Will the Army take re-entry code 3E?

[bonfire79]

Hello,

I am in the Air Force and I use to be in the Navy. I am interested in going WOFT. Does anybody know if the army would accept 3E reentry code? My local enlisted recruiter said, oh yeah, no problem.... but that doesn't mean it's the same for warrant officer applications.

 

 

Any help or advice?

 

Thanks,

 

Bon

[FLHooker]

what is 3e?

[bonfire79]

what is 3e?

 

3E is a service re-entry code that goes on a DD-214 military discharge form. A normal discharge code would be RE-1.

There are many different codes, but the 3E basically means that the service member declined or turned something down... i.e. PCS orders , unvoluntary assignment, or a training school. It doesn't mean that the service member is a dirtbag, but in the Air Force, it makes you ineligble for promotion, reenlistment and retraining. It also prevents you from going into another branch of the service, as the recruiters and meps folks have to process prior-service personnel according to their RE code.

To explain better my situation, I am in the USAF and I have orders to retrain into a new job that starts this October which will require me to extend or reenlist. Now the orders have already been approved, so if I choose to decline them, the Air Force will discharge me on my DOS, which also happens to be in October. That is fine with me. However, I don't want to get screwed trying to go into another branch because a DD-214 discharge code 3E prevents me from doing so. Can you see my dilemma?

[FLHooker]

Yes, and that sucks. Can you accept this from the AF, extend, and then put in your WOFT packet? WOCS will make you extend anyway, you must be on an active enlistment that will at a min carry you through WOCS and Flight School (approx 1 year). Your reenlistment with the AF would work.

 

 

To find out for sure about WOCS, you need to contact a DEDICATED WARRANT OFFICER RECRUITER. A 'normal' recruiter can put you into the WOCS system, but they may give you a line of bull. the WO Recruiter should be able to tell you straight. Although, I really don't know where to look for one.

 

Dunno, just a thought.

 

 

 

CHAD

[bonfire79]

Yes, and that sucks. Can you accept this from the AF, extend, and then put in your WOFT packet? WOCS will make you extend anyway, you must be on an active enlistment that will at a min carry you through WOCS and Flight School (approx 1 year). Your reenlistment with the AF would work.

 

 

To find out for sure about WOCS, you need to contact a DEDICATED WARRANT OFFICER RECRUITER. A 'normal' recruiter can put you into the WOCS system, but they may give you a line of bull. the WO Recruiter should be able to tell you straight. Although, I really don't know where to look for one.

 

Dunno, just a thought.

 

 

 

CHAD

 

I only have two choices. I either take the orders and extend, then sign another enlistment in the Air Force; or I can try to have them cancelled. If they get cancelled, then I can continue in the Air Force or get out without recieving the 3E. But if I reenlist in the Air Force, I will have to fulfill my obligation and by the time my DOS rolls around again, I might be too old to apply for WOCS. This has me concerned. So are you saying that I need to be on active duty to apply for the program? I was just thinking about getting out now and going the civilian route on the application. Besides, the recruiters told me that the Army won't even bother with me until they see a conditional release from the AF.

 

I wish I could somehow find a warrant officer recruiter. So far no luck. I am stationed at Fort Bragg, maybe there is someway I can get ahold of one the warrants here???

 

Bon

[67november]

I would think someone at Ft Rucker could steer you towards a WO recruiter??

[FLHooker]

Yeah, you could hunt down some WO's there at Bragg, there are a few there... ha. Rucker is the same way

 

That is true about the conditional release, however, it's for a promotion, typically they won't hold you back if it means a promotion.

 

You can certainly go the civilian route, i would just caution you, because if you are going to do that, then you need to justify why you got out just to get back in...

 

 

CHAD

[ErOk_OnE]

I was air force and my wife is air force....she extended where she was at for about one year. How long would your extension be for? if the extension is 1 year, like it was with my wife, then the air force is retraining you with that much retainability...which is odd. Basically they are retraining you...and if you want to get out after your extension then you get out...seems to me that if you did that it would not be so different than extending, and getting a conditional release from the air force with the blue to green program.

at least this way your not classified as a 3E but as an inter-service transfer. you wont have a break in military service and you'll get into the WO program.

 

If you get out and get classified a 3E, it might ruin opportunity with the army and you wont be able to rejoin the air force unless its a critical career field like pararescue, eod, combat control, sere...etc. Believe me before getting accepted for WOCS i tried to get back into the air force and it was impossible.

 

By going the blue to green route your ensuring your retainability with the air force and opening the door as a WO in the future.

 

Just my 2cents.

 

hope it helps.

 

P.S. how old are you?

Edited July 29, 2008 by ErOk_OnE

[bonfire79]

I was air force and my wife is air force....she extended where she was at for about one year. How long would your extension be for? if the extension is 1 year, like it was with my wife, then the air force is retraining you with that much retainability...which is odd. Basically they are retraining you...and if you want to get out after your extension then you get out...seems to me that if you did that it would not be so different than extending, and getting a conditional release from the air force with the blue to green program.

at least this way your not classified as a 3E but as an inter-service transfer. you wont have a break in military service and you'll get into the WO program.

 

If you get out and get classified a 3E, it might ruin opportunity with the army and you wont be able to rejoin the air force unless its a critical career field like pararescue, eod, combat control, sere...etc. Believe me before getting accepted for WOCS i tried to get back into the air force and it was impossible.

 

By going the blue to green route your ensuring your retainability with the air force and opening the door as a WO in the future.

 

Just my 2cents.

 

hope it helps.

 

P.S. how old are you?

 

Well, it seems easy, but it is far from that. I put in a retraining package for EOD last year and it got approved. That is what the orders are for. Well, some significant events have happened since then. My dad passed away two months ago and that has played a big effect on me. So I really don't feel up to being EOD at this time. That is why I want to cancel. And I really want to fly helicopters, to be honest. The Air Force wants me to extend so I have retainability for the EOD school. I would have to extend at least a year and then reenlist after I graduate. But I know the Air Force is not going to just let me go after all of the money spent on training for EOD, plus there is a bonus and they will want me to fulfill the contract. However, I could do four years and then try to cross to Army, but I might be too old by that time. Don't know if the Army has age waivers for prior service. BTW I am 29.

I know if I get out, the AF won't let me come back again. I had a hard time joining the AF the first time because I was prior Navy. Speaking of that, how do you like the quality of life in the Army? You know how good the AF is. I was Navy, and the quality of like in AF is much better. How about the Army?

Also, If I go blue-to-green, how long would have to wait before I could apply for WOFT? and would I be able to pick my job?

For once, I would actually like to choose what I would like to do.... 3 times a charm.

 

Bon

[BillyBob]

Bonfire,

 

Are you able to work your way up your chain of command with your concerns and the possible ramifications?

Do you have some good tangible evidence of putting your packet together to prove that you are trying to 'step up' and expand your service to the DOD? With this evidence you can show the USAF folks that you are not turning your back on the uniform, just that you want to serve in a different manner.

Will they (chain of command) be sympathetic to you moving over to the Army?

 

Here's a website that may give you some applicable U.S. Army points of contact to start a parallel and simultaneous search for relief from the mine laden road you're on.

 

http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant/WOBanner.html

 

Are you thinking about Active Duty or National Guard? There is a good Guard website that may have some answers:

 

http://www.1800goguard.com/forums/index.php

 

Good luck. If it works out, it IS worth it.

Edited August 5, 2008 by BillyBob