How long can SEPS legally keep someone?

[deespot]

What is the name of your state? MD

My niece went to RTC at Great Lakes on 3-13. On 3-21 she was put into SEPS after signing her legal papers (she is gay and also has a heart murmur). Everyone that was there when she got in has gone home except her- for some reason, her paperwork went to some Admiral on 4-2 and has never been signed so Travel SEPS can't get it to send her home. She's watched people come in after her and leave, and she's becoming very distraught.

Legal told her she would be there ten days; now the petty officers at that horrible SEPS unit (they have suicidal people there that they make her watch) are telling her they can keep her thirty days if they want. Is there any real timeframe here? Is there any sort of action we can take? Poor thing has been continuously sick with sinusitis, having chest pains, and is getting picked on by some of the officers there.
Every time we call it's just some run-around story, the first time they couldn't even find her paperwork, now no one seems to care. Any advice on what to do next?

[badapple40]

Why don't you call your Congressperson?

[fozzy2]

Legally? A person, once inducted, must serve until they receive a discharge. The military is not legally bound to release you on any particular timeframe. There is not a guarantee she will be discharged. Having said that, it is probably just taking longer to do her paperwork than she'd like. The military is probably wondering how/why she got into the military in the first place, given her apparently disqualifying problems. There are thousands of ways a process like this can be delayed, and to be quite honest it is not the military's top priority.

[deespot]

Well today I learned that for some reason her paperwork had to be sent to Washington D.C.
They told us to stop calling Great Lakes and that it would be at least 3 more weeks. I have no idea why her papers went there, would calling a congress person really help?

[cyberspook]

Originally Posted by deespot

Well today I learned that for some reason her paperwork had to be sent to Washington D.C.
They told us to stop calling Great Lakes and that it would be at least 3 more weeks. I have no idea why her papers went there, would calling a congress person really help?

It can't hurt.

[deespot]

Also, I'm not even sure they are telling the truth... they told her one of her buddies there was sent out to a mental hospital and the girl called here to say she had gotten home safely and wondered if my niece was home yet... and last Thursday they told us that the paperwork was in Legal building 1 to be signed by some admiral and now today it's suddenly in DC for several weeks and we should stop calling them. So who knows, really.

[SHORTY LONG]

So start calling the Navy Department in Washington D.C.

call your congressman!

[SHORTY LONG]

From your post[s] you should also be calling your Congress Representative.

[DRTDEVL]

They are in the process of determining the type of discharge.

There is currently an investigation into the Recruiting practices used in your niece's case, and they cannot release her until that is complete (usually 30 days for the investigation). They need to determine if she concealed this medical history, if her Recruiter told her to do so, or if she never actually knew. This will determine her discharge... Whether Medical or Fraudulent Enlistment.