Expert: Rod Powers - 10/25/2009

Question
Hello,

I joined the army back in 1999 as a 71L got out 18 months later with a RE-3 for parenthood. I was 21 when I got out and I'm now 30. My husband was also in the army at the time. I started having issues with my son getting really sick and his daycare not taking him because he was sick. He had asthma and ended up in the hospital ER about once a month. My CO was upset with the little time I had to stay with him, my husband did it more often then me because of my CO. My CO started discharge papers on me. He did this because he felt that my husbands unit should be the one to deal with this issue. My husband's unit was actually really helpful but we ended up going out to the field at the same time and this made my CO upset when my son had an asthma attack. Even though my husband stayed behind and I went to the feild my CO was still not happy because I asked to stay with my sick child. Long story short I was kicked out because of lack of family care plan.
Since then my husband got out of the army because he was deployed 3x in 3 years for a little over 2 years. He thought it was best, no I kind of made him because I missed him. I also got an A.A. in paralegal studies 3 years ago.
I have never felt good how everything went down and not doing my full 4 years and feel like its my time to finish what I started and maybe get my student loans paid off in the process. My son is better, my husband is out, so I have nothing stopping me...but my RE-3 code.
I went to the navy, CG, AF recruiters (didnt do army because of their length in deployments, Dont mind getting deployed just not for a year gone a year here a year gone like my husband) no one will look at me. THey are telling me I cant go back in because of my code. No one will even look at doing a waiver for me even though when I got out they told me I only had to wait 2 years to rejoin.
I did have one tell me to try and go reserve then try to switch to AD, thats what she did, but everything I read says its not that easy.
I really want to go Active Duty Navy, CG, or AF and get my loans paid off and finish something I feel I need to and WANT to finish.

Do I have any hope and if I do what is my next step?

Julie

Answer
Hi Julie,

A "3" RE code means one can only re-enlist, if the service decides to grant a waiver.

Right now, all of the services are having an easy time meeting their recruiting goals, and aren't issuing very many waivers. For example, during Fiscal Year 2009, the active duty Air Force only allowed 7.3 percent of their non-prior service recruits to have a waiver, and far less for prior-service applicants. The active duty Navy and Coast Guard had similar stats.

From what I've seen, those who got the waivers were outstanding applicants in other apsects (i.e., they had 90 or above ASVAB scores, or significant number of college credits -- 90 or above).

From the military's point of view, why should they approve a waiver, when (under the current job market), they have plenty of applicants who don't need one?

I expect this situation to continue, as long as the civilian unemployment rate remains high.

For more information about the United States Military, feel free to visit my US Military information site at: http://usmilitary.about.com

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
About.com US Military Guide
http://usmilitary.about.com