[Already in the army?  See the 'I'm already in...' section]

The rules for leaving the army are complicated and legally binding - it's important you know about this so please read on.

You can no longer 'buy yourself out' of the armed forces.

During the first 28 days of paid duty

If you enlisted you couldn't leave during the first 28 days of paid duty (excluding any leave you took in this time).

After the first 28 days of paid duty and before six months from the date you enlisted

After the first 28 days of paid duty and before six months had passed from the date of your enlistment, you could leave the army if you applied in writing to your commanding officer. This is called 'Discharge as of Right' (DAOR) and if you left in this way you would be a civilian again and wouldn't have to serve in the Reserve.  You wouldn't have to explain your decision.

After six months from the date you enlisted and before your 22nd birthday

Once you had served for six months (from the date you enlisted) you would have no legal right to leave Regular Service until your 22nd birthday.

If you received extra training or education or another benefit from the army while serving, you might have to sign a form to extend your minimum term of Regular Service beyond your 22nd birthday. In theory, the extension of minimum Regular Service can be as much as six years but is usually less.  However, if you signed the form before you were 17 years 6 months of age then you could cancel your agreement in writing but only if you did so within 28 days after your 18th birthday.

If you were 'genuinely unhappy' and still under 18 you could apply for special permission to leave. Permission is normally granted but you would have to apply to your commanding officer (CO) before you turned 18. Your CO could delay departure if he or she wasn't convinced that you were permanently unhappy in the army, but normally you would be allowed to leave and you would not have to serve in the Reserve.

On or after your 22nd birthday

If you wanted to leave Regular Service on your 22nd birthday or any time afterwards, you would have to have given at least 12 months' notice in writing.  Once you left Regular Service, you would be transferred to Reserve Service for six years.  This means that although you would have returned to civilian life after Regular Service, you could still be called out to serve on active duty or to train at any time for the six-year period of Reserve Service.

Exceptions to all the above

If there were a time of 'imminent national danger', for example if the country were attacked, you may not be allowed to leave the army for the duration, whatever your circumstances.

If you tried to leave without the right to do so, you would be deemed Absent Without Leave (AWOL). This is an offence under military law and can be punished with a long prison term in some cases; it would also delay your legal right to leave Regular/Reserve Service.

If you are thinking of joining the army, ask your recruiter to tell you in detail about the rules for leaving the army - it is very important that you know exactly what you would be signing up for.

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