If I’m Chaptered Out of the Army, Will I Get My GI Bill Benefits?

Whether you will be able to use your GI Bill or not will depend on how the Army characterizes your service. If they code you as anything but fully honorable, you will not be able to use your GI Bill.  There is a Post 9/11 GI Bill Fix bill in the legislature right now that may relax the character of discharges that will allow using the GI Bill, but that bill has to first pass.

If you do get something other than fully honorable, you can appeal to have it changed to honorable by filling out DD Form 293 and sending it to the Army Board of Corrections with your supporting documentation. There is no guarantee they will change it and it may take up to six months for a ruling, but it might be worth a try.

Just so we are clear, you would not get “full” Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits with only two years of service anyway. To get to the 100% level, you would need at least three years of service; at two years, you will be at the 80% tier.