Finding a job with a Army ELS RE-3?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Qulevrius

Nationally Certified Wannabe
997
545
93
So...a guy is in Army Basic Training, likely heading to the infantry...is being taught to be aggresive and to have quick, forceful and often violent reactions/actions...gets surprised and/or attacked...reacts violently...and suddenly it's a major character flaw and the guy's a bad person?

Wow...just wow. Ain't this a great country?

Having quick, forceful and often violent reactions/actions doesn't cancel having a brain. Being aggressive and violent in, say, HtH is not the same as blowing off @ a buddy in the barracks. So, the SMAJ either decided to go by the book or there was some stuff prior to, that OP hadn't told us about.
 

triemal04

Forum Deputy Chief
1,582
245
63
Having quick, forceful and often violent reactions/actions doesn't cancel having a brain. Being aggressive and violent in, say, HtH is not the same as blowing off @ a buddy in the barracks. So, the SMAJ either decided to go by the book or there was some stuff prior to, that OP hadn't told us about.
I agree. I don't know enough about the Army, especially in the current climate to say if what happened to him is normal or not. I do know enough to say that people in the OP's situation often leave things out so I wouldn't be shocked by that either.

I more have a problem with the reaction's above; while not right, what the OP did is explainable and not neccasarily a permanent black mark against him, nor does it absolutely disqualify him from EMS.
 

BOS 101

Forum Crew Member
54
9
8
I got an ELS RE-3 discharge from the Army, 3 days before Graduating. What had happened is I woke a Private up for Fireguard duty, and I was shining my light at him. He threatened me, then I made a smart*ss response, he ran over and grabbed me and grabbed my flashlight. My immediate response to strike him back, I hit him 3 times causing him to have a swollen black eye. I had witnesses who supported me when I went to speak to the Commander, but I still received an ELS and it destroyed me, but I still accepted the fact I was getting one. Anyway, fast-forward a few months. I'm getting ready to take an EMT-B course at a local community college. I was thinking my chances of working for the State as EMS/Firefighter is nearly impossible because of the ELS, so I looked into working for AMR. But as I get nearer taking the course, I'm kind of freaking out, will I be eligible for the job? Do they do a background check, and if so would an ELS show up on my background check? Being a paramedic is pretty much all I've wanted to be in my life, a lot of my family are Firefighters and EMS seems to work hand in hand with Fire Services.

I'd say don't hide it, be honest
Don't try to defend yourself too much, just be clear and state the facts and tell them that you have changed your attitude.
Change your attitude for real if needed.
That's really all I would say.
Time will help, and doing something with that time (school, diff job)
 

robertnash90

Forum Ride Along
3
0
1
Talk to an attorney. My understanding is that an ELS essentially means that for all legal purposes, you were never in the military.
I agree. No one really looks at that nor cares anymore. It doesnt mean good or bad. Just means you got discharged. A dishonorable discharge is what will screw you over. Employers other than federal cant even check your military record. Work on your anger issue if you have one. This job will drive you mad! Especially in a urban setting.
 

akflightmedic

Forum Deputy Chief
3,891
2,564
113
Well the college I'm headed to actually requires me to be a CNA before I go straight to LPN, and LPN is required to go to RN. So It's gonna be at least 4 years before I can be an RN, 2 years before RN, and 1 year before CNA. haha

May I ask what college would require such a ridiculous path to RN? This flat out goes against almost everything I have ever heard or seen, so I would love to know who is doing this and why?
 

Qulevrius

Nationally Certified Wannabe
997
545
93
I 2nd that. All it takes to get on the nursing school's waiting list are the prereqs and a positive outcome interview. Even in Kommiefornia with its oversaturation and ridiculous protocols, that stands true for any nursing program - whether in community colleges (AAs), universities (BSN) or private schools (both).
 

Chewy20

Forum Deputy Chief
1,300
686
113
I don't chime in on this site often anymore, but I will give you my input. An ELS discharge, like said before, pretty much means you were not in the military legally. You did not serve for 180 days on active duty so you are not considered a veteran. Where you screwed yourself, is being booted for disciplinary reasons. Most government agencies INCLUDING police departments, will look at people with ELS discharges on a case-by-case basis, UNLESS it is for disciplinary reasons. So no the ELS should not hurt you, but the reason BEHIND the ELS will kill you. What is your SEP code? It will say on your long form DD214 or NG22 (I think that's what the guard calls it).

Will this stop you from getting regular jobs outside of EMS? Nah. Will it stop you from getting most transfer service "EMS" jobs? Probably not. Will it stop you getting a job with a reputable department that you can make a career out of? Probably.

Also as others have said. You must have been screwing up more during basic and pissed people off, because when I was in OSUT as an 11x, people fought ALL the time. Punishment? Maybe an article 15 and their wrists would be tied together with 2 feet of 550 cord and told to deal with one another for the day. Stop fooling yourself by saying you're SDS said you would make a good infantryman. Because guess what? They are the ones who referred you to be kicked out and did not stand up for you when it went up the chain. They could have even recycled you back to day one, or a certain point if they thought you just needed some time to be whipped into shape. Instead they sent you home. Did you complete all the training up until you were discharged? Or were you a sick-call-ranger as well? 3 days before graduating and you best believe they would have kept you if you were not FUBAR. So please do yourself a favor and stop falling into the ELS norm and trying to say you would have been a good soldier, and that others didn't deserve to be there. Guess what? YOU got kicked, and they did not. Hence they thought otherwise of your performance and character. Every ELS guy says this, and its annoying.

If you take what I said and get all bent out-of-shape about it...then you need not apply to public service. Do what you are doing now and put distance between it. Get a 4 year degree, and then try.
 

fatkid

New, but gettin the hang of EMS
69
19
8
chokeyourself.jpg


Reenactment
 

Run with scissors

Forum Lieutenant
165
28
28
what is your discharge code? inability to conform to military lifestyle? and ELS will not stop you from getting a civil service job legally. its not the same as a dishonorable, i know they like to scare you guys in BCT by telling you it will ruin your future. but you'll be good. trust me. i know from experience. happened to my bro. he works for border patrol now lol.
 

Heymurphhhh

Forum Ride Along
1
0
1
Jesus we had 2 kids beat the **** out of each other in the showers at Benning in 2014 and they both were only told they couldnt leave during either of the 12 hour passes. One kid had both eyes completely black and blue with one swollen shut for days along with a very bruised up face. Not sure why they gave you an els for fighting, my Senior DS always told us to work out our problems with each other in the showers because "the showers clean up easy"
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
D

Dhk808

Forum Ride Along
9
0
1
I don't chime in on this site often anymore, but I will give you my input. An ELS discharge, like said before, pretty much means you were not in the military legally. You did not serve for 180 days on active duty so you are not considered a veteran. Where you screwed yourself, is being booted for disciplinary reasons. Most government agencies INCLUDING police departments, will look at people with ELS discharges on a case-by-case basis, UNLESS it is for disciplinary reasons. So no the ELS should not hurt you, but the reason BEHIND the ELS will kill you. What is your SEP code? It will say on your long form DD214 or NG22 (I think that's what the guard calls it).

Will this stop you from getting regular jobs outside of EMS? Nah. Will it stop you from getting most transfer service "EMS" jobs? Probably not. Will it stop you getting a job with a reputable department that you can make a career out of? Probably.

Also as others have said. You must have been screwing up more during basic and pissed people off, because when I was in OSUT as an 11x, people fought ALL the time. Punishment? Maybe an article 15 and their wrists would be tied together with 2 feet of 550 cord and told to deal with one another for the day. Stop fooling yourself by saying you're SDS said you would make a good infantryman. Because guess what? They are the ones who referred you to be kicked out and did not stand up for you when it went up the chain. They could have even recycled you back to day one, or a certain point if they thought you just needed some time to be whipped into shape. Instead they sent you home. Did you complete all the training up until you were discharged? Or were you a sick-call-ranger as well? 3 days before graduating and you best believe they would have kept you if you were not FUBAR. So please do yourself a favor and stop falling into the ELS norm and trying to say you would have been a good soldier, and that others didn't deserve to be there. Guess what? YOU got kicked, and they did not. Hence they thought otherwise of your performance and character. Every ELS guy says this, and its annoying.

If you take what I said and get all bent out-of-shape about it...then you need not apply to public service. Do what you are doing now and put distance between it. Get a 4 year degree, and then try.
Got the DD214 you can read if you like. That being said, I rejoined the army (about a year and a half later), had my former SDS as a reference. Waiver got approved, and I left with an honorable discharge <3
 
OP
OP
D

Dhk808

Forum Ride Along
9
0
1
Jesus we had 2 kids beat the **** out of each other in the showers at Benning in 2014 and they both were only told they couldnt leave during either of the 12 hour passes. One kid had both eyes completely black and blue with one swollen shut for days along with a very bruised up face. Not sure why they gave you an els for fighting, my Senior DS always told us to work out our problems with each other in the showers because "the showers clean up easy"
Idk man, army changes rapidly. my most recent experience at benning, we had a guy who nearly got booted for calling somebody a "*****".
 

ffemt8978

Forum Vice-Principal
Community Leader
11,025
1,475
113
Closed for thread bump
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top