Surviving Son or Daughter

Many people think that they could be eligible for discharge because they are the only son or daughter in their family. There is no such provision for discharge.

There is a discharge for a member of the military whose father, mother, son, or daughter was a member of the US military and, after the member enlisted, was either:

• killed in action;
• died in the line of duty as a result of wounds, accidents, or disease;
• was captured or determined to be missing in action; or
• is permanently 100% disabled.

Even for the very few people who qualify, discharge is unlikely unless you act quickly after the death, capture, etc. of your family member. If you think you qualify, call the GI Rights Hotline to be sure.

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