Can I change an OTH to ELS or General?

[OilLife91]

I enlisted in the army reserves back in 2009. I went to basic and AIT and when I got back home to TX. I was 19. I went to one drill and then me and my ex wife separated and she took my son and disappeared. I started acting stupid over it and got into drugs for a short time. Cleaned up and then couldn't find a job. I called and told the seargent the situation and tried to see if I can go AGR and he said no. I lost my apartment and was homeless for a few months. I then started living with a friend and his parents in OK for a while, but then got kicked out. Then talked to family and moved to CA and received a call about going in and when I told them that I wasn't in TX and had to live with family to get on my feet they said it doesn't matter and I need to find a way back. I had no money and couldn't make it, so I made a bad decision of ignoring it and tried to better myself. Later in 2012 I saw that I received an OTH. After that I haven't had any contact with the military. I now make good money in the oil field, remarried with more kids. The only bad thing I have is that OTH. I'm wondering if I can get it changed to an ELS or if I should just put the past behind me. I'm not going to be one to do here and say I was wronged. I put myself in that situation and made the irresponsible decision of bouncing around instead of staying and trying to find a way to make everything work. An OTH has not effected me in the slightest other than mentally. I was just 19 and wondering if it is just one of those you messed up you deal with it situations or maybe I can get it changed. Even if I was able to reenlist now, I would just to show that I am a completely different person from 7 years ago.

 

[FlyingRon]

First off, you can put the whole idea of reentering the service out of your mind. Even though there is a slight possibility you might get the discharge upgraded, RE codes are never changed unless there is some fundamental error in fact in their issuance that seems not to apply here.

As for the upgrade, there is a review board process for looking at these. However, your chances of doing this by yourself are non-existent. There is supporting material (both from your predischarge service and other) that needs to be in a row before you even get started. There are attorneys for which this is a specialty. He needs to sit down with your paperwork and story and decide if there's a chance.