Am I able to join the Ohio National Guard with an RE-4 CODE?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 18:33:31 -0400

I got out on a medical retirement from active duty a little over a year ago and i am trying to see if I am able to join the ohio national guard with a RE-4 Code. Any help is appreciated.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Sep 7 at 2024 9:44 AM

CPT Lawrence Cable — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 09:44:41 -0400

You would need an Exception to Policy Waiver from Guard Bureau. I don't know that I have ever seen one in anything close to relating to your situation.
Proponent and exception authority. The proponent is the Chief, Personnel Policy Division (ARNGHRH). The proponent has the authority to approve exceptions to this regulation that are consistent with
controlling law and regulation. Supplementation is prohibited without prior approval from the Director,
Army National Guard, ATTN: ARNG-HRH, 111 South George Mason Drive, Arlington, VA 22204-1373.
Interim changes to this regulation are not official unless they are authenticated by the Chief, Personnel
Policy Division (ARNG-HRH).

Response by COL Randall C. made Sep 7 at 2024 9:49 AM

COL Randall C. — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 09:49:47 -0400

No.

You were medically retired because you were not able to meet the military's medical fitness retention standards. The medical fitness standards are the same DoD-wide regardless of the Services or component (i.e., the standards for the Regular Army are the same for the Air Guard).

The military is required to maintain a list of service members who have been medically retired and these are called the Permanent Disability Retirement List (PDRL) and the Temporary Disability Retirement List (TDRL). In both cases, being placed on either list means that the service member has a 30% or more disabling condition that makes them unfit for military service.

If you are on the TDRL, the military view is "it might be permanent, but it hasn't stabilized yet so we're not sure". As such, you'll have to wait until a determination is made once your disability stabilizes (decision must be made within three years)*.

If the determination is that you disability will be lasting, then you are transferred to the PDRL. If your disability has changed such that you are now fit for duty, you'll be removed from the TDRL and offered to be returned to active duty. If you don't want to do that, then you would be able to join the reserve component as a prior service member.

If you are on the PDRL, the military has deemed that your disability is enduring and will in all likelihood remain so in the future. In other words, you won't be able to meet the medical fitness standards to remain in the military.

It is theoretically possible to rejoin (after going through the process) if you're on the PDRL. You'll have to appeal your medical retirement to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) with sufficient medical evidence that the medical retirement is in error, and ask that you are removed from the PDRL and that your DD214 be changed to have the RE-4 code removed.
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* Permanent and Temporary medical retirements - https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/disability/disability/
* TDRL determinations - https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/documents/fmr/archive/07barch/07b_11_Apr00.pdf

Defense Finance and Accounting Service > RetiredMilitary > disability > disability

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Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Sep 9 at 2024 10:19 AM

SSgt Christophe Murphy — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 10:19:10 -0400

What did the recruiter say? I was also medically retired and unless something has changed you won't be able to get back in. You were medically retired for a reason and unless you on the temporary retired list for a condition that may change over time you are just going to need to find another way to serve.

Response by Cpl Vic Burk made Sep 9 at 2024 11:30 AM

Cpl Vic Burk — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 11:30:28 -0400

SGT Private RallyPoint Member I had an uncle years ago (1960's) that got a medical retirement and was later allowed to re-enlist but he had to waive his disability pay in order to do so. I'm not sure what RE code he got. I'd say your chance are slim to enlist in the guard but you'll never know unless you try. Best of luck to you.