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…
Entry Level Expanded
Sometimes we get calls from military members who, after several years in, are hoping to be discharged for “failure to adapt.” Previously we would explain that by itself, failure to adapt was only a basis for discharge during the first six months of active duty. Now failure to…
Military Myths
Servicemember is told by a military medical provider: "We would send you to the medical board for disability consideration except you don’t have enough time left on your contract." Fact: The Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) can begin at any point in a persons…
New 988 phone number to assist people in mental health crisis
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis now has an easier way to get help. By dialing or texting 988, people can gain immediate access to a trained mental health crisis counselor and, if necessary, a crisis mobile response team.
Military Members Face Impact of US Supreme Court Decision on Abortion
The recent Supreme Court decision on abortion creates inequalities that include service members' access to abortion...
VA Benefits for LGBTQ+ Veterans
On September 20th, 2021, the tenth anniversary of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, VA assistant secretary for public affairs, Kayla Williams delivered a statement regarding benefits eligibility for LGBTQ+ Veterans who where discharged under the Don't Ask…