VFW Reports: DOD Improves Discharge Upgrade Process for Veterans with PTSD

[Boats]

RE: The Veterans of Foreign Wars at www.friendsoffreedom@vfw.org

Topic: DOD Improves Discharge Upgrade Process for Veterans with PTSD

On September 3, 2014, then Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel issued a memo instructing Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records (BCM/NR) to grant “liberal consideration” to requests for discharge upgrades from veterans who may have been suffering from PTSD before it was a recognized diagnosis. Previously, those upgrade requests would have been denied, because veterans had no way of proving they had PTSD while still in service. The policy change was especially helpful for Vietnam veterans, whose post-service PTSD diagnoses had not been recognized by the BCM/NR up to that point. Unfortunately, the memo did not explicitly allow veterans who had been denied under the old rules to reapply under the new rules. To correct this error, DOD issued a memo on February 24, 2016, clarifying that those veterans may reapply under the new policy. It also waives the statute of limitations in those cases. If you or someone you know wishes to apply for a discharge upgrade under this policy, click here. Read the February 24 DOD memo.

Go to the site for full details