New reporting by AZ Central unearthed the uncharacterized discharge and the RE-3 status that places restrictions on Harris ever serving again.
Here's a summary of the reporting on Chandler City Council Member OD Harris' military status:
National Guard Bureau records show Harris received an "uncharacterized" discharge more than four years early and that he would have needed a waiver to return to duty.
Harris served 1 year and 4 month out of an obligation of close to 4 years and 9 months.
The National Guard form lists an RE-3 code for his eligibility to return to duty. That is the second-most restrictive code and means Harris was bared from reenlisting without a waiver, according to Army regulations.
Harris did not sign his discharge paper.
According to Anthony Anderson, a former Army sergeant and expert on exposing people who make false claims about their service record: He got uncharacterized, which means he got no certificate at all. That basically means he's not a veteran. Even under VA rules he's not considered a veteran. Because he has an uncharacterized discharge because he didn't serve enough of time.
Military education is listed as N/A, which could mean that he did not receive any specialized education that is usually provided after basic training.
Harris did speak about his military background in a video produced by the city of Chandler for Veterans Day in 2021. “I served in the United States Army from 1997 to 2000,” Harris says in the video. “And my MOS (military occupational specialty) was admin slash counterintelligence.”
Those claims cannot be confirmed by his available military records, and veterans say Harris' remarks don't stack up.
The video was deleted from Chandler’s YouTube channel Friday, two days after The Republic first published its July 17 report on Harris’ service. The city has not explained why it was taken down or if anyone requested the action.
Spokesperson Angela Camara, who works at the Army's Fort Huachuca near Tucson, said Fort Huachuca, near Sierra Vista, is “the only place counterintelligence is taught in the Army” and that Harris “never attended a counterintelligence course" there.
Harris said he was in the U.S. Army from 1997 to 2000. That timespan is not supported by official records.
Harris served in the Michigan Army National Guard from August 28, 1998, until December 30, 1999, according to a records of his military service released by the National Archives and the National Guard.
Discharge paper only list SSN and DOB, not any other personal data Harris previously claimed would have to be redacted when he, reportedly, refused to provide the discharge papers to the Arizona Republic.
Discharge Papers:
Excerpt of a video of Harris making the apparently false claims about his military record. The video used to be hosted on the City of Chandler Youtube channel but has now been removed.
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