# What's the difference between a military Dishonorable Discharge and a Bad Conduct Discharge?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-military-dishonorable-discharge-and-a-bad-conduct-discharge/800929>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 7, 2017, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-military-dishonorable-discharge-and-a-bad-conduct-discharge/800929 "2017-11-07T00:57:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-military-dishonorable-discharge-and-a-bad-conduct-discharge/800929/21 "2017-11-07T23:22:27Z")

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> [@Leo\_Bloom](#):
>
> The information was contained in a police incident report after Devin Kelley briefly escaped in June 2012 from a mental health facility in New Mexico where he had been committed. KVIA television in El Paso first reported about the escape. It was also reported by KPRC.
> 
> Police in El Paso, Texas, where Kelley was caught after the escape, said in the report that an official of the mental health facility told them that Kelley “was a danger to himself and others.”

Interesting. A mental hospital stay, particularly involuntary, is also a disqualifying event.

> [@Loach](#):
>
> In the US Army they are now considered to be commissioned officers. The oath is the same and they receive a commission in the rank of warrant officer. If there are no other commissioned officers around they can be put in command.

And the USAF, where Kelley was drummed out of, doesn’t have WOs.

> [@Peter\_Morris](#):
>
> He’s given a revolver and a note to “do the decent thing.”

Unless the note is from a Bohemian corporal.

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-military-dishonorable-discharge-and-a-bad-conduct-discharge/800929/22 "2017-11-07T23:47:02Z")

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> [@thelurkinghorror](#):
>
> …  
> Unless the note is from a Bohemian corporal.

😕

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**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-military-dishonorable-discharge-and-a-bad-conduct-discharge/800929/23 "2017-11-07T23:55:10Z")

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> [@Loach](#):
>
> … A separate issue has to do with domestic violence and is not part of the UCMJ…

This is a key point on me understanding the meaning of the “bad things”–\>BC and “very bad things”–\>DD.

These “things” being done to be admitted in a court-martial–they must be done in what capacity (which includes, I’m guessing, the capacity, e.g., of not violating being “an officer and a gentleman,”–but even for enlisted?

Meaning: If the domestic assault charges–real charges of assault, but not, of course, of a fellow soldier–are not weighed in as to his conduct, why not other real charges?

Guy goes on leave, kills someone. I get that by the time he gets out of prison he probably will have been declared AWOL, which is “a bad thing” as termed above. But that’s it as far as his discharge is concerned?

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**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2017, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-a-military-dishonorable-discharge-and-a-bad-conduct-discharge/800929/24 "2017-11-08T00:06:44Z")

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> [@thelurkinghorror](#):
>
> Interesting. A mental hospital stay, particularly involuntary, is also a disqualifying event.
> 
> And the USAF, where Kelley was drummed out of, doesn’t have WOs.
> 
> Unless the note is from a Bohemian corporal.

And then they take him to an open 4th story window?

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