Expert: Aaron Shifferly - 3/24/2009

Question
QUESTION: I have a few questions I am seriously considering reenlistment.  And I do not want to pursue it if I there are any disqualifiers right off the bat.  I did find out that time served is taken away from you age so if I am 46 and I have served over 6 years than I am under the age limit.  

My questions are:

1.  15 years ago I admitted myself to a hospital to get my head straight.  Does this disqualify you?  I have not nor have I been on any Anti depressants.  That was just a        bad time in my life.  All is good now.  I don’t regret that time.  It helped me so much. I am such a well rounded person now.   
2.  My  reenlistment code Is 3B – (because I elected to reenlist so that they can send me to Honduras I had to like 5 months left they gave me a 3B.  My son was 3 at the time and I did not have anyone to leave him with so I had to get out.  He is now 22.)   Is this code easy to get a waiver on?   
3.  Lets say that I am eligible to get back in – Do I  get to go to the full 9 weeks of boot camp it was 1990 when I got out of the service.  


ANSWER: Lisa:
Lets address the questions in the order you asked them, but I will say right off the bat some of them require more information than I have to accurately answer.
First, correct.. right now you are still eligible to re-enter military service, but that in itself should be a decision taken with much care.  Your MOS should still be the same, but there may be a reduction from the rank you left the Army as to the one they'll allow you to come back in as.  This is determined usually by their need for your specific MOS and your skill set.
Further:
1. The admission to the hospital does not necessarily disqualify you on face but, if there was a doctor's diagnosis of depression or other mental illness, you could have problems returning to Active Duty without a medical document stating that you no longer have any symptoms of that illness or disease. Your best bet is to bring any and all documentation of this issue to the MEPS station should you decide to go through with re-entering the service.
2. The reenlistment code of 3B is an obstacle you would have to ask to waive. The process would happen during your career counseling at MEPS or probably beforehand with your initial recruiter.  This is also dependent on how badly the Army needs your particular MOS.  If that is the only issue requiring a waiver you are far more likely to be granted one than if you require multiple waivers (i.e. medical, moral, and a re-up waiver). The only way to know for certain is to try and see what the recruiter can do with it.  
3. You would most likely have to repeat the Initial Entry Training since it has been such a long break in service.

Bottom line is that you need to think long and hard about re-entering active duty understanding that it will not be the easiest of tasks, but still doable if you are motivated.  If you decide to proceed, go speak with a recruiter at your local station and discuss your situation. Bring all records from your previous enlistment with you; particularly your discharge paperwork, and all training records you may still have.  With all of that the recruiter can give you a better idea of your options.  If you still have questions after speaking to the recruiter, please feel free to shoot them my way. Hope this helps!

Aaron

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

QUESTION: Thank you Aaron I really appreciate this.
I do have 2 follow up questions.  The doctor that I had is in another state how would I obtain something like that. Do you know? Again it was 15 years ago.. Or do you just have to have a doctor evaluate you. FYI there was no Mental Illness or disease.

I had a secondary MOS that I actually worked in the whole time in the service, I never worked in my primary do you know how that would work?

Also I loved the Army - I wish I did not have to make that decision but I had to put my son first.  

Answer
Lisa:
If you cannot find the doctor and obtain a copy of your record either via fax or email, and you're absolutely sure there was no diagnosis and you have had no problems with it since; you may just not mention it to the recruiter unless directly asked.  Just be careful when they ask you the questions and don't volunteer information that isn't answering the question.  Usually the questions are about regular psychiatric care or medications. You may be ok without but, when possible, it never hurts to have all the information before proceeding.

About the secondary MOS, it shouldn't be an issue as long as you have all the training certificates and coursework for it.  The real issue is that they may just treat you like a new incoming private for all training and MOS specific skills due to your long break in service and send you through all phases of Initial Entry Training again.  That would require you to go through and select a new (or former should you have liked it) MOS for training. It is also possible your MOS does not exist anymore or has been combined with another.