Can a Veteran who has an honorable discharge and an RE Code of 3 reenter the Army on Active Duty status?

I did it. It took me about 8 months and a lot of hard work and paperwork from not only me but also my recruiter. At first he was apprehensive about all the paperwork, but after I explained my situation and why I wanted back in he was more than happy to do everything he could to put me back in. At the end of the day it all comes down to how bad you want back in and finding a recruiter who is willing to do the extra paperwork to get you back in. If one recruiting station won't help you, go to the next one until you find somewhere that will help you. Good luck. It's a very long process but it is possible.

Good comments on this one. What's being missed is the difference between "process' (low odds) and "reality" (lower odds). It's a numbers game with the least amount of effort to do it. Downsizing mode (we aren't Trump era enough yet) essentially means don't fuss with the fringe because everything else is easier and there's no exposure to prior baggage that associated with RE3. So possible yes. Realistic? Why would they? What's in it for them? The Service? If you find you're pushing a rope, then consider another direction.

If you want the regulation answer here it is, straight from AR 601-210:
RE–3 Applies to: Person who is not considered fully qualified for reentry or continuous service at time of separation, but
disqualification is waiverable.
Eligibility: Ineligible unless a waiver is granted.

That's the verbatim from the reg, table 3-1 reg page 28.

4–13. Prior military service
Any PS applicant enlisting from any Service with an SPD or RE code requiring a waiver may not process until 90 days
has elapsed from separation date.

This information is from the same AR and is located on Regulation page 40.

The big kicker is what the RE code was given for as stated in the previous comments. This will have a factor on the waiting time prior to the submitting of the waiver, as well as who the approving authority for the waiver will be. Medical RE codes approval authority is the CG of USAREC but has been delegated to the USAREC Command Surgeon. The tricky thing with waivers is that there are only three "Approval Authorities". First level is the recruiting BN CDR, second is the CG of USAREC and the third is the USAREC Command Surgeon. The catch here is that any command level in the process can deny the waiver. An example would be as follows:

You have a waiver that needs to go to the CG of USAREC. The recruiting BN CDR checks it and is good with it, BN CDR then sends it to BDE, where the BDE CSM will look at it. If BDE CSM has no issues with any of the documentation, it will then be sent to the BDE CDR. While the BDE CDR is NOT an approval authority, the BDE CDR can still deny the waiver. At this point the waiver will follow the channels in reverse order back to the recruiter. A good recruiter would then contact you to let you know what corrections need to be made, inform you of the waiting period to resubmit, if resubmitting is an option, and give you a timeline of when to have the paperwork turned in.

If you have any questions, talk to your local recruiter. If they aren't helping you, by all means contact me and I will see what information I can find and help you as much as I can.

I hope this information has helped. Good luck with the process.

With a waiver and hard work from the Recruiter, MEPS and you....anything is possible

I have been dealing with this for 17 years in my fight to get back in. From what I'm seeing, it depends A LOT on how dedicated your recruiter is to getting you back in, and how willing the MEPs CMO is to approve the waiver.

RE Code 3 means that you are not qualified for continued service, but that is a waiverable code. You are ineligible for reenlistment unless a waiver is granted.

Is it just Code 3 or one of 3A, B or C?

RE 3's technically can be waived, but the issues and hurdles to overcome to process the waiver varies from case to case. The reason for the RE 3 (Separation code on DD214) will determine how the waiver is processed and what actions and supporting documents are required. Some are easier than others. Some have a slim chance of being approved. Even if a waiver can be granted, there is still the hurdle of limited prior service vacancies for active duty by the HRC Business Rules.