help ?   has your attitude been positive and willing, or have you been  grumpy, resentful and generally a PITA?   if the former, you will get an Honorable.   if the latter, a GUH.    you'd only get an OTH  if you were a complete screw up and got lots of AR 15s.

Anonymous · Answer

People who plan their weekly meals tend to be successful at losing weight than those that don’t. Plan your dishes to add healthy carbs such as lovely potato and wholegrain pasta, vegetables and lean proteins, buy the many ingredients in advance and don’t be tempted to nibble on out or order in.

Wraeth · Answer

You will likely get an entry level separation.  It is neither an honorable nor a general.  If you haven't completed training you don't rate any other kind.  Don t listen to the 'more senior junior enlisted'.  99% of the time, they have no clue.

Edit: 
AR 635-200 Administrative Separations

11-3 Entry Level Separations
(2) Are in entry-level status, undergoing IET, and, before the date of the initiation of separation action, have completed no more than 180 days of creditable continuous AD or IADT or no more than 90 days of Phase II under a split or alternate training option. (See the glossary for precise definition of entry-level status.)

As you can see, since you have not completed more than 90 days of your Phase 2, ^that is what you rate.

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I'm about to get kicked out of the Army. Will I get Honorable or General Discharge?

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