Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 10/2/2009

Question
Hi, I'm wanting to know about the Airforce codes? My son was in the Airforce and he got out after serving just two years.
He was given a separation code of JKN and a re-entry code of 2B.
My question is? According to his discharge paper, his DD214 says that it's an honorable discharge? If so then why can't he now try to get back into the armforces?
There was allot of things going wrong for him when he was in the Airforce, to much and way to personal to explain here.  It brakes my heart to know that as much as he loved the fact that he was serving his country, it only took one person to mess things up.
Now he's free from that person and he wants to try to get his life back and he's being told that he might not be able to.  But that's not the worst of it, NOW because of the way it's coded on his DD214 he can't even try out for any government job, like the police academy or even a postal job.  I wish that there was someone that I can talk to in person, if not for anything more then just to let them see how much this is hurting us as parents and him as a man who tried to do the right thing and how it all turned out wrong.  Can someone there please, PLEASE lend me your ears for just one moment of your time?

Thank you

BE

Answer
BE,
Who told him he can't rejoin the military or obtain a government job?  If it was friends or family, they often mean-well but give poor advice.

If his DD214 shows a Separation Code of JKN it means exactly,"Misconduct, pattern of misconduct."
If it shows a Re-Entry Code of 2B then it couldn't possibly be an Honorable discharge.  2B means exactly,"Discharged under General or Other-Than-Honorable conditions."  So it's not Dishonorable, but neither is it Honorable, just sorta in-between.

The regulations say, "Individuals with an Air Force RE Code of "2" are usually ineligible to reenlist in the Air Force, but might be eligible to join another military service, if the circumstances which resulted in the code no longer apply and a waiver is issued."

So it's very possible that he can join the Army, Navy, Marines, or Coast Guard.  All he needs to do is to talk to one of their recruiters.  Because he's prior-service he'll be considered a "re-enlistment" and not a new recruit, and the annual quotas for re-enlistments are very small, so he should run down to a recruiter right away.  The military's new fiscal year started October 1st so he needs to apply quickly before the quotas run out.

I hope it works out well for him.  Let me know.
Colonel H