Expert: Howard Lorenz - 5/30/2010

Question
Hey guys! Sorry but Im not extremely internet savvy so im not really sure how this works or know what Im doing so please bare with me. I noticed there are alot of reenlistment questions and I know you probably get tired of whiny guys wanting back in but I wanted advice on my personal situation as its a little different. As a teenager I joined the Air Force Reserve and shipped off to lackland for BMT which I successfully passed and graduated the first try and then was shipped off to Biloxi Missipi, keesler AFB for AIT. Upon arrival, however, there was no slot for me in my school as was supposed. I was put into an AFI unit (awaiting further instruction) for a couple months and was then offered the opportunity to either reclass or recieve an entry level separation. I didnt want any of the other jobs I was offered so I separated. I recieved an entry level separation - uncharacterized, Narrative reason for separation was Miscellaneous/general reasons with a separation code of JGA and a RE code of 1-J. To the best of my knowledge, all reenlistable factors. Soon after I came home, I volunteered for the Texas State Guard (Mind you not national guard) where I recieved an honorable discharge after 4 years as military police. I know this doesnt help much cause its not federal service. But still, so far so good. Where it gets tricky though is I then made the mistake of signing up for active duty army in an elite combat group hoping to go off to iraq for adventure and glory. At almost 30, I was way too old for such an undertaking to begin with but was under the dilusion that army would be like airforce in its intensity and training. I was very wrong and not only could not keep up physically or get in shape fast enough, but under the very EXTREME physical punishment they were putting us through, I started waking up after our very short 3 hour nights very stiff and very sore, alot of pain in my joints, especially in my back. They couldnt find anything specifically wrong with me in medcall or the clinics(chock it up to being the oldest guy by far in the unit) but would just keep prescribing me tranquilizers and sending me back with profiles. Now I know how its suppose to be, and how it even is in the rest of the military. But in my unit, there were no such things as profiles if you know what I mean, and while no one was gonna stop me from taking the pills, They did let me know that I was still gonna pull guard duty nightly on almost no sleep along with everyone else and if I fell asleep so much as once on duty I was gonna be smoked and article 15'ed. So there went any help from the downer pills. A couple months into active duty, the pain was unbearable and, as you would suppose, my physical capability had not increased so I stood out as the weak link and was pretty much in hell. No one would help me, I had no one to goto. I talked to my first sgt but he thought I was just trying to give them reason to kick me out so he threatened me with physical violence, which I didnt respond to well being a police officer myself in the civilian world, and then instructed my drills to give me plenty of extra attention. At this point I was at my wits end and had a breakdown and went to the psychward where they kept me for awhile and I told them I just couldnt take it anymore. At this point they went ahead and separated me like they should have much earlier. They sent me home with an entry level uncharacterized again but this time with an RE-3. While I couldnt hack being an army scout sniper, I can still definitely meet the physical load that they placed on us in the Air Force. I know an RE-3 is inneligible for reinlistment into the Air Force but I wanted to know if having a satisfactory discharge in the air force reserve and then an honorable discharge from the texas state guard coupled with being law enforcement by trade would outway my army discharge or help in some way for me to get into the Texas Air National Guard? I know youll probably tell me I should have gone and talked to a recruiter, but I wanted to come to you first to eliminate me having to embarrass myself with this information if theres nothing that can be done. Please respond if at all possible. I just want to serve my country in some capacity and theres not alot I can do but I believe I could do the Air Guard and could make a difference. thank you for your time.

Answer
Since you got the RE-3 you will have to have that changed so that you can re-enlist again. You do this by applying to the Department of the Army and request that they change it so that you can enlist in the guard. Sometimes they will change it, but most often not.

Dont shoot yourself in the foot because you cant continue in military service. You are a police officer. You serve your country by protecting your community. My hats off to you! Sometimes I think that there is too much gratitude given to the military and we forget our hometown guardians.