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procedures they should follow to request a hardship
separation.
COUNSELING MEMBERS CONCERNING
HARDSHIP DISCHARGES
Enlisted personnel who desire to request separation
for hardship reasons should be informed of the proper
procedures to follow. You maybe the PN assigned this
responsibility. If you are responsible for counseling
members in this area, you should first explain the
following facts to each member regarding his or her
request for a hardship separation:
The request must be submitted via official
channels.
Submission of a request is no assurance that the
discharge or release to inactive duty will be
authorized.
The decision for separation is within the sole
discretion of the appropriate SPCMCA.
Next, explain to the member that each request is
carefully and sympathetically considered and the final
decision is based on its individual merits. Also explain
that once a request for a hardship discharge is approved
by the appropriate SPCMCA, the request is irrevocable
except in the most unusual circumstances.
You should also explain that if the hardship
discharge is approved and that he or she later indicates
a desire to have the SPCMCA rescind the approval of
the hardship discharge, that he or she must submit a
request for cancellation of discharge authority to the
appropriate SPCMCA via official channels. This
request must state how the hardship has been eliminated
and must include affidavits attesting to this fact.
ACTIVITY ASSISTING MEMBER WITH
HARDSHIP REQUEST
A written request for separation for hardship must
be addressed to the appropriate SPCMCA. In unusual
circumstances, members in an authorized leave status
may submit requests for hardship discharge. To speed
the procedure, the nearest naval activity should submit
the request to the SPCMCA with the assisting
command’s synopsis included in its endorsement.
All requests must be accompanied by affidavits
verifying the hardship claim. The preparing activity
should immediately inform the member’s parent
command of the pending request and ask for a leave
extension, if warranted. Otherwise, the provision for
3-16
no-cost TEMADD orders, as defined in chapter 18 of
the ENLTRANSMAN, maybe used.
As a PN, you should provide the member with all
the administrative assistance he or she may need in
completing the request. Make sure you, the member,
and all concerned individuals in the chain of command
review the request and all applicable enclosures for
accuracy and completeness before submitting the
request to the SPCMCA.
The MILPERSMAN, Article 3620210, displays the
format for requesting a hardship discharge and
identifies the required documents that must be included
as part of this type of request. Always review the
MILPERSMAN, Article 3620210, when preparing
these requests.
In addition to various request forms, a PN working
in a personnel office will likely perform tasks involving
the processing and issuing of ID cards and meal passes.
In the following section, we will talk about these topics.
GENEVA CONVENTIONS
IDENTIFICATION CARDS
According to Article 4620100 of the
MILPERSMAN, NAVPERS 15560C, the “Geneva
Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the Protection of
War Victims” provides for the issuance of ID cards to
persons who are in situations in which they are at risk
of becoming prisoners of war. As a PN, you are
responsible for recognizing the different ID cards
associated with the Geneva Conventions, their
documentation requirements, and your associated
responsibilities. You will most likely encounter these
ID cards when you are doing separations since their
retrieval is required.
DD FORM 528
The United States implemented the Geneva
Conventions provision by issuing a special Geneva
Convention Card, DD Form 528, in addition to the
Armed Forces Identification Card, DD Form 2N (ACT
or RES), to personnel assigned to areas in which they
may become prisoners of war. Today, the current DD
Form 2N (ACT or RES) includes all the requirements
imposed by the Geneva Conventions, so the provision
for active duty members to carry a separate DD Form
528 has been eliminated. Today, an active duty member
who is captured should show his or her DD Form 2N
(ACT) to the capturing authorities but should not
surrender it. For reservists on active duty serving a
period of less than 30 days, DD Form 2N (RES) serves
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