There are avenues of recourse. I would recommend that your husband go through his chain of command and “request mast” to speak with his Commanding General. All military personnel have this right. When he does, it is very important that he not be disrespectful to his superiors, because that will undermine his purpose. I think the Commanding General will see this as a strong case for what is called a “hardship discharge”, an honorable discharge given to those whose personal and/or family circumstances warrant release from active duty. Additionally, your husband’s age will be considered. I have very rarely ever heard of anyone gaining access to the military past the age of 35. Good luck.

Lie #1: After swearing in, there was no way out.
Lie #2: He could begin the process for naturalization as soon as he started basic. The reality: He couldn’t start it till well into AIT, and then the paper work sat on someone’s desk for a month, for no good reason. So He had been in for four months before it was processed.

Lie #3: He had till he was 41 to become an officer. The whole intention of his going in was to become an officer. He didn’t just have a doctorate, he was brilliant. But a month before AIT ended, and a month before his 20th birthday, he learned that he had to be accepted into OCS before he was 40, not 41. And he couldn’t apply till his naturalization went through. Had he actually been able to apply at the beginning of basic, he might have squeaked by. But his final interview for naturalization was three months after his birthday.

Lie #4: He could stay in twenty years and retire. They didn’t tell him that retirement is mandatory at age 55. This meant that now he was stuck at E4 pay for six years, with no retirement benefits possible. Now, if we were in our twenties and had no children and no student loans to take care of, that would be do-able. But we are at an age where saving for retirement is crucial. This was the reason, really, for his joining. I have to keep my job, because we cannot live on his E4 salary, much less save for retirement, and we have nothing left over to spend on seeing each other, since obviously I cannot save my job and also be where he is. I am 47, and a professional, and it is not easy for me to just cough up magical jobs wherever he is stationed.

This has basically ruined our life together. We will have to live apart for six years, will not be able to save because neither of our salaries is high and we are maintaining two separate households, and every penny extra we have must go towards retirement.

That leaves me to suspect that there will be many more lies, for example, that he will actually be able to work in his MOS, which he is now counting on.