30
27
3
Do you feel that is fair that Soldiers are getting honorable discharges for PT failure? I feel like some Soldiers are using it as a scapegoat to get out of the Army. Do you agree?
Posted in these groups: 
Physical Training
Discharge
Physical Training Discharge
Posted 12 y ago
Responses: 126
0
0
0
I always thought it was "Other than Honorable". I have no problem with them separating cause we don't want them there to begin with if they really are not all in. Still gonna see it on the DD 214. Too short a time period.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
My shoulders are completely shot and were for the last 8 years of my career. I never used that to get out of anything. Some do have severe problems that prevent them from being able to PR, but there sure seem to be a few trying to come up with excuses.
(0)
(0)
MSgt Rob Miller
However, kicking someone out w/a legitimate injury in such a manner is almost criminal
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
IMO, it depends on the situation. The lowest I would probably go (speaking as a guy who doesn't issue discharges and honestly doesn't think he should) is general under honorable.
I am a big fan of case-by-case consideration for things. We give commanders the authority to adjudicate these matters and rightfully so but the people who know him will know if he deserves a honorable or lower.
I am a big fan of case-by-case consideration for things. We give commanders the authority to adjudicate these matters and rightfully so but the people who know him will know if he deserves a honorable or lower.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
0
0
0
Uh my unit was discharging PT failures the same time I was getting out and they were not honorable discharges. So this is news to me
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
Some soldiers DO NOT use Pt failure to get out of the Army. They just couldnt pass it no matter how hard they try. However, it is true that the army is not for everyone. Soldiers who choose pt failure to get out of the Army see it as a fast way to get out, less papers. Instead of going to the commanders office and admit he/she doesn't want to be in the Army because that's a textbook of papers right there. The more papers the longer they'll have to wait. It's easy to get in but it's harder to get out. Hooah!
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
I wish there was a sort of specialized discharge for the people who found out that the military was just too much for them, or the unmotivated.
Say, for every month left on your enlistment, you have to spend six weeks (a month and a half) doing some sort of civilian service. Parks & Recreation, helping in a health care or retirement facility, helping at a school (not a teacher but like a go-fer for a teacher or a janitor), a county animal shelter, something like that.
A sort of "Ease-out Discharge" connected to a general "Inability to Adapt to Military Life" discharge. If they finish out their requisite civilian service, the General Discharge becomes an Honorable and everyone parts ways happy.
Say, for every month left on your enlistment, you have to spend six weeks (a month and a half) doing some sort of civilian service. Parks & Recreation, helping in a health care or retirement facility, helping at a school (not a teacher but like a go-fer for a teacher or a janitor), a county animal shelter, something like that.
A sort of "Ease-out Discharge" connected to a general "Inability to Adapt to Military Life" discharge. If they finish out their requisite civilian service, the General Discharge becomes an Honorable and everyone parts ways happy.
(0)
(0)
CSM Mike Maynard
SSG (Join to see) , the only difference in benefits between an Honorable and a General Under Honorable is the inability to participate in the MGIB Kicker. Not really much difference, but just enough to "reward" those who complete their contract and meet the standard their whole enlistment.
(0)
(0)
SGT Beau Thomas
The standards aren't quite applied evenly I would say, I've seen more than few army surgeons who were extremely portly, they couldn't get a 60 on the PT test but I'm sure they would score about a 700 on a BT(brain test).
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
I've seen some abuse this on the Air Force side as well, to include one faking a bad back and being busted acting normally off base and still nothing happening. This especially annoyed me as I do have something of a bad back and I was still out there doing what I needed to do. I've been fighting to get off profile, and doing so I've been able to see more who are fighting to get on it/use it to get out.
Due to all this, personally, I think if you make it into the military through Basic and initial training (Tech School, MOS training, whichever it might be) then you've proven you can meet requirements. If you legitimately can't eventually due to age, injury, etc. there' are typically profiles that will allow you to continue and stay in to get out honorably.
So based on those views if someone is separated due to PT failures I don't believe they should get an Honorable Discharge. They are likely either doing it intentionally to get out or just aren't putting forth the effort. *Disclaimer: I don't know the specifics for other branches so there could be some exceptions.* I believe these folks should receive a General Discharge, which isn't negative but indicates they did not meet all requirements/expectations (as is exactly the case for this topic). Plus I believe these may be upgradeable to an Honorable Discharge, so if they can prove they did actually do their best and it was out of their control they could still apply to regain the Honorable Discharge.
Due to all this, personally, I think if you make it into the military through Basic and initial training (Tech School, MOS training, whichever it might be) then you've proven you can meet requirements. If you legitimately can't eventually due to age, injury, etc. there' are typically profiles that will allow you to continue and stay in to get out honorably.
So based on those views if someone is separated due to PT failures I don't believe they should get an Honorable Discharge. They are likely either doing it intentionally to get out or just aren't putting forth the effort. *Disclaimer: I don't know the specifics for other branches so there could be some exceptions.* I believe these folks should receive a General Discharge, which isn't negative but indicates they did not meet all requirements/expectations (as is exactly the case for this topic). Plus I believe these may be upgradeable to an Honorable Discharge, so if they can prove they did actually do their best and it was out of their control they could still apply to regain the Honorable Discharge.
(0)
(0)
SSgt Tyler Leaf
To piggy back on that, we had a bunch of dorm dwellers that started failing PT and started getting sick. Of course, leadership is just assuming that they were just being fat and lazy. Turns out, there was a huge black mold issue that was affecting about 80% of the rooms in the dorm, on so much so it actually caused a blood mutation in one of our members. This they took any of this into consideration? NOPE! because once you went to medical and got a profile, you were "the scum of the scum".
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
In my unit they give "general under honorable", imo, it should be an honorable discharge, since fat people get an honorable discharge for not meeting weight standards, and that's army wide.
(0)
(0)
CSM Mike Maynard
CPT (Join to see) , there is no policy or standard across the Army for what discharge an ABCP failure gets, it is up to the command.
I agree with you though, I think APFT/ABCP failures ought to be dealt with the same way - I just think they both ought to get Gen Under Honorable since they didn't meet the standard and fulfill their obligation.
I agree with you though, I think APFT/ABCP failures ought to be dealt with the same way - I just think they both ought to get Gen Under Honorable since they didn't meet the standard and fulfill their obligation.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
My buddy and I were discussing this yesterday. I do not see it fair that others can squeeze by while holding permanent profiles. Its not right
(0)
(0)
PO2 Nathan Meyer
Permanent profiles are an entirely different story.
99% of soldiers with a permanent profile aren't working the system. They have a medical condition caused while serving. Try the walk sometime, it's twice as hard as the run.
99% of soldiers with a permanent profile aren't working the system. They have a medical condition caused while serving. Try the walk sometime, it's twice as hard as the run.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google