How can I break through the difficulties of enlisting with a general Army Reserve discharge?

PV2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 19:29:02 -0500

I've been talking to a navy recruiter that I've had contact with for three months now doing all the paperwork to switch and go active navy from the army reserve. I was schedule to go in and swear in one day, but she called me the next day to say that the paperwork has been delayed, and I needed to be released from the meps from the previous state I was in(which I called and they released me the next day). A few weeks passed with going back and forth with the recruiter saying I needed to still be released from meps which was a lie, I was released that day I was scheduled to come in, and them saying they were going to ask the meps navy branch what I needed, which they said for weeks. After three weeks of not contacting the navy recruiter I texted and said I was just checking on things and they finally said that the paperwork I gave her wasn't sufficient with the discharge order from the reserve, they do not give dd214s unless you were on active duty which I wasn't. I've contacted the army hrc, and my unit administration, and they've all said that paper was all I will receive. I at a lost for what to do because the navy recruiter said they talked to a reserve recruiter an they couldn't give her an exact item for what I'm missing either. I had a 76 on my asvab, and recommendation letters from my unit so I'd hope I'd seem like a good candidate, its what I really want to do with my life, any help would be appreciated.

Response by 2LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 8 at 2019 8:33 PM

2LT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 20:33:43 -0500

Have you complete a DD 368?
It's a form signed by you and your recruiter that accompanies in your conditional released packet, goes up the chain to the first General officer. The General is the approval authority.
Your recruiter takes the DD 368 and gets your orders to wherever you're going.
When you swear into your new component, the final section of the 368 is completed, sent back to the Army so that they can cut your discharge orders.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 8 at 2019 9:32 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 21:32:57 -0500

Were you discharged from the Reserves or still in? If discharged, it’s not a dd214 or anything, it is a memorandum (looks a little like assignment orders but only one page) that discharges you. If you are still in than you need a dd368 which is a conditional release. I recommend looking through your Reserves paperwork, you might have had the discharge order this whole time and not realized it.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Jan 8 at 2019 11:19 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 23:19:56 -0500

Persist with patience!

Response by SPC Erich Guenther made Jan 9 at 2019 4:21 AM

SPC Erich Guenther — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 04:21:59 -0500

So you told SSG Hurlock you have an Honorable Discharge from USAR. His advice is correct, you have to get a better Recruiter. Not your job to run around getting the paperwork it should be on the system if you were honorably discharged (are you still in the IRR, I am guessing yes). So in order to enter you back into Active Duty, I believe all they need is the form the Reserves created or mailed to you (you may not have been sent it.......it might go to IRR for example if you have IRR time remaining). At any rate it should be available to any MEPS or Recruiter via inquiry after a honorable discharge. The form calculates how many drills you attended or hours you put in and type of disccharge so it is similar to a DD214 but the Reserves calls it something else. Active Duty Navy needs it to credit your past service towards retirement before they can enter you as a Prior Service recruit. Pretty sure that is what is missing, I am not a Recruiter though.

When I moved via Conditional Release from NG to Active Army I had a Form 368 completed (you do not need this since your honorably discharged) and the NG supplied the DD214 from Infantry OSUT but there was a Third Form from the NGB that calculated the NG non-Active Duty Time I put in for retirment that Active Duty needed to transfer over to their computer system manually. You would think in this electronic age that would all be electronic but it wasn't in 1984 and they probably still have not fixed it. At any rate because I was a Conditional Release I had to hand carry that paperwork. In your case since your Honorably Discharged it should be readily available to any Recruiter that needs it via Prior Service inquiry. You probably have a Navy Recruiter that does not understand how the Army system works or how to pull the info and does not want to learn it.

Also, that is a complete bullshit line by your Navy Recruiter: "I can't process you because I don't have all your paperwork but I do not know what is missing". They would have been told exactly what was missing and why it is important, if she is leaving you to guess she is saying she does not want to lift a finger to process you.

Anyway my two cents. Part of this is me guessing using my NG Service to how the USAR does it so I could be not quite there with my explanation.

Response by MSG John Duchesneau made May 3 at 2020 1:35 AM

MSG John Duchesneau — Sun, 03 May 2020 01:35:06 -0400

I think the Navy recruiter doesn't know what to do in your situation. She's thinking of a prior active service enlistment which is why she's looking for a DD-214. You should have conditional release signed by your commander meaning that if you enlist in the Navy you are released from the Army Reserve. (Sorry, I don't know the form number.) Anyway, if you can't explain the difference to the recruiter, try talking to a different one, if that fails contact whoever is in charge of Navy recruiting in your area.