Expert: Cynthia Bedell - 10/23/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi Ms.Bedell,

I am 17, but my parents have signed off on me to be able to enlist. I am already in a unit and have been for the past three months. I am requesting a discharge to pursue a higher education. I have a gut feeling that my commander will deny my request and through research have found that the only way to get past his decision is to refuse to ship to basic training. I still have 8 months left before I have to ship. Is there any other way to be discharged and is it true that the commander's only option is to discharge me if I refuse to ship?

ANSWER: Dear Adrian --

Join ROTC at your college.  Then you can get a discharge to attend ROTC and college.  That's the Chapter 5 discharge that I did not think applied to you.  I did not know you were trying to go to college.

If your company commander won't grant you the discharge, ask for an appointment to speak with the battalion commander.  Try not to force the basic training issue, until you have a decision.

Also you could transfer into the simultaneous military program where you are transferred to a reserve unit near your college, and you train to be an officer while serving as an enlisted reservist.  It's a great program.  You would be discharged to immediately re-enlist in ROTC.

Please write back, if you wish to discuss any of these options further.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I would not mind doing ROTC, but I have a passion for music and I have been offered to do Drum & Bugle Corps International this summer which would conflict me having any time to try because its every summer for the next 5 years. This is why I want to be discharged, but my commander seems to not care for that and would rather force me to stay in, so I am looking for all the options I can get to be discharged.

Answer
Dear Adrian --

You can do ROTC and do the special program for college.  You would have to miss one summer of Drum and Bugle to do your summer officer training.  

Go talk to the ROTC program commander at your college or at the college nearest to the one you will attend.  You might even get an opportunity to command a military band unit one day, if you try this option.

Good luck to you.