DD-214

[Wysiwyg101]

I am interested in getting my CHL. Have been for about 6 months now I guess. I have heard that if you have served in the military then you get a discount. All you have to do is send a copy of your DD-214. However, I have an issue. It's embarrassing. It was about 25 yrs ago that I served and at one point I was experiencing some personal difficulties with my then wife. Serious ones. Some might have turned to alcohol. I went stupid and turned to drugs. After the second urinalysis come up positive, the Army said seeya. Rather than getting a Dishonorable Discharge, I got a General Under Honorable Conditions. On the bottom of the DD-214 it clearly says that I was let go because of drugs. I was young and stupid. It took a couple of years but I haven't done drugs since around 1990.

So, will that stop me from getting my CHL? Can, or even should, I try and use the DD-214 for the discount?

[psijac]

Personally I would rather send the extra $70 and let the past stay in the past. I guess its all just a matter of how much $70 means to you

[TxRVer]

Personally I would rather send the extra $70 and let the past stay in the past. I guess its all just a matter of how much $70 means to you

+1

[TxKimberMan]

GC §411.1951. WAIVER OR REDUCTION OF FEES FOR
MEMBERS OR VETERANS OF UNITED STATES ARMED
FORCES.
(a) In this section, "veteran" means a person who:
(1) has served in:
TEXAS CONCEALED HANDGUN LAWS GC §411.199. 23
(A) the army, navy, air force, coast guard, or marine corps of
the United States;
(B) the state military forces as defined by Section 431.001; or
(C) an auxiliary service of one of those branches of the armed
forces; and
(2) has been honorably discharged from the branch of the service
in which the person served.

[Wysiwyg101]

$70....hmmm, lets' put that into a context. It's about 3 boxes of really good ammo. It's $70 towards getting the handgun I want. It's $70 towards the Crossbreed Supertuck Deluxe IWB I am looking at.

Yeah, I could really use that extra $70. On the other hand, I could get by without it that's for sure. Especially if y'all don't think I can qualify for my CHL with that DD-214.

[sookandy]

I am going to agree with what the other guys said. Looks to me like the status of discharge would not get you the discount anyways.

[Wysiwyg101]

Fair enough. Thanks folks. That's one of the many reasons I joined this forum. For the wisdom and knowledge base that y'all provide.

[TxRVer]

I really doubt you'll get the discount. They want an honorable discharge and nothing less. A general discharge under honorable conditions won't cut it.

[Wysiwyg101]

Yeah, I know. There's always a price to pay no matter how young and stupid you were when you made the mistakes.

[couzin]

...Some might have turned to alcohol.

Not quite following the theme of this thread but - my father joined the US Army in 1939, went across North Africa, Sicily, then went ashore at Normandy, fought Northern France and Germany - and like many men during this time, he came home with a serious alcohol addiction. After VE he came stateside and we went from post to post until he deployed to Korea in 1952. By that time he was SFC (E-7) and the alcohol abuse was full bore. The Army never treated him for the problem. By 1955 he had missed time and the Army reduced him to PFC and general discharged him also. He died in 1981 at 59 an alcoholic living in a VA home in Salem Oregon. I have for 25 years appealed to the Army Board of Corrections, using Senators, Congressmen, even Presidents, to try and get his rank restored. Don't want back retirement money nor anything else, just correct his paper record and allow me to purchase a new grave marker reflecting his rank. The Army? "No" and "heck no"! Their memories are long, and there is no consideration for giving your life to them.

[sjfcontrol]

...Some might have turned to alcohol.

Not quite following the theme of this thread but - my father joined the US Army in 1939, went across North Africa, Sicily, then went ashore at Normandy, fought Northern France and Germany - and like many men during this time, he came home with a serious alcohol addiction. After VE he came stateside and we went from post to post until he deployed to Korea in 1952. By that time he was SFC (E-7) and the alcohol abuse was full bore. The Army never treated him for the problem. By 1955 he had missed time and the Army reduced him to PFC and general discharged him also. He died in 1981 at 59 an alcoholic living in a VA home in Salem Oregon. I have for 25 years appealed to the Army Board of Corrections, using Senators, Congressmen, even Presidents, to try and get his rank restored. Don't want back retirement money nor anything else, just correct his paper record and allow me to purchase a new grave marker reflecting his rank. The Army? "No" and "heck no"! Their memories are long, and there is no consideration for giving your life to them.

WOW! I'm so sorry for your and your family's pain. My dad served in the CBI theater in WWII. Though he didn't suffer as your dad did. I pray you can find a way to come to terms with this.

[srothstein]

I don't think the 214 will stop you from getting a CHL and I think it will get you a discount. In most cases, a general under honorable conditions is considered the same as an honorable discharge. The important part of the law is that it says "honorably discharged" as opposed to given an "Honorable discharge". Your 214 clearly states that you were discharged honorably.

But I cannot find anything that specifies this ont he DPS website so you might want to give them a call to be sure.

Like the others pointed out, you might want to decide if the $70 is worth the hassles of bringing this up.

EDIT: You might also consider talking with the Army about the process for upgrading the discharge to Honorable. The process of giving a general discharge for drugs was found illegal back in 1979, and there have been some laws passed since then to allow for upgrading discharges. I am not up ont he particulars though.

[apostate]

Like the others pointed out, you might want to decide if the $70 is worth the hassles of bringing this up.

Particularly as it could risk opening the "chemically dependent" can of worms.

"This subsection does not preclude the disqualification of an individual for being a chemically dependent person if other evidence exists to show that the person is a chemically dependent person."

[tanker1983]

Also. Most General under Honorable conditions will change to Honorable after a certain amount of time. Do you have access to Army Knowledge Online? If so try this website: https://www.hrc.army.mil" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Even if you cannot access this site here is the contact info:https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/contact/index.htm

Give them a call. The copy of your DD214 may be obsolete.

Keep us posted

[GrandSporTA]

I don't think the 214 will stop you from getting a CHL and I think it will get you a discount. In most cases, a general under honorable conditions is considered the same as an honorable discharge. The important part of the law is that it says "honorably discharged" as opposed to given an "Honorable discharge". Your 214 clearly states that you were discharged honorably.

But I cannot find anything that specifies this ont he DPS website so you might want to give them a call to be sure.

Like the others pointed out, you might want to decide if the $70 is worth the hassles of bringing this up.

EDIT: You might also consider talking with the Army about the process for upgrading the discharge to Honorable. The process of giving a general discharge for drugs was found illegal back in 1979, and there have been some laws passed since then to allow for upgrading discharges. I am not up ont he particulars though.

Unfortunately that isn't true. A General Under Honorable Conditions is not the same as Honorable Discharge. Most "General" discharges will say "Under Honorable Conditions" unless you did something terrible, then you will receive a Dishonorable. An Honorable Discharge will always out weight a General Discharge.