Earliest Dates of Discharge from the Armed Forces of the UK
If you have not yet joined the ARMY, RAF or RN, AT EASE strongly recommends that you consult the website of Before You Sign Up www.beforeyousignup.info.
If you are now under the age of 18 years old
You cannot leave during the first 28 days of service.
After that, you have a right to give 14 days notice in writing and then leave.
This right expires 6 months after the date you first reported for duty.
After that, your Commanding Officer has discretionary power to discharge you but your unhappiness must be brought to his notice before your 18th birthday.
If you are not discharged before you are 18, you will be committed to a minimum of full time service until your 22nd Birthday. To leave then, you need to have given 12 months notice in writing on your 21st birthday.
If you leave full time service when you are 22, then you will be in the Reserves until you are 28 years old, during which time you can be called up for active service in time of war or National emergency.
If you joined after the age of 18 years old
You cannot leave during the first 28 days of service.
After that you have a right to give 14 days notice in writing and then leave.
This right expires 12 weeks after the date you first reported for duty.
After that you will be committed to a minimum of 4 years full time service. To leave you will have to have given 12 months notice after 3 years full time service.
After you leave full time service, you will be in the Reserves for a further 6 years or until the end of your engagement, whichever is the shorter, during which time you can be called up for active service in time of war or National emergency.
If you joined before you were 18 but are now over 18 years old
The recruits right of discharge does not apply to your present situation.
Any service before the age of 18 does not count towards the minimum full time service, so the earliest date you can give 12 months notice is your 21st birthday.
The earliest date you can leave is your 22nd birthday.
After you leave after the minimum full time service, you will be in the Reserves until you are 28 years old during which time you can be called up for active service in time of war or National emergency.
*Above entry revised May 2023. For confirmation of this information see the Notice of Engagement/ Terms of Service issued when you first joined the Army.
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