Expert: Aaron Shifferly - 9/19/2010

Question
I am currently an active duty E-4 in the Army. I was diagnosed bi-polar about two years before I joined and my recruiter told me it would be okay. Now I am learning that with this disorder I could potentially be dishonorably discharged for lying on the paperwork. Is it true that I could be dishonorably discharged for being bi-polar?

Answer
Not totally.  Dishonorable Discharges are only given out after conviction at a Courts Martial proceeding.  I highly doubt your case would go that far.  The issue is not your bi-polar disorder so much as your omission on the entry paperwork.  This can result in a discharge for fradulent entry with the most likely characterization being General, Under Honorable Conditions.  Either way, your problem stems from the lie rather than the disorder. When they present you with chapter or legal paperwork make use of TDS or legal assistance offered to you to have them fully explain the procedure and the ramifications of your leadership's course of action.