NAmenta1981
New Member
OK, so I'll start by explaining my situation. I was in the Coast Guard Oct 2000 and was back home at the end of March 2001. I failed a urine test for marijuana and received a general discharge under honorable conditions for misconduct with a separation code of JKK and an RE-4. Now, 8 years later, I still live in regret so I went to the recruiting office and started the process of getting in the Army if it was at all possible. Well, my second visit there I brought them my diploma, birth certificate, SS card, reference list and all my Coast Guard discharge paperwork so they could get my waiver started. No lie, while I was there they received a letter stating that since 2009 recruiting goals were already met (no lie, they have exceeded them already!) that effective March 7th they would not be taking any prior service back with anything above an RE-1. The letter was something very close to that anyways. I don't remember word for word. There may be a few loopholes for some RE-2 and RE-3 but they said but I'm out of luck...for now. They told me to get started writing a letter to the USCG requesting for a change which is a slim to none chance of that happening. My other option is to wait until later Sept early Oct and try again because Oct is the start of the new recruiting year.
The Army will take you with a prior service RE-4 discharge as long as its something that the Army would have gave you an RE-3 for. Because the Coast Guard and Navy are a little more strict, they told me my charge would have gotten me an RE-3 in the Army and for that reason he has and can get a waiver. I would just have to write a good letter. Again this is on a case by case basis. If you were court martialed or spent time in the brig you're out of luck. If you were discharged from the Army with an RE-4 you will never get back in the Army or even National Guard. This is just what I'm told. I know this subject is continually beatten to death and people still ask about it so I just wanted to give you guys the info I got and if you are in a similar situation as me there is hope for you. Some recruiters will tell you that any RE-4 automatically disqualifies you no matter what, but luckily I got a recruiter who isn't lazy and was willing to put the worki in for me because he has done it before with success and he said is far from impossible. I hope this helps and gives someone some hope cause I'll be back there the end of Sept! Oh, by the way, they told me if I came a month earlier I would have been good this year! Bad timing on my part!
The Army will take you with a prior service RE-4 discharge as long as its something that the Army would have gave you an RE-3 for. Because the Coast Guard and Navy are a little more strict, they told me my charge would have gotten me an RE-3 in the Army and for that reason he has and can get a waiver. I would just have to write a good letter. Again this is on a case by case basis. If you were court martialed or spent time in the brig you're out of luck. If you were discharged from the Army with an RE-4 you will never get back in the Army or even National Guard. This is just what I'm told. I know this subject is continually beatten to death and people still ask about it so I just wanted to give you guys the info I got and if you are in a similar situation as me there is hope for you. Some recruiters will tell you that any RE-4 automatically disqualifies you no matter what, but luckily I got a recruiter who isn't lazy and was willing to put the worki in for me because he has done it before with success and he said is far from impossible. I hope this helps and gives someone some hope cause I'll be back there the end of Sept! Oh, by the way, they told me if I came a month earlier I would have been good this year! Bad timing on my part!
