The Wall Street Journal also reported that Biden had “received a second Navy waiver because of a drug-related incident when he was a young man, according to people familiar with the matter.”

Hunter Biden’s tenure in the U.S. Navy Reserve was a short one. In October 2014, the news broke that he had failed a drug test for cocaine in June 2013, and he was discharged in February 2014. So, it is true, as Trump claimed, that Biden was discharged from the Navy for drug use. But it is not true, as Trump also claimed, that Biden’s discharge was a “dishonorable” one.

As the VA.org website (not affiliated with the U.S. government) observes, the U.S. military utilizes two forms of discharge — administrative and punitive. A dishonorable discharge is a form of punitive discharge:

Many people are under the impression that military discharge comes in one of two forms: honorable or dishonorable. If an enlisted person received less than an honorable discharge they are often under the impression that they received a dishonorable discharge. However, to be clear, you would absolutely know if you received a dishonorable discharge … it is designed to ruin your life ever after and is often accompanied by an extensive visit to a military prison.

THERE ARE TWO FORMS OF MILITARY DISCHARGE

1. Administrative – This form of discharge is given by the discharge authority, often a commanding officer of high rank.

2. Punitive – This form of discharge is imposed by a court-martial.

Dishonorable Discharge:

This type of discharge is the worst anyone in the military can receive. It can only be given by a general court-martial for the highest of offenses, which are often accompanied by a prison sentence in a military prison.

However, Dishonorable Discharges are generally only rendered for the most serious of offenses (e.g., treason, espionage, desertion, sexual assault, murder), not for drug offenses, and they require conviction at a general court-martial, something which did not take place in Biden’s case. When news broke of his discharge, Biden acknowledged in a statement that it had been an administrative one:

“It was the honor of my life to serve in the U.S. Navy, and I deeply regret and am embarrassed that my actions led to my administrative discharge,” Hunter Biden said in a statement distributed through his lawyer. “I respect the Navy’s decision. With the love and support of my family, I’m moving forward.”

[A] person familiar with the case said he “was treated no different than any other sailor.”

Hunter Biden’s discharge was therefore certainly not a dishonorable one, but most likely a general discharge, or an other than honorable discharge:

General Discharge (under honorable conditions)

This is often referred to as a general discharge and is bestowed upon those whose serve was faithful and honest in spite of some trouble — as determined by the commander. You might receive this discharge if you were discharged on the basis of:

o failure to maintain military standards in weight
o failure to maintain military standards in fitness
o failure to maintain military standards in dress
o failure to maintain military standards in appearance
o failure to progress in your training
o you received minor disciplinary infractions

Other Than Honorable Discharge

Of all the administrative discharges this is the worst. This is warranted if your discharge was for a pattern of bad behavior. This can include:

a pattern of continued misconduct
an act of serious misconduct
abuse of authority
fraternization