Can you back out of enlistment

You could be given an administrative separation for failure to manage your military travel credit card properly, for not meeting initial physical fitness standards at your first duty station, failure to successfully complete professional military education, etc.

And admin sep is not automatically punitive, but many of the circumstances that require one make them seem punitive. You can be involuntarily separated for breach of contract—and what that often means for some recruits is that a lie they told the recruiter during the screening process is revealed to be just that—a lie. If you concealed past legal entanglements, drug use, or lied about having or not having dependents, these issues could all result in a determination of breach of contract that can lead to the recruit being involuntarily separated.

Some are discharged because they are deemed mentally or physically unfit for duty. In fact, far from it in many cases—but if the DoD chooses to let you go due to a medical issue physical or mental this is one early out option that does not carry the stigma of punishment, change of mind, failure to adapt, etc.

One common medical separation? A sole surviving son or daughter may be given special consideration in this way, and there are other scenarios that may warrant a hardship discharge depending on the branch of service and the circumstances involved.

While it is true that those who decide they are conscientious objectors after serving some of their enlistment or commission, getting out early as one is NOT easy. This is usually initiated when a service member is deemed unable to adapt to military life.

In some instances, Breach of Contract makes the military choose to separate a soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine if there was deception used by the recruit when being screened by a recruiter. Good examples of breach of contract include situations where the applicant concealed past legal trouble, drug experimentation, and even lying about not having dependents.

Some are discharged because they are deemed medically unfit for military service mentally or physically. It is possible to apply for a hardship discharge and quit the military early if approved. There are situations where hardship is considered—especially when a family has only one surviving son or daughter—in such cases that sole surviving dependent may, as a member of the military, be offered special consideration.

A hardship discharge may be approved depending on the branch of service and the circumstances involved. It is possible to apply for an early out of military service in cases where applicants are bona fide conscientious objectors. It is not easy, nor is it designed to be. M ost recruits today join the military through the DEP.

This means that you sign a contract, sometimes while still in high school, promising to enlist in the military at some future date, up to one year away. While in the DEP, you are actually an untrained member of the non-drilling Reserve component of the military. If you choose to remain in the DEP, you will show up on your assigned date at the Military Entrance Processing Station MEPS , at which time you will be discharged from the Reserves and you will sign a new contract to re-enlist in the active branch of the military you have chosen.

If you choose not to join the military after signing up for the DEP, all you have to do is not show up and you will not be in the military. You do not have to have any further contact with your recruiter or anyone else in the military. You are not obligated by law, or any authority, to answer the door or the phone, or to go anywhere with the recruiter. I spent 23 years in the Air Force and enjoyed every minute of it. Both of my daughters are happily serving in the Air Force one on active duty, one in the Air National Guard.

I love the military and every aspect of it. However, the military is not for everyone. Fully 40 percent of recruits who enlist in the military today will not complete their full term of service. First and foremost, you should decide if you should even join the military. As I said, the military is not for everyone, and some people find that out too late.

Ask yourself why you want to join the military? Do you need a job? Do you want to serve your country? Are you thinking of making the military a career, or just do a term or two? Is it for the college benefits? Is it to learn a trade? Do you want to travel the World for awhile? Before you join, recognize the fact that a stint in the military is not civilian employment. You can go to jail just for being late for work. No matter how high your rank, no matter which service you join, there will always be someone telling you what to do, and when to do it.

Not so, in the military. The military is allowed to discriminate by gender. The recruiter is going to ask you many personal questions during that first interview Have you ever used drugs? Be as specific as possible. He or she may not volunteer information which may chase away a potential quota. Be very suspicious of any unclear, or vague answers. Always press for specifics. Job selections for these branches are performed during your processing at the Military Entrance Processing Station MEPS , and the recruiters have nothing or little to do with it.

Recruiters are busy animals. In fact, recruiters put more hours on-the-job than just about any person in the military. They get their regular paycheck, whether you enlist or not. She might be speaking at a high school or college. He might be at the recruiting squadron branch, division , taking care of paperwork, or going through a training class. He might be taking a few days of well-deserved leave vacation.

Treat the recruiter with the same courtesy that you would give if you were at a meeting with the hiring director for a civilian job. If you were trying to get a job with Microsoft, you most certainly would not walk in dressed as a bum, or make an appointment, just to cancel it at the last minute. Choose your service based upon your interests, not whether or not the recruiter was kind enough to buy you lunch at McDonalds.

Once you make your decision, make an appointment with the recruiter for the service you want to join. The recruiter will ask you a bunch of questions to see if you qualify for military service.

These will be questions about age, citizenship or immigration status, education level, criminal history, drug abuse history, and medical conditions. The recruiter may weigh you, and ask to see personal paperwork birth certificate, high school diploma, social security card, etc.

It is a felony to give false information or withhold required information on any military recruiting paperwork. See I Cannot Tell a Lie for detailed information about possible consequences. Marine Corps recruiters work with recruits to fill job or enlistment program quotas that are given to them from their headquarters.

They then have seven days to go to MEPS, take the physical and then do the final signing for that job. The applicant will have to meet the qualifications for the job ASVAB, physical profile, security clearance requirements, etc. To get the job of your choice requires two things: 1 There must be an available vacancy for the job, and 2 you must be qualified for the job. Job Qualification. Job qualification is based on several factors. Therefore, if the applicant has anything in their background that may prevent approval of a clearance, the MEPS job counselors are unlikely to allow the applicant to reserve that job.

Some jobs require additional testing. Different jobs have different physical requirements. In order to reserve a job, one must meet the minimum physical profile required for that job. Some jobs especially in the Army and Air Force , require a minimum lifting ability, which must be demonstrated before the job can be reserved for the recruit. In this case, the choice is yours It should be noted that while these situations have been known to happen, they occur rarely.

On the other hand, if you fail to qualify for the job due to a reason within your control you fail in training, you get into trouble, or you give false information on your security clearance application and are denied a security clearance , the choice is not yours. The military will decide whether to discharge you throw you out , or to retain you and retrain you into a job that you qualify for. If the job you want is not available, your only choices are to choose a different job, or not enlist.

Air Force. The Air Force has divided all of their jobs into four aptitude areas General, Electronic, Mechanical, and Administrative. It is unfortunate, but true that a majority of Air Force jobs approximately 60 percent are are reserved for individuals joining under the Guaranteed Aptitude program.

Therefore, many of the available jobs are not released to the Air Force Jobs Counselor. If one enlists in the Guaranteed Aptitude Program, they will meet with a job counselor around the 2nd week of basic training. Understand that not all Air Force jobs within the aptitude area will be on the list.

Only the jobs that have open school seats at that particular point in time. When you receive the list of choices, you have one week to consider it, then you return to the job counselor and give your top 8 choices from the list.

Everyone else in the same week of training, who enlisted in the same aptitude program will also have a list that looks exactly like yours.