Serious questions about RE 04 discharge
Good afternoon Marines,
Here is my story in a nutshell. I was attending ITB with Bravo company in November of 2009 with about a week before graduation I was sent to Balboa Medical Facility to be evaluated. Basically the situation was I was reported to our Platoon Leader for "depression" or something bogus like that. After speaking with a psychiatrist they decided I needed to go to Balboa to be further evaluated. From there they decide my case of "depression" was severe enough to qualify for a discharge. This was due mostly to a family history of mental issues (brother committing suicide and family history of depression). I simple explained that no one is happy during ITB and it is just something we were all going through but the docs decided it was severe enough to discharge. I didn't ask the right questions or didn't realize that the discharge was going to be characterized as a "uncharacteristic discharge" (RE 04) which I was told was the student status equivalent of a general under honorable conditions discharge. It wasn't until I received my DD 214 the day I was getting discharge that I noticed the discrete little RE 04 code attached at the bottom and by then I knew I had done something wrong. Basically It boils down to this. For the last year I have been trying to gain as much knowledge as possible about trying to reenlist. I've read tons of different solutions with no real feasible solution. I've read you cannot under any circumstances get your discharge upgrade. I've read you can speak with your local congressmen to get some political leverage. But no real solid evidence that it can be done. Not going to lie Marines but the Corps is all I have. It in my blood and is something I cannot live without. Its literally killing me to hear from my Brothers in country doing us all proud and losing exceptional Marines. Simply put, I'll do whatever it takes until there is literally no possible way. Just asking for a little advice possibly from someone who has some knowledge on the subject. Thank all of you for the great thing you do each and everyday for us and forour Country.
Semper Fidelis,
PFC O'Connor :flag: