My son is supposed to graduate from basic training in a week and then go withing 5 days to AIT.?

Question

He is saying that he just wants to come home and not even graduate. Can he do this without reprocussion? What is the best way for him to pursue this? Please only reply if you know for certain about your answer. Thanks!

Answer 1

No, he can not just up and quit the military at this point without repercussions. He signed a contract and made a commitment, and if it is harder or different than he thought it would be then he needs to cowboy up and face the consequences of his actions, one way or the other.

The BEST way for him to pursue this is to follow through on his commitment and complete his enlistment.

Answer 2

There are procedures where he can go through his chain of command and request a discharge, but he better have a good reason. In the meantime while going through this process, he will be more miserable than he ever was in basic training.

Tell him that the hardest part is over. Once through with basic, the rest is gravy. AIT is tough, to be sure, but he is used to the tough stuff by now and should be able to get through the rest without so much difficulty.

Everyone who goes in the military hits his "hump" at one time or another. Most don't even realize at the time, but later it occurs to them "hey, I can do this after all".

Answer 3

He cannot just up and quit. Failure to adapt is usually accessed within the first 2 weeks of boot camp. Since he is about to graduate he adapted. Boot camp is not suppose to be easy but once he graduates it changes and he will probably change his mind. And no telling them he is gay is no longer a reason to get out of the military you can thank our ex president Bill Clinton. That is why when they join the recruiter is not allowed to ask if the person is gay "Hence the phrase don't ask don't tell." I was in the military and my husband is still in and a recruiter. Tell your son to be a man and do what he committed to. Nobody forced him to sign the papers!

Answer 4

I hate to say it but he is stuck. Getting a failure to adapt discharge is not likely to happen since he is graduating from basic and they are more than likely going to push him through AIT. Normally FTA's are done on soldiers when they finish training and get to their units, and can only be done in the first 180 days at the unit. If he tries to get seperated right now and has a legitimate reason it is still going to take forever and he will be more miserable because he will be stuck in basic training while all the paperwork goes through. I am not kidding when I say it might take a year or longer!!!!! I've seen it firsthand.

Everyone freaks out in basic and AIT and feels like they made a huge mistake. Once he gets to his unit everything will get better and he will be able to treat it more like a normal job. Just reassure him that from here on out it can only get better. The military see's kids like your son everyday and they are not going to kick him out. If he goes AWOL he is going to jail!! He needs to just relax, learn his job, and get to his unit. If he has any specific complaints you can e-mail me and I can fill you in on how best to handle it, but going home right now is a non-option.

Answer 5

If he just leaves and doesnt come back he will become AWOL or now days they say UA....He will get into trouble for this...He should have realized before he signed the papers that its not one of those things you can just walk away from without consequences...If your son had any doubts he should not have joined the military. He can try and talk to his command and try and get discharged but its not going to be easy and not going to be quick....or he can just say he is suicidal or gay....or tell him to do some drugs or drink underage....The failure to adapt is for the first 6 months....but we call people like shitbags...but hey whatever works for your son lol

Answer 6

OK that is the order he recieved.....No he can't just go home. He needs to grow up, face the music, he requested. I graduated Boot Camp and was at AIT (ITR Marines) the next day. Its all part of Basic Training....
Seems to me, that he is too imature to be in the military..and you are enabling him...Let go and let him be a man

Answer 7

The best bet for your son to do is to finish the term of his enlistment, otherwise he is facing a very hard time for the rest of his life. for if he claims he is Gay in order to get out of the military, that will show up on his DD214 and that will follow him the rest of his life. the same if he goes U.A. and here is why.

when they are absent from their post without a valid pass or leave. The United States Marine Corps and United States Navy generally refer to this as Unauthorized Absence, or "UA." Such people are dropped from their unit rolls after 30 days and then listed as deserters. However, as a matter of U.S. military law, desertion is not measured by time away from the unit, but rather:
by leaving or remaining absent from their unit, organization, or place of duty, where there has been a determined intent to not return;
if that intent is determined to be to avoid hazardous duty or shirk important responsibility;
if they enlist or accept an appointment in the same or another branch of service without disclosing the fact that they have not been properly separated from current service; or
if they enter a foreign armed force not as authorized by the United States.
A person holding a top secret security clearance is a deserter rather than AWOL, because of the national security implications of the material to which they have access.
People who are away for more than 30 days but return voluntarily or indicate a credible intent to return may still be considered AWOL, while those who are away for fewer than 30 days but can credibly be shown to have no intent to return (as by joining the armed forces of another country) may nevertheless be tried for desertion or in some rare occasions treason if enough evidence is found.
In the United States, before the Civil War, deserters from the Army were flogged, while after 1861 tattoos or branding were also adopted. The maximum U.S. penalty for desertion in wartime remains death, although this punishment was last applied to Eddie Slovik in 1945.
"To go U.A.," a variant of the expression "to go AWOL," is used in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps ("U.A." stands for "unauthorized absence").
Also, "Missing Movement" is another term which is used to describe when a particular servicemember fails to arrive at the appointed time to deploy (or "move out") with their assigned unit, ship, or aircraft; in the United States military, it is a violation of the 87th article of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The offense is similar to AWOL, but considered more severe

U.S. Navy. Retired (MAA)

Answer 8

No sorry He is in it for however long he signed up . If he takes off he would be considered AWOL Usually after basic and A.I.T. the military grant a 1 week leave before they ship you off to your duty station.

Answer 9

Well, I'm an MP. So unless your son wants people like me knocking on your door to get him then tell him to be a man, sack up and finish. The hard part is over!

Answer 10

It is possible, but not easy, to get an ELS (Entry Level Seperation). In order to qualify, you must have completed less than 180 days of continuous active military service. See my link.