how can we get out of the army?

Question

My husband is an E-5 in the army and has been in for 5 years. He has done 2 year long deployments to iraq and is up for his 3rd (15 months) in december. he wont even have been home for a year yet. We have 3 kids and no family in the area. He came home with PTSD and now is refusing to go back for round 3. He wants out but we dont know how to go about it without some kind of serious condition. He has bad knees so he might be able to blow one out and get med boarded. We thought about AWOL and then come back right before 30 days, but there's no guarantee for discharge. Also thought about failing pee test but he doesnt want to goto jail just get kicked out! (he IS NOT a drug user) Up until this point has been the model NCO. Please no comments about how he sucks and should finish out his contract and bla bla (he has 3 years left on it). I dont wanna hear anything unless it's advice on getting us out before december!!!! thanks.

We did not opt for the GI bill or get any bonus for our last re-enlistment so we would have no money to pay back. Also jobs once we are out is NOT a problem. We just need to go home around family. We dont want it to be dishonerable but honestly if thats what has to happen.....well screw it. he signed up for 5 from the get go, then re-enlisted for another 3. MISTAKE. we have everything lined up for civilian life its just getting out that is the problem

Answer 1

Failing the PT test would get him out but this close to DEC ship date probably won't get him out. It MIGHT get him started with a med board but that usually takes close to if not over a year. My MEB took just over a year once they started it and I was out of comission with back issues for nearly 3 1/2 years off and on before they started it.

You might look into a hardship discharge. It might require you going through a divorce and giving him custody of the kids though so that is also a LAST resort.

No matter what you and he decide to do, PLEASE encourage him to seek help with the PTSD. Counseling, or whatever it takes. Long term, the sooner he gets help the better and easier it will be to help him. IT will be hard no matter what, but the longer he waits the harder it will be to help.

Answer 2

I'm sorry that your husband has been on so many deployments I have spent most of my career away from my sons, but don't screw up your life ,the damage to your husbands future done by an early discharge could mess up your husbands benefits and eligability to get future employment. I hate to tell you this but the best thing to do is to stick it out. If you are in the Army and want out get pregnant, but your husbands a male and he can't get pregnant! Honestly if you must try and talk to a Chaplin or Family Advocacy they might be able to get you help. If you absoluty must at a last resort you can try and contact your husbands home of record Senator, but be aware that it might have serious reprocussions.

Answer 3

Duck it up like the rest of us. if he has PTSD then get treatment from the mental health department. He apparently knew what he was doing when he reuped and took the promotion to E-5. If he truly has PTSD then he needs to be treated for it while active. he can also have the mental health people determine if he is ready to deploy again. they may make him non deploy able for a short time to recover. But to just get out and give up because he does not want to deploy. he is being selfish. what about the soldiers that he is in charge of maybe they don't want to go.
Honor yourcommitment

Answer 4

Short of doing something illegal or drastic there is no way for your husband to get out before December. If he has PTSD, has it been diagnosed by a psychiatrist? If not have him go to the hospital to be evaluated for it. That may be a way to get him out of the deployment. A blown knee would not necessarily get him a med board. That would depend on the severity of the injury.
One question I would have is that it seems that your husband has recently reenlisted. If he wanted out so bad why did he reenlist?

Answer 5

The Royal Green Jackets

Answer 6

He needs to fight continuously with his command about his injuries in order to get a medical discharge. My husband had serious injuries from his 1st deployment and eventually they gave in and gave him his discharge since he was hurt pretty bad and couldn't even barely walk any more and still cannot.

Good luck i know how this can be hard

Answer 7

If he has medical and psychological problems as you describe, he needs to see a doctor and get help. If he's not fit to deploy again it's in nobody's interest to send him before he's well. Medical is the route I'd strongly recommend. Otherwise, suck it up and do the job. Intentionally becoming a discipline problem is quite likely to backfire on him and lose him the benefits he's earned.

Answer 8

You say he has 5 years? How many did he sign up for (active)? If he signed up for 4 years, he could request to go IRR. PTSD can be dischargable diagnosis if it is sever enough. Have him speak to a psychologist. One last option, have him talk to his chaplain and see if he qualifies for a hardship discharge.

I strongly suggest he not do anything to get a "less than honorable discharge" because that can have negative consequences later on in civilian life. Try to find a way to do it legitimately.

Good luck to you and your family.

Answer 9

Sooo... he did a 4-year enlistment, then re-upped for an additional 4 years just last year, while on that second deployment. Bonus must have been sweet, huh?

Answer 10

I defintly think he should get out if he is not a fit soldier. Because you say he got problems, he needs to keep going back to the doctor and keep complaining because if is not fit, the doctor has to write it up. Thanks for his serivce. Thats great that he has done two years of deployment