E.Marquez wrote:JP171 wrote:it will say in the character of service block "under honorable conditions" nothing more nothing less it is NOT considered an "HONORABLE" discharge because your term of service wasn't completed it is an administrative discharge for some form of failure to adapt to military life under AR 635-200
General discharges are not limited to only those who were separated early.
You can serve your entire enlistment and still receive a general discharge.
And to answer another person suggestion.. NO the type of discharge is NOT decided upon by the clerk (mostly civilians these days) that process your separation and DD214.
That is the commanders call, and his commander as well if it is anything other than honorable.
That means if a service member received anything other than an honorable discharge AT LEAST to commanders reviewed and approved that discharge type.
My comment about a clerk was more about what was entered, rather than the decision made. I stand by that comment. I've only seen one DD214 - mine. It says "Honorable". Nowhere on it does it say "General". But I know 100% sure that during the process of my separation, the paperwork I was given stated "General - erroneous enlistment" (I remember because I sought help in trying to request a Captain's Mast to fight it).
That said, the information I remember is not consistent with the procedures I've found since. This is typical of information I've gotten (from various sources):
Erroneous Enlistment.
A member may be separated on the basis of an erroneous enlistment, induction, or extension of enlistment. An enlistment, induction, or extension of enlistment is erroneous in the following circumstances, if:
(1) It would not have occurred had the relevant facts been known by the government or had appropriate directives been followed;
(2) It was not the result of fraudulent conduct on the part of the member; and
(3) The defect is unchanged in material respects.
Erroneous Enlistment. normally receive an Honorable Discharge, unless eligible for an Entry Level Separation (Less than 180 days of military service).
My discharge met all three of those requirements; however, according to the same document, I should not have received an Honorable, but rather an Entry Level Separation (I had less than 180 days of service).
It's probably worth noting, I did meet with a JAG about the possibility of a captain's mast. The JAG I met with warned me that if I fought the designation (General - erroneous enlistment), the Navy could come back and charge me with fraudulent enlistment, which would result in a court-martial which could result in a dishonorable discharge. The "fraud" was based on the fact that I had indicated no recurring health problems. I had had 4 or 5 earaches during my life that I didn't report (until questioned further by the Navy doctor examining me). They didn't seem to me to be "recurring health problems". Neither did an occasional headache, a few sneezes here and there, or a couple of hangnails. In short, I suspect now (with a few more years life experience behind me) that it was far easier to shuffle out a new recruit than work with him trying to fight to stay in.
But I digress. I know for sure that my initial paperwork mustering me out showed a general under honorable conditions. 33 years later, I needed the DD214 to get the discount on my CHL. I had never needed it in the past, so I never worried about what became of the original. I really didn't even pay much attention to what it said when I got it, just sent one of the two copies in with my paperwork. It was only when going back to dig it up for this thread that I saw that it said "Honorable".
Ironically, in the research I've done in the past few days (this really has been an interesting search for me), it turns out that many of the benefits I thought I didn't have, I could have availed myself to in spite of what I was originally told. I don't know if some CC heard I didn't want out and felt sorry for me, or if some mistake was made over the years in the designation, or possibly some changes in the way the military does things caused changes on mine from what it was in 1977; it doesn't really matter to me now.
However, all of this research and discussion has convinced me of one thing completely.
Everyone should exercise caution when deciding the nature of another person's military service, without first knowing all of the details of said service.
Matthew 7:1-2 is the Truth.
With that, though I seldom say "never", I'm probably about done with this thread.