dd214 w/a RE-4

Washington State

I am looking for information for my boyfriend on who to contact about getting back into the military. He was given a RE-4 on his dd214 a year ago in March.

I realize that RE-4 means not eligible for reenlistment in the military but he is having a hard time excepting that. He was told that if a congress-person or higher signed a letter stating he could come back then it would be allowed. I am wondering if there are any other things we could possible do.

I have never met someone so interested in being back in the military before. He is the only person I know that loved it with a passion and would go back in a heartbeat. Is there something we can do that anyone knows of?

I'm not sure who to contact, what to say, if there is anything possible, etc.

Please help.

Thank you,
N. Barry
[email protected]

Dd-214 / Re-4

I have the same problem as your boyfriend. I am from Washingtong. In Jan 2001 I enlisted in the Navy, something I had planned on doing and wanted to do my entire life. I spent 7 months before hand killing myself (nearly) to lose 70+ lbs to get with weight requirements to do so. Once there I had nothing but trouble from my divisional commanders, Ships Officer, etc. I asked on several occasions to be seen by a military psychologist to help deal with my depression that I was slipping into, something that was not normal for me ever in my life. I was allowed to see a civilian counselor working for the Navy and she told me I was goldbricking and just wanted out of the Military. I explained everything to her and she wouldn't listen. I went so far as to talk to a chaplin who was a Lt. Cmd near the end of my training because I was feeling so unstable, worried that I would be sent back in training for things I hadn't done. It ended up with me being sent to the Naval hospital after coming to in the morning while getting ready for watch having cut myself with scissors. I was given an RE-4 on my DD214, though the main axis for discharge was not a medical reason. (There are other inconsistencies as well on it.) I have written to the Seattle MEPS station for advice, talked (and was told to leave quickly) to recruiters, had a friend still in the Navy talk to a military lawyer. The only option is to file a petition to the Board for Correction of Military Records. (BCMR google it) This process can take a year once they have your claim. All claims must be made within 3 years of the error being made on the records, OR 3 years of "reasonable" discovery of the error.

I have not sent in my petition. I paid to be psychologically tested for depression, behavioral disorders, bi-polar disorders, etc by a licensed psychologist in Seattle. I have been found to have no problems what-so-ever and that the circumstances of my breakdown could have been avoided had the military acted properly to treat me / talk with me earlier when I was asking.

I too still wish to be in the Navy. its been 5 years almost since I went in and I am still plauged with guilt for seeing myself as a failure in the only thing I ever worked so hard for.

Good luck.

An re-4 can be waived, normally by submitting a "package" to the appropriate service personnel bureau. However, whether or not the military will even bother putting together such a package depends very heavily on why the re-4 was given and what the needs of the service are at that moment. AFAIK not many waivers are approved. An re-4 is a "discrecommendation" from your previous commanders, and unless some exceptional circumstances can be shown it will be given great weight. Saying "I didn't deserve the re-4" is not going to cut it. From the few anecdotal cases I know of, there was typically a short/young enlistment with re-4 -- followed by years of productive civilian life (school, work, etc.) which allowed the person to demonstrate "I have changed."

The cold hard fact is that all of our military branches have plenty of healthy, stable recruits to step into your slot. They don't have time or the need to risk an individual or unit because that person might have emotional problems. The military is not Wal-Mart, and cannot have its mission encumbered by potentially risky behavior. You both need to move on to other careers.