Expert: John L - 8/11/2009

Question
This is kind of a complicated question for my husband. my husband is currently in the dep program out of the kansas city meps he joined in november of 2008. We ended up getting pregnant and married and he moved out to Colorado because I am active duty out here. His recruiter never contacte4d him again and we both want him to join the navy which is what he is in the dep program for out of here. when he went to meps the job classification guy there told him to just pick a job whatever was available and then his recruiter could change his job after he was done with meps. so he chose a job he doesn't want to do (aviation supply AZ) he wants to do anything in intel and qualifies for just about every intel job with his asvab score. also he is supposed to ship out this december but i don't want him to i want him to leave anytime after xmas because we are having a baby. ok that is the background, my question is one can he be discharged from the meps in kc and reenlist in the navy out here which would get him a job change and a different leave date with no consequences because the recruiter out here told us there was no way they would take him back. is that true or are they just trying to keep that spot filled? also how difficult is it to change a job when he's scheduled to ship out in a few months or to change the date he leaves to a month later or something especially with the economy the way it is right now and everything. i hope that was clear, thank you for your help.

christy

Answer
He cannot get discharged from one and join another like that.  he can ship form the city he is currently in, but we needs to renegotiate his contract BEFORE he swears in again.  If his scores are justifiable, he should not have any issue.

Why he would fall for that "just pick any job, we'll change it later"  is beyond me. If he cannot get what he wants, he should not swear in again and then get DEP discharged.  It is a no harm no foul discharge and is not a black mark anywhere.  In six months he can try and join again.  
when he renegotiates, he can try to move his date to after baby is born.
Good luck