Hardship or Dependency
You may request a separation if your family or dependents are suffering severe financial, physical, or psychological problems. A few examples are: death of or divorce from your spouse, leaving you the sole parent of a child; disability or death of a parent, leaving others dependent on you for support; or, a long-term physical or mental illness of your spouse which requires your presence at home. There are many other possibilities.
To get this separation you must show that the hardship or dependency is not temporary and has become worse since you entered the military. You must also show that you have tried all possible alternatives to discharge but these attempts have failed and only a discharge can solve the problem.
A "dependent" must be a member of your immediate family and may be your spouse, child, parent, stepparent, sister, brother, or anyone under your legal custody or who depends on you for primary financial support.
One way to begin the process for a hardship separation is to request emergency leave or, if you are already on leave, a leave extension. This lets you go home to help the situation temporarily and gives you time to gather documentation to support your case. Meanwhile, you or your dependents should contact the nearest American Red Cross to have them verify for your command that you do indeed have a hardship or dependency situation.
You should also contact your Congress member, who has an aide who works specifically on military cases. This aide should be able to assist you if you have trouble getting your command to do something about your request for separation, and can give you other kinds of help. If your command knows that your Congress member is aware of your hardship, they may take you more seriously.
To apply, write a letter requesting a discharge. Describe in full detail the problem and how a discharge will solve it. Say what alternatives to discharge you've tried--for instance, disability assets you have access to. Another alternative might be a special military allotment providing you with a supplement to your regular pay. Show how you were either unable to receive it or how it is still not enough to support your dependents. You will also need to show that there is no one--neither a close relative nor a friend--who could step in and provide the needed support in your place.
Gather letters of support from people who can say that they know you and your family well and know you need a discharge to deal with the problems. Friends, neighbors, clergy members, doctors, social workers, relatives and counselors can all provide such letters. Especially important in financial hardship cases is a letter from a civilian employer stating that you've been offered a job that pays more than you earn in the military.
You will need notarized statements from your dependent(s), reports from physicians or psychiatrists, and copies of any necessary documents (like a death certificate or proof of child custody). If your family is in financial trouble, you will need to make out a budget showing this.
Be sure to make and keep copies of everything. When you are ready, submit your application to the commanding officer of the base nearest to your home and ask to be attached to that base for processing. If your request is denied, contact your Congress member, whose request on your behalf may improve your chances of reassignment.
If your application is approved, you may receive a complete discharge. Or you may be separated from active duty and transferred to the inactive reserves. If your command decides you do have a hardship, but could probably solve the problem without separation, you may receive a "compassionate reassignment" or "temporary duty" closer to home.
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