Should I Be Worried About My Military Discharge Status

When you are officially released from your military service obligations, you’ll receive an official document that will characterize your military status in a particular way. The standard is the honorable discharge, which most veterans receive and will leave you eligible for all possible veteran benefits.

If you receive any other kind of discharge, you might face some consequences or be ineligible for some or all benefits through the Department of Veteran Affairs. But don’t assume you won’t be eligible before you even try. Restrictions vary based on the type of discharge, and there may be exceptions or opportunities to adjust your status that will get you access to the compensation you deserve. It’s nearly always worth filing a claim, even when you’re not sure if your status will affect the determination.

General Discharge with Honorable Conditions

The first step down in military discharge status from honorable discharge is a general discharge under honorable conditions. This downgrade reflects some problems or imperfections in your service which prohibit you from reenlisting in the future. Absenteeism, alcohol abuse, or mental instability are common reasons for this type of discharge.

With this kind of general discharge, you are still eligible for most service-related VA benefits, and you won’t have a strong negative mark on your record when looking for work. With a couple of years of hard work, it’s also possible to have your status upgraded to honorable.

Other Than Honorable

Anything other than honorable discharge is a more serious negative mark on your service record, and it usually results from security violations, assaults, or other reckless behavior that puts other service members at risk. While this type of discharge doesn’t directly disqualify you from earning VA benefits, it will be a piece of evidence against you. The VA looks at each application for benefits individually and will decide based on your file whether or not you are eligible.

Bad Conduct Discharge

A bad conduct discharge requires a military court-martial. This will happen if you are tried and convicted of a charge related to serious improper conduct in the military. This looks bad on your record, but the VA may still decide you are eligible for certain benefits depending on the severity of your infraction.

Dishonorable Discharge

A dishonorable discharge is the worst type of military discharge that you can be assigned and is imposed at a general court-martial for the most severe offenses like murder, desertion, or rape. A dishonorable discharge is the kind of thing that will be difficult to move forward from on your record, and you will not be eligible for any VA benefits.

Upgrading Your Status

If you believe your discharge status was assigned unjustly or without reason, or you have worked hard to improve yourself and make up for your mistakes in your civilian life, it might be worth applying to have your discharge status upgraded or reviewed in case of an error. This record is going to be with you for the rest of your life, so you want it to be something you can be proud of, not something that holds you back.