Hunter Biden waited until age 43 to start his military career, but his part-time position in the Navy Reserve ended quickly after he failed a drug test.
The Navy Reserve discharged the younger son of Vice President Joe Biden in February after he tested positive for cocaine, sources familiar with the situation told The Wall Street Journal. Biden took the drug test in June 2013 when he started his position as a public affairs officer at the Navy Public Affairs Support Element East in Norfolk, Va.
"I deeply regret and am embarrassed that my actions led to my administrative discharge," he said in a statement. "I respect the Navy's decision. With the love and support of my family, I'm moving forward."
The Navy could not release the details of Biden's discharge under the Privacy Act. The vice president's office also declined to comment, according to the Journal.
Biden needed two waivers to join the reserve unit when he started the direct-commission process in 2012. The first was for his age: he was 43 at the time. The second was for another drug-related incident that occurred when he was a younger man, according the Journal.
The Navy Reserve commissioned Biden as an ensign on May 7, 2013. Navy reservists typically serve one weekend a month and two weeks a year, but can be called up for active duty as long as a year.
Biden is a managing partner Rosemont Seneca Partners, an investment company and serves as chairman of World Food Program USA. He and his wife Kathleen have three children.
Joe and Jill Biden speak frequently about their family's proud military history. Biden's older brother Beau served in the Delaware Army National Guard and spent a year deployed in Iraq. Both of his grandfathers also served in the Navy.
