A military service member’s obligation to the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force or Coast Guard continues until terminated. Generally, this service to the country is determined by the terms of the enlistment contract or officer commissioning obligation. However, earlier termination may result due to administrative or disciplinary separation through the military legal processes and is based on misconduct on the part of the military member.

Enlisted Separations. Enlisted service members can be separated with punitive discharges as punishment received in a court-martial or through administrative separations. There are many reasons a service member may be administratively separated prior to expiration of the enlistment contract, including a pattern of misconduct, drug abuse or convenience of the government. This administrative separation can be characterized as:

• Honorable
• General under honorable conditions
• Other than honorable
• Entry-level separation

Depending on length of service already completed, or characterization recommended by the command, service members may have the right to request an administrative separation board, a hearing where an attempt to stay on active duty takes place. Failing that, service members may seek a favorable characterization of separation through a Board of Corrections of Military Records (BCMR), a Board of Corrections of Naval Records (BCNR) or a Discharge Review Board (DRB). When military service members are not entitled to an administrative separation board, they still have the right to request review of the decision to process them for separation. When members are notified they are being processed for administrative separation, they have a right to consult with an attorney, either military or civilian.