People usually think of Jeffrey Dahmer in two ways: the awkward high school loner in Ohio or the "Milwaukee Cannibal" living in a literal house of horrors. But there’s a gap in the timeline that often gets glossed over. From 1979 to 1981, Dahmer wasn't in the Midwest. He was wearing a U.S. Army uniform.
It’s a weird, unsettling chapter. After dropping out of Ohio State University—mostly because he spent his freshman semester in a persistent alcoholic haze—his father, Lionel, basically forced him to enlist. The idea was simple: the military would provide the discipline Jeffrey lacked. It didn't work. Honestly, it probably made things worse.
The Medic Who Couldn't Stay Sober
Dahmer enlisted in late December 1978. He actually wanted to be a military policeman, which is a terrifying thought in hindsight. Instead, the Army poked him toward medical training. He spent time at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, learning the ropes as a 91B medical specialist.
Eventually, he was shipped off to Baumholder, West Germany. He served with the 2nd Battalion, 68th Armored Regiment.
By most official accounts, his first year was... fine. Superiors later described him as "average or slightly above average." He did his job. He wore the patches. But behind the barracks doors, the same old demons were clawing at him. He was drinking heavily—gin, mostly. He’d sit in his room listening to Black Sabbath or Iron Maiden, drowning out whatever was going on in his head with booze.
The Dark Side of Baumholder
While Dahmer was in Germany, things weren't just "quiet." There have been some pretty heavy allegations from men who served with him. Billy Capshaw, who was Dahmer’s roommate, has gone on the record multiple times claiming Dahmer was a nightmare. He described a cycle of drugging and physical abuse that the Army's chain of command supposedly ignored.
Then there’s Preston Davis. He was another soldier in the same unit who claimed Dahmer drugged and assaulted him in the back of an armored vehicle during a field exercise.
The Army's records from that time don't mention these assaults. They focus on one thing: his drinking. By 1981, Dahmer’s alcoholism was so bad he couldn't function. He was showing up to duty drunk or not showing up at all. The Army put him in an alcohol treatment program, but he failed it.
Why Was He Honorably Discharged?
This is the part that drives people crazy. In March 1981, the Army decided they’d had enough. They discharged him under Chapter 9 of Army Regulation 635-200. This is specifically for alcohol or drug abuse.
But here is the kicker: he received an honorable discharge.
Why? Basically, his superiors didn't think his "unsuitability" was due to malice or criminal intent. They saw a guy with a drinking problem who wasn't a "bad" soldier in the traditional sense, just a broken one. Since they didn't think his issues would prevent him from being a productive civilian, they let him go with his benefits intact.
It was a massive oversight. At this point, Dahmer had already committed his first murder back in Ohio (Steven Hicks in 1978). He was a killer in uniform, and the military missed every single red flag.
The Unsolved Murders in Germany
When Dahmer was finally caught in 1991, German authorities suddenly got very interested in their "cold case" files. While he was stationed in Baumholder, there were five unsolved murders involving mutilation in the surrounding area.
✨ Don't miss: Tommy Lee and Wife: What Most People Get Wrong About Their Marriage
Investigators flew to Milwaukee to interview him. Dahmer denied everything. He claimed he didn't kill anyone while he was in the service. To this day, there is no physical evidence linking him to any crimes in Germany, but for many, the timing is just too coincidental to ignore.
The Return to Ohio
After he was kicked out, Dahmer flew back to the States. He landed in Ohio with no job, a serious drinking habit, and a military ID. His father was furious. The "discipline" experiment had failed spectacularly.
He didn't kill again until 1987, which is a six-year gap that still puzzles criminologists. Some think the structured environment of the military—even if he was drunk through most of it—kept his impulses somewhat in check. Others believe he was simply too intoxicated during those years to successfully lure and kill victims.
What we can learn from this:
- Systemic Failures: The military's "honorary" discharge of a known substance abuser with potential behavioral issues shows how easily people like Dahmer slip through the cracks.
- The "Gap" in History: The 1979-1981 period proves that Dahmer's transition into a serial killer wasn't a straight line; it was a slow burn fueled by isolation and alcohol.
- Victim Advocacy: The stories of Billy Capshaw and Preston Davis highlight the historical difficulty of reporting sexual assault within military ranks, especially in the early 80s.
If you’re researching this, don’t just look at the Milwaukee years. The Baumholder records are where the "average soldier" facade was built, and it’s where the system had its best chance to stop him before his body count hit double digits. You can find more detailed breakdowns of his military files via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests that journalists have made public over the last few decades.