You can reenlist with a general discharge under honorable conditions in most cases, but the discharge characterization isn’t what decides it. The Reenlistment Eligibility (RE) code in Block 27 of your DD-214 does. Most general discharges carry an RE-3, which means you’re eligible only if a recruiter submits a waiver for you and the branch approves it. An RE-4 makes reenlistment far harder, and in practice often bars it.
Find Your RE Code Before Anything Else
The RE code is tied to the reason you were separated, not the overall characterization. Two people with identical general discharges can carry different RE codes and have completely different odds of getting back in. Pull your DD-214 and look at Block 27:
- RE-1: fully eligible with no restrictions. Uncommon with a general discharge, but possible when the characterization came from a narrow administrative issue.
- RE-2: ineligible, but not for conduct reasons. Usually reflects a status issue like a transition to officer or reserve status.
- RE-3: eligible with a waiver. This is the most common code paired with a general discharge.
- RE-4: not recommended for reenlistment. The Army treats this as nonwaivable in most circumstances; the Navy and Marine Corps mark it as “not recommended.” Exception-to-policy waivers exist on paper but rarely succeed.
The Army’s own guidance is that an RE code can be changed only if it was entered incorrectly. It’s tied to your separation reason, not to how you’ve grown since. If you think yours is wrong, the Army Review Boards Agency handles correction requests, but you have to show the code itself was an error.1Army Review Boards Agency. FAQ
How the Waiver Process Works
With an RE-3, the waiver is your route back. You don’t file it yourself. A recruiter packages the request and sends it up their chain of command, which means the recruiter has to believe the case is worth their time. That’s a real hurdle. Some recruiters won’t touch prior-service general discharges because the paperwork is heavier and approval isn’t guaranteed. If one recruiter passes, try another office.
The branch weighs several things: the specific reason for your discharge, what you’ve done since (education, employment, staying clean), how much time has passed, and current recruiting needs. The same waiver submitted during a recruiting shortfall has better odds than during a period when the branch is turning qualified applicants away.
High ASVAB scores, a college degree, or an in-demand skill can tip the balance. So can a clean record since separation. If the original problem was something correctable, like failing fitness standards or a single minor disciplinary incident, documented proof that the problem no longer exists helps. Waivers are never guaranteed, denials rarely come with detailed explanations, and some waivers require a mandatory waiting period after separation before they can even be submitted. Your recruiter can tell you whether that applies to you.
Prior Service Slots Are a Separate Gate
Even an approved waiver doesn’t automatically put you in a uniform. Each branch maintains prior service business rules that control how many prior-service slots exist and which military occupational specialties those slots cover. The rules shift with manning needs.
The Army publishes a list of MOSs open to prior-service enlistees at each pay grade. If your old MOS isn’t on the current list, you may need to retrain into one that is. In lean years the list shrinks to a handful of combat and support roles; during shortfalls it expands. A good prior-service recruiter tracks these openings and can time your application to align with an available slot. If one branch has no room, another might.
Standard Requirements Still Apply
Age limits by branch:
- Army: up to 35
- Navy: up to 41
- Air Force: up to 42
- Space Force: up to 42
- Marine Corps: up to 28
- Coast Guard: up to 41
Prior-service time can sometimes be subtracted from your current age to extend eligibility, though the rules vary by branch. You’ll also need to pass a medical exam at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS), meet fitness standards, and have a high school diploma or equivalent. Prior-service applicants complete a DD Form 2807-2 and must disclose the full medical history, including anything that developed after separation. Omitting something can result in a fraudulent enlistment charge.
ASVAB scores still count. The Army requires a minimum AFQT score of 31, and other branches set similar thresholds. Some career fields require higher scores on specific subtests. The Army’s officer candidate and warrant officer programs, for example, require a General Technical score of at least 110.
What Cannot Be Waived
Some disqualifiers sit outside the RE code system entirely, and no waiver clears them.
A conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence is one of the most absolute. Federal law prohibits anyone with that conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts Military service requires bearing arms, so the conviction effectively blocks reenlistment in every branch.
Being under any form of judicial restraint (bond, probation, imprisonment, or parole) disqualifies you for the duration of that restraint.4eCFR. 32 CFR 66.6 – Enlistment, Appointment, and Induction Criteria You can apply once it’s fully resolved, but not before.
Felony convictions, multiple serious misdemeanors, and drug trafficking offenses are generally non-waivable, though branch policies vary at the margins. Minor traffic violations and isolated juvenile offenses are typically waivable.
Switching Branches
Your RE code follows you. It’s printed on your DD-214, and every branch will see the same discharge characterization, RE code, and separation code. That said, branches read RE codes with slightly different eyes and have different appetites for prior-service applicants at any given moment. Shopping around is worthwhile.
Onboarding also varies if you cross branches. The Marines treat prior-service members from other branches as new enlistees who must complete boot camp. The Army sends most cross-branch prior-service members through a shorter refresher course. The Navy runs a two-week orientation, and the Air Force has a mandatory orientation course. The Coast Guard typically uses a condensed training program rather than full recruit training.
If the Waiver Path Won’t Work: Upgrading the Discharge
If your RE code or your discharge characterization is blocking you, upgrading the discharge itself is a longer but real alternative. Two bodies handle these requests.
Discharge Review Board
Each branch has a Discharge Review Board (DRB) that can change the characterization or the narrative reason for separation. Apply within 15 years of your discharge date using DD Form 293.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 1553 – Review of Discharge or Dismissal You can appear in person or submit by mail. The board reviews your service records along with any evidence you add, including post-service accomplishments, medical records, and character references. The DRB cannot review discharges issued by general court-martial, and anyone with a dishonorable discharge or dismissal must go directly to the Board for Correction of Military Records.
Board for Correction of Military Records
The Board for Correction of Military Records (BCMR), called the BCNR for Navy and Marine Corps, has broader authority. It can correct any error or injustice in a military record, not just the discharge characterization. The filing deadline is three years from when you discovered the error, though the board can waive that deadline in the interest of justice.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 1552 – Correction of Military Records: Claims Incident Thereto It also reviews DRB denials as a final administrative appeal.
If your general discharge involved mental health conditions, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, or sexual assault, current policy directs these boards to give liberal consideration to upgrade requests. VA disability ratings, medical records, and counseling documentation strengthen those claims substantially.
Steps to Start
Get a copy of your DD-214 if you don’t already have one. If it’s lost, request a replacement through the National Personnel Records Center. Look at Block 27 for the RE code and Block 26 for the Separation Program Designator. Those two codes, together with the characterization, define what a recruiter can actually do for you.
Contact a recruiter for your target branch and be upfront about the discharge. If the first recruiter isn’t interested, try another. Prior-service recruiting is a specialty, and the recruiter’s experience makes a real difference in outcomes.
Before the recruiter builds the waiver package, gather everything that strengthens it: college transcripts, professional certifications, employment records showing stability, and character references. If the reason for your general discharge was a fitness or weight issue, documented proof you now meet standards helps enormously. If it was disciplinary, a clean civilian record since separation speaks louder than any letter you could write.
Once the waiver is in, expect a wait of weeks to months, depending on the branch and its backlog. Be ready for follow-up requests. If it’s denied, ask whether reapplying later would change the outcome. Sometimes the answer is yes.