[Firebird2XC]

When I was still active duty, my Brigade Commander was a full bird who'd periodically read a letter from one of his former soldiers.

The letter was a request for help. Apparently the young trooper had been caught doing something illegal and got a Dishonorable Discharge.

It made his life very, very hard.

Any discharge other than Honorable, General Under Honorable Conditions (ie, administrative non-punitive), or Medical will HUGELY affect your life and may make life as you know it very difficult.

That shiny college degree won't mean SQUAT if your employer says "Let's see that DD-214!" and sees anything other than Honorable or Honorable Conditions on that form.

I got stop-lossed in 2005 and wound up doing a YEAR past my the end of my contract- on active duty, in Iraq. I was PISSED. In the end, however, there was nothing I do but shut up and take it. I hated the fact that 'my' life was delayed yet another year. I was 27 when I got out, too. Same as you're facing. Now, about two years later, my life is on track, I have a great job with real potential.. and things will be fine.

Relax, slow down, and deal with first things first. Get the *Honorable* discharge, deal with the fact that your government lied to you, and then when they let you go, run fast and don't look back.