185directives and regulations issued by the Army, and the time-honored customs and traditions of military service. AR 635-200, para. 3-5a1. Honorable Discharge“The honorable characterization is appropriate when the quality of the Sol-dier’s service generally has met the standards of acceptable conduct and perfor-mance of duty for Army personnel . . . .” (para. 3-7a).• If the Soldier is separated fora reason where an honorable discharge is discretionary, conditions such as the extent and seriousness of infractions and whether the behavior is a pattern or isolated incident should be considered
Soldier receives DD Form A, Honorable Discharge Certificate This discharge is usually required if the Government introduces limited use information from the Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) during discharge proceedings under Chapter 14, Misconduct.
2. General Discharge (Under Honorable Conditions)A general discharge is issued to a Soldier whose military record is satisfac-tory but not sufficiently meritorious to warrant an honorable discharge (para. 3-7b(1)).• Only permitted if the reasons for separation (chapter) specifically
allow such characterization, and is not permitted for expiration of term of service (ETS).
• Soldier receives DD Form A, General Discharge Certificate Impact on benefits- No civil service retirement credit for time spent on active duty- No education benefits. Money paid into Montgomery GI Bill is forfeited (subject to vesting of the benefit due to previous honorable discharge- Many states will not pay unemployment compensation- I understand that I may expect to encounter substantial prejudice in civilian life This statement is generally included in separation counseling to inform the Soldier that there maybe negative impacts resulting from a general discharge Upgrading requires application to the Army Board for Correction
of Military Records (ABCMR) or the Army Discharge Review Board (ADRB) and this is not automatic.
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