The act of getting a military discharge changed is sometimes known as a discharge upgrade, and all veterans have the right to apply for such an upgrade. There is no automatic upgrade provision available for military discharges regardless of circumstances. The service member is required to state his or her case for the upgrade and justify it. Each branch of military service conducts such boards, which require the veteran to compile evidence, document reasons why the military discharge should be upgraded , and submit an application package to the review board.
Depending on the branch of military service there may be time limits imposed on the application process for a DRB discharge review; the veteran may be required to apply before a certain time frame expires. Military discharge review boards may not be able to address certain portions of the discharge such as changing the Narrative Reason For Separation to or from a medical reason.
Upgrading a military discharge solely to become eligible for GI Bill benefits or other payments is not permitted, nor is upgrading a military discharge for compassionate reasons, or because of a change of character.
The Discharge Review Board may not be able to address a discharge that was the result of a court-martial. In January , the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs announced an online tool that veterans can use to help them appeal a discharge and have it submitted to a service-level Discharge Review Board.
The online tool, available at the Vets. Gov official site, is said to simplify the process and customize instructions for the veteran based on the answers to preliminary questions. The customized instructions tell the veteran where to submit application materials based on the requirements of the branch of service presiding over the DRB.
The negative effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries on military members is another issue that has some exploring their discharge review board options. In early , the Department of Defense announced another option—a board of appeals for service members who have separation dates on or after December 20, and wish to have their military discharges reviewed for possible upgrade above the service level.
It is only meant for those who have exhausted all other avenues for appeal, and the decision of DARB is considered the final say in the matter with no other appeals possible. Veterans who need to contact their branch of service to discuss issues related to the upgrade of a military discharge not characterized as Honorable should start by contacting one of the following:. Air Force Discharge Review Board [email protected]. Army Board for Correction of Military Records [email protected].
Army Discharge Review Board [email protected]. Navy Board for Correction of Naval Records [email protected]. Navy Discharge Review Board [email protected]. Please note: If you don't live near a VA medical center or clinic, our mental health providers can counsel you over the phone called telemental health care. Or, we can refer you to a Vet Center or health care provider near you. To access these services, first apply for VA health care.
Apply for health care. This Edition provides detailed instructions on how to submit claims for benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs new intake center and uses the successful "Fully Developed Claim Process" for faster and better decisions. View the Book This section provides downloadable files of the most commonly used VA Forms for senior veterans seeking benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
View the Forms Become a member of the SVSA and help our organization support the needs of senior veterans who served their country in a time of need. Learn more about the benefits of membership. Individuals and services listed on this web site are also not affiliated with VA. Only individuals of the SVSA and those listed on this site who are accredited by VA may be involved in the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of a claim for veterans benefits.
How do you Correct a Bad Discharge? Bad paper can stem from a wide variety of misconduct: Administrative discharges , like "general" and "other than honorable" are either charges unique to the military like "insubordination" or things that would qualify as low-level misdemeanors in a criminal court.
The process for administrative versus punitive discharges is vastly different. Understanding the character of the discharge Some veterans with disabilities incurred or aggravated during active duty may qualify for medical or related benefits regardless of separation and characterization of service. Special Consideration for Certain Veterans with a Bad Discharge All branches of the military consider you to have a strong case for a discharge upgrade if you can show your discharge was connected to any of these categories: Mental health conditions, including posttraumatic stress disorder PTSD Traumatic brain injury TBI Sexual assault or harassment during military service at VA, we refer to this as military sexual trauma or MST Sexual orientation including under the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy The information you enter on the next page is completely confidential.
Learn more about: VA health benefits for Veterans who've experienced military sexual trauma VA health benefits for Veterans with mental health conditions VA health benefits for Veterans with PTSD Military sexual trauma MST Military sexual traumarefers to sexual assault or repeated, threatening sexual harassment that happened while a Veteran was in the military.
How do I talk to someone right now? Their services include: MST-related treatment and support at every VA medical center, and providers knowledgeable about treating the aftereffects of MST at each facility Specialized outpatient mental health services focused on sexual trauma at many VA locations Counseling with professionals who are specially trained to treat conditions related to sexual trauma at Vet Centers across the country Specialized MST treatment in a residential live-in or inpatient setting—including gender-specific programs—for Veterans who need more intensive care Treatment and support for health conditions linked to MST, like: Posttraumatic stress disorder PTSD Depression Substance use problems How do I access VA services for MST?
Your provider will offer treatment and support as needed. You should feel free to ask for a provider of a specific gender if that makes you feel more comfortable. Find a VA medical center near you If you'd prefer to receive MST-related care outside of a medical setting, get free confidential counseling, alcohol and drug assessment, and other support at one of our community Vet Centers.
Find a Vet Center near you If you're homeless or at risk of becoming homeless: Contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at for help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A trained VA counselor will offer information about VA homeless programs, health care, and other services in your area. The call is free and confidential. Visit our website to learn about VA programs for Veterans who are homeless. Even if you don't qualify for VA health care, our staff can help you find non-VA resources you may qualify for in your community. Can I get disability compensation monthly payments or other benefits from VA?
Find out if you can get disability benefits for PTSD Or get help applying for disability compensation by: Reading our fact sheet on disability compensation for conditions related to MST. How do I schedule my first appointment? We're here Monday through Friday, a. It's hard for me to get to a VA facility in person. Can I get mental health services online?
You may be able to use one or more of the care options listed below. The Veteran Training online self-help portal for overcoming everyday challenges: You can use this portal's tools to help manage your anger, develop parenting and problem-solving skills, and more.
The tools are based on proven mental health practices that have successfully helped other Veterans and families. The portal is free, and you don't have to sign in or provide any personal information to use the tools.
Visit the Veteran Training portal Smartphone apps for Veterans: We've partnered with the Department of Defense DoD to create free smartphone applications you can use to help manage your physical and mental health. These include apps to help you deal with stress, quit smoking, and more. If you're enrolled in VA health care, ask any of your providers to help connect you with our telemental health program.
For example, veterans may have two periods of service: the first with an honorable discharge and the second with a dishonorable discharge. Any conditions incurred during the first period would be eligible for VA benefits; however, any conditions incurred during the second period would likely not be eligible.
On the other hand, if a veteran signs on for four years of service and then re-enlists at three years, the entire period of service will be treated as one timeframe. If any portion of that is considered dishonorable, the whole period of service will be considered dishonorable. It becomes even more nuanced when there are more than two periods of service.
In that situation, it may be best for individuals to reach out to a veterans service organization or other representatives that deal specifically with discharge upgrades and character of service determinations. Again, a character of service determination is what VA is going to consider when determining whether you are eligible to receive benefits or not.
However, many people want to actually change the discharge status itself. There are two bodies that you can do this with depending on your case: the Discharge Review Board or the Board of Corrections of Military Records. Each has different jurisdictional limitations of what they can look at:. The Discharge Review Board can look at discharge upgrade requests that were within 15 years of your discharge from service.
However, it can only look at upgrades for general, OTH, and special court-martial discharges. It cannot look at dishonorable or general court-martial discharges. The Board of Corrections of Military Records can look at discharge upgrade requests that fall beyond that year period. It will look at the totality of circumstances, which is similar to what VA will look at i. Here, individuals will need to do some advocacy and explain why the discharge was wrong either factually or legally.
As with character of discharge determinations, discharge upgrade determinations are all appealable within the right timeframes. While discharge upgrades are not something that CCK typically handles, there is help available. Home Blog Military discharge status and what it means for your entitlement to VA benefits. Veterans Law Military discharge status and what it means for your entitlement to VA benefits. April 24, Honorable Discharge An honorable discharge is by far the most common with over 85 percent of veterans receiving this type of discharge.
General Discharge Under Honorable Conditions General discharge means that you met the requirements of service, likely with some minor disciplinary actions, or failure to meet certain standards. Bad Conduct Discharge A bad conduct discharge is a punitive, or disciplinary, discharge that is imposed by a court-martial.
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