According to an article at Army Times, a new web page has been launched which provides information to veterans who are seeking to have their discharges upgraded. This information primarily applies to veterans suffering from PTSD who are seeking to have an other than honorable discharge upgraded. Many veterans who suffered from PTSD received other than honorable discharges as a result of their PTSD indirectly. For instance, a veteran discharged for substance abuse issues may have been using drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism for their PTSD. In other situations, a veteran discharged for bad conduct, or even criminal conduct, may have been suffering from PTSD that led to impulsiveness or bad judgment.
A character of a veteran’s discharge is important when filing for benefits through VA. Even if a veteran satisfies the other requirements to receive VA disability benefits, a dishonorable or other than honorable discharge could prevent the veteran from receiving those benefits. More information about the character of discharge requirements for specific type’s of VA benefits can be found on VA’s website.
If the character of your discharge is a potential bar to benefits, you will need to investigate the option of getting your discharge upgraded. The good news is that the Military Department Board for Correction of Military/Naval records has been given new standards for evaluation of discharge upgrade requests. These standards should result in a fairer discharge upgrade process by recognizing the role PTSD played in the conduct that led to discharge. Hopefully, this will allow more veterans to receive the VA benefits to which they should be entitled.
If you have other questions about VA benefits for PTSD, take a look at our article on PTSD for more helpful information.
