Can the Army deny a pregnant soldier's request to be discharged? If so, why and is there any way around this?

Question

I reenlisted a while ago and recently my husband and I have been talking about starting a family - if I were to get pregnant would the Army be allowed to deny my request to be discharged due to my enlistment obligation? I don't want to have kids while both my spouse and I are on Active Duty...

Answer 1

No. The cant deny it. As soon as they find out your pregnant you'll get a pregnancy briefing from your 1SG and he/she will give you the option of getting out (chapter 8, honorable), or staying in. You will not get court martialed, you wont lose your honorable status. You'll stay in for most of the pregnancy and get out about 30 days before the due date. If you stay in, you have 42 days to recover from labor and to set up a  good family care plan. If you dont set up a family care plan, you get out, honorably.

In short - you can take the option of getting out, no questions asked. They have no say - its all in your hands.

The army takes care of families.

Open this is you have Microsoft Powerpoint:

www.penumbral.org/data/files/ army_pregnancy_guidelines.ppt

-or-

Look up AR 635-200, paragraphs 1-16, 1-36, 5-11, and 6-3; chapter 8

Answer 2

yes they can deny it..... you have to be able to prove hardship in order to get a discharge due to pregnancy and it is not easy to prove.

I suggest either waiting until one of you can get out, or try and make it work while both of you are on Active Duty.

Good Luck

Answer 3

To my understanding...it depends (as with most things in the military).  If you are not in a career field where you and the baby are at risk (for example..an admin job of some sort) and they are short on bodies, they can keep you in.

I tend to agree with some of the comments..re-enlisting and then wanting to get pregnant and then get out does make women in the military look wishy washy.  I can understand not wanting both parents on active duty..that is a tough life.  However, you have commited yourself, are using the benefits and knew what that meant when you re-upped.  Finish the enlistment, get out and then get pregnant.  

Answer 4

Well without meaning to sound too harsh, yes they can deny your request. Especially considering the fact that you just recently re-enlisted! You made a commitment to serve and should uphold that commitment. If you wanted to get pregnant, you should have thought of that before re-enlisting! I assume you are an adult and as such you must make adult decisions and be made responsible for those actions.

Mandy G, I couldn't agree with you more! That is one of the reasons why men don't take women in the military seriously! They think we'll just get pregnant and want to leave! To me a commitment is a commitment regardless of gender!

Answer 5

I think you are eligible for courtmartial if you get pregnant on Active Duty, and can lose your honorable.  I would say that you can safely assume you wont be released from the Army.

Answer 6

They will not discharge you for being pregnant. If you didn't want to fulfill your reenlistment then why did you do it. I am sorry but that is the reason that female soldiers are looked down on. You can't just join the military and go for a free ride until you don't want to do it anymore. It doesn't work like that! You made a commitment so you should stick by it.