Defending Those Who Defend Us®
Not all discharge decisions are inherently final. Pursuant to federal law, each military branch maintains a Discharge Review Board (DRB) which meets regularly to review submissions and hear oral arguments in favor of applicants. Veterans seeking a discharge upgrade may, within 15 years from their military discharge, petition one of the following DRBs:
MJA has proudly helped veterans successfully upgrade their discharge characterization of service. Contact our military defense lawyers now to learn more.
Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
On September 20, 2011, Congress repealed the policy known as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT). Prior to its repeal, DADT allowed for service members to be discharged for homosexual conduct. Once the policy ended, the Department of Defense implemented a policy allowing for veterans who were discharged under DADT to have their discharges reviewed.
Under the new policy, Boards are directed to normally grant requests to change narrative reasons of discharge, characterization of discharges, and re-entry codes of veterans if two conditions are met:
The policy directs that an honorable or general discharge should be considered absent aggravating factors.
Why Hire an Attorney?
The skilled attorneys at Military Justice Attorneys can comb through your military record and build the strongest case possible for your discharge review. While discharge as a result of homosexual misconduct under DADT is a good argument to have you record corrected, the safest way to seek relief is to build a strong case from multiple angles. This is particularly necessary when the service member’s discharge is not based solely on DADT or similar policy.
Contact us Today
MJA has proudly helped veterans successfully upgrade their discharge characterization of service. Contact us today for a free consultation.