If a person got a bad discharge from the military, how do I find out the reason why if they refuse to tell me?

Question

Are there public records of court martials and records as to why soldiers, sailors, airmen, ect that were sent to the stockade or the brig?

Is there a good website that can do a search on a person's type of discharge from the U.S. Military and also show the reason why they got that discharge?

Answer 1

I don't know where there would be a public record because almost everything military is protected under the Privacy Act.  All you need to know is that they got a BCD.  I'll tell you this; you have to really mess up bad to get a BCD.  Lastly, that person knows exactly why they got that discharge.  

Answer 2

many of the military matters are not public records to my knowledge, unless it involve civilians. the only way to find out some thing of this nature that you need to get a copy of his/her discharge paper or contact the VA office for some assistance in your request.  

Answer 3

You will know why you get a bad conduct discharge as there will be a hearing prior to you getting it.  Sounds like you are looking for someones discharge and you have no right to look at it - you can tell from their DD 214 what type of discharge they received but you have no right to see the reason.

Answer 4

Is it any of your business why they were discharged?

As an employer, you have the right to ask them and if they don't tell you, you don't have to hire them. For any other purpose, it really isn't any of your business why they received the discharge, just that they received what they got, and hopefully they have overcome the challenges in their life which led to the discharge they received.

If they don't want to tell you, it's none of your business.

Answer 5

It's just like any other employment or criminal record... it is reserved for those who have a need-to-know and a right-to-know.  Unless you can prove both of those... then you're not entitled to the information.

Answer 6

IF the records are so secret as the previous answers imply, why then does the TV news show miltary people on TV that have been accused of a crime and then show the results of their military trials?

For Example:The torture in that prison in Iraq? The rapes and murders at or near military bases by Soildiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen?

Lt Calley at the Mai Li massacre and the other soildiers involved were put on pubic display.

(My spelling has errors but that is not a problem for me, you know what I said)