Air Force Discharge Rebuttal Guide

Have you received an Air Force Administrative Discharge? Military Justice Guides is here to help. Purchase our Air Force Discharge Response Template to write and submit a persuasive response.

What You Need to Know

According to Air Force Instruction (AFI) 36-3208, Airmen may be administratively discharged for a failure to meet Air Force standards. Airmen are most often discharged for misconduct (Section 5H of AFI 36-3208) or failure in the fitness program (Section 5K). There are different types of misconduct: minor disciplinary infractions (paragraph 5.49), pattern of misconduct (paragraph 5.50), civilian conviction (paragraph 5.51), commission of a serious offense (paragraph 5.52), drug abuse (paragraph 5.54), and sexual assault (paragraph 5.55).

When Airmen are discharged, they receive one of three types of service characterization: Honorable, General (Under Honorable Conditions), or Under Other Than Honorable Conditions ("UOTHC"). The characterization of service often determines what commander can approve your discharge.

If you have been in the Air Force for more than six years, or your command recommends a UOTHC characterization, you are entitled to a Board Hearing before discharge. In those circumstances, you should consult with an attorney.

If you are not entitled to a Board, you should still submit a rebuttal to the discharge. A strong rebuttal may allow you to stay in the Air Force or could help you get a discharge upgrade in the future.

What You Can Do

If you are notified of administrative discharge, you are entitled to three duty days to submit a written response. Your written response becomes a part of the official record, so it is important that you submit a professional, respectful, and persuasive response.

You can also read more about an Air Force discharge and how to respond in our recent blog posts:

• The Types and Impacts of an Air Force Discharge

Why Buy Our Products

We get this question all the time -- why should you buy our product when you can get a template from your friend, supervisor, or chain of command for free? The answer is simple:

#1. Our products were designed by former military officers, each with a Master’s degree.  They’re not just recycled templates from your friends or supervisors (which probably didn’t work in the first place).

#2. Our products are built with your case in mind.  We give you specific examples of “best practices” that help you win your case.

#3. Our products are properly formatted, so you don’t have to worry about making sure it looks professional.  It already does!

Bottom line -- our products are specifically designed by experienced military officers to help you get the best result!

WE ARE HERE TO HELP!