Describing an Other Than Honorable Discharge
We frequently get calls from vets who confuse their administrative discharge “Under Other Than Honorable Conditions” (OTH), with a “Dishonorable Discharge.” Not at all the same. Getting a Dishonorable Discharge requires being court-martialed and found guilty at the highest level which is General Court Martial. (Not all convictions at that level even result in a Dishonorable Discharge) However, just being late several times can result in an OTH. Nobobdy is brought up on General Court Martial charges for that. You can see the big difference in severity.
But because of the confusion, many folks are walking around representing themselves as convicted felons, when in reality they just got fired for doing a bad job. Your military records are not publicly available and don't show up on background checks so the only way for someone to see them is if you share them or give them written permission to request a copy from the military. So mostly people only know what you tell them.
So what are some ways to more accurately describe an OTH. If you received an OTH you might not even what to use the words "other than honorable." Most people mistakenly believe there are only two options, Honorable, and Dishonorable. And because other than honorable sounds more like the latter that's what people often incorrectly assume when they hear other than honorable. Insted you can honestly tell people that you received an “administrative” discharge. If they ask whether it was honorable or dishonorable, you can explain that many people don't know that there are several other options besides those two. You could say the military wasn’t your thing so when they offered you an administrative discharge, you took it. Sounds a lot better.
Can a Bad Discharge cost me VA Benefits from an Earlier Term of Service?
Once you earn it, its yours.
Double Standards
We’ve seen a surge in calls about conscientious objection since the conflict with Iran began.
Many service members are already navigating the application process, and a familiar pattern keeps emerging: when someone applies for conscientious objector status—especially if deployment is on the horizon—investigators question how recently they came to their beliefs.
“How long have you felt this way?”
“Can this change really be sincere?”
But here’s the question nobody seems to ask:
How much thought went into the decision to enlist?
When someone wants to leave, their sincerity is scrutinized. When someone wants to join, it rarely is.
Most applicants tell us they spent far more time wrestling with their conscientious objection than they ever did deciding to enlist. Yet only one of those decisions is treated with suspicion? Hmmm.
Know Your Rights
US MILITARY KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
The way military members view their role in war is a constantly evolving story. Often during their military careers, people start to question or doubt the missions they once signed on to carry out. Some feel asked to carry out orders they never imagined. As citizens themselves, some military members want to use their free speech rights to speak out against injustices they see. Some even find themselves in situations where their conscience won’t allow them to carry out orders they believe to be immoral. And in the rigid military discipline system, people are often curious about their rights in these situations and nervous about possible consequences for acting on their inclinations. There is a long, powerful legacy of military personnel taking courageous action to ensure public visibility and/or accountability for unlawful, unethical and unjust situations carried out by the US military.
There is a common misconception that members of the military are not allowed to be “political” or involved in any form of activism. This guide is designed to give you an idea of what current regulations say about some of your rights to free speech. It will also explore options and consequences for resisting legal and illegal orders, filing complaints, and getting out of the military altogether. This guide is a starting place but it is not legal advice or a replacement for speaking with a GI Rights counselor or lawyer about your situation.
Ban strips rights of transgender service members
The Pentagon is forcing transgender members out of its military ranks while court cases continue over the ban's legality.
If your conscience troubles you...
In recent years, we have gotten calls on the GI Rights Hotline from service members concerned about having to police the US-Mexican border and/or police demostrations in the US. Others feel disturbed by US support for specific overseas operations, like Israel’s actions in Gaza…
Will they transfer me to the IRR?
We get a lot of calls from reservists who are having issues with drilling and feel they would be better off in the IRR. They want to know how to request transfer. What form do they fill out? Where do they send it? That's where things start getting tricky. The first thing people…
Some Conscientious Objector Applicants Are Confused About This
With no draft underway, today’s military is seen as an all volunteer membership. Even though a lot of our callers don’t want to be in the military anymore, they volunteered at some point. This is true for conscientious objectors as well. Even though they now feel a moral or…
Automatic Upgrades Reportedly Coming for Many Discharged Under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,”
Just over a week ago Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III stated: As we mark the twelfth anniversary of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” I want to recognize the service members, DoD civilians, and DoD families who served courageously and forged new pathways for future…
PARENTHOOD AND THE MILITARY
Stacy (not her real name) called in distress. She has been having serious, sometimes incapacitating, health issues and her husband’s command was bullying him to sign papers saying who would care for their kids in the event of deployment. The command said he couldn’t…