Step 1: Understanding the Basics of Discharge Upgrade Applications

• Review the two reasons the Boards will upgrade a veteran’s discharge
• Understand the special rules for application related to mental health, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Military Sexual Trauma (MST)

Step 2: Collect Documents & Supporting Evidence

• Request all relevant records and documents to support your application
• Gather support letters from friends, family, and those you served with

Step 3: Write Your Personal Statement

• Write a detailed statement explaining why your discharge status should be upgraded

Step 4: Fill Out & Submit Your Application

• Determine which Board you should apply to based on your branch of service and what you want changed on your DD-214
• Know the deadlines for applying for a Discharge Upgrade
• Decide whether to request a hearing
• Make a copy of your entire application, and send it in via certified mail and/or e-mail

Step 5: Receive the Board’s Decision

• Respond to any negative Advisory Opinions
• Appealing a Discharge Upgrade denial

VA Benefits Eligibility

Despite your current discharge status, you may still qualify for VA benefits through a process called VA’s Character of Discharge Determination (COD). Many veterans with less than honorable discharges are able to receive VA healthcare and monetary disability benefits without ever getting a Discharge Upgrade. If your reason for getting a Discharge Upgrade is to receive VA benefits, you may want to first check out Swords’ other self-help guide on the VA’s COD process.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Upgrades

If you were discharged under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell" or a previous homophobic military policy, we have a guide on the special rules that govern those discharge upgrades. For more information, see Swords’ other guide on DD214 Corrections for Veterans Discharged Under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and Prior Policies.

Name Changes for Transgender Veterans

If you're a trans veteran looking to change your name on your DD-214, we have a guide on how to request that correction. For more information, see our guide on DD214 Name Correction for Transgender Veterans.

To take notes, go to the final page of this guide.

What is a Discharge Upgrade?

A Discharge Upgrade asks the Department of Defense (DOD)for a better discharge status. This is different from what you receivedwhen leaving the military. Upgrading your discharge can unlock VA benefits, jobchances, and more. It can also help restore the dignity lost from a less thanhonorable discharge.

Your Discharge Upgrade application is the opportunity totell the Boards about your accomplishments in service, any explanation for themisconduct in service, and your positive contributions since getting out of themilitary.

To request a Discharge Upgrade, you will submit anapplication form, your personal statement, and other supporting evidence toeither the Discharge Review Board or the Board for Correction of MilitaryRecords (referred to as the “Board”).

Once you submit your application, you will likely wait 1-2years, sometimes longer, for a decision back from the Board, so be preparedthat this might take a while.

This guide will walk you through this application process from start to finish.

What are the reasons the Board will upgrade my discharge?

The Boards can only upgrade your discharge if they find thatyour discharge was unjust or inequitable, or your discharge was made in erroror improperly. In your Discharge Upgrade application, you’ll want to givethe Board information and supporting evidence to show that your discharge wasunjust/inequitable, erroneous/improper, or both..

• Unjust/Inequitable:This means that it was unfair that you received the discharge status that youdid

Example
‍The misconduct occurred after a traumaticexperience in service, and was the result of PTSD symptoms you wereexperiencing at the time. Or, you made a minor mistake at the end of service,but otherwise had many years of good service.

• Error/Impropriety:This means the military failed to properly follow its own separationprocedures, and had it done so you would have received a better dischargestatus.

Example
‍Undermilitary regulations, you had a right to an admin separation board hearingprior to discharge but one was never offered to you.

You don’t need both types ofarguments in order to get upgraded. In fact, it’s fairly rare to find anerror/impropriety reason. Most Discharge Upgrade applications will be grantedsolely because the Board found that the discharge was unjust/inequitable.

Special Rules for Mental Health-Related Applications

Many veterans were unfairly discharged for struggling withmental health symptoms that made it difficult to serve in the military. If your discharge circumstances relate tomental health struggles you were having at the time, such asPTSD, anxiety, depression, psychosis, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), orexperiences of military sexual trauma (MST), there are special rules designedto help your Discharge Upgrade case.

Boards must now be more lenient with veterans seeking aDischarge Upgrade. This applies when there’s a link between the misconduct andthe veteran’s mental health issues.

Here are a few examples ofcases where this might apply:

• You smoked weed to manage your PTSD symptomsafter coming back from deployment
• You went AWOL after you were sexually assaultedto get away from the perpetrator
• Your brain injury from service caused a sleepdisorder and mood problems. This made it hard for you to arrive at work on timeand to get along with others
• You started having bipolar symptoms. These madeit hard for you to judge situations well. As a result, you made rash decisionsthat led to your discharge.
• You faced sexual harassment, so you begandrinking heavily. This resulted in your discharge.

‍If this sounds like itapplies to your discharge, explain how your mental health links to the misconduct. Do this in your personal statement and in the supportingevidence you give to the Board. This will greatly improve your chances of getting your discharge upgraded. Keep this in mind as you go through the restof the guide.

A lot of the evidence to support your Discharge Upgrade application will be in your military records. You will want to include excerpts of these records with your application to support that your discharge was unjust or in error. Some of these records can take a while to receive, so we recommend you start here.

Here are some records that commonly include evidence that will be helpful to support your application:

Your Official Military Personnel File (OMPF)

Your OMPF will likely contain information crucial to your application, such as evidence of good things you did in service (promotions, accolades, deployments) and also information about any misconduct. For information about ordering your OMPF, review Swords’ self-help guide on Requesting Your Military Records.

Service Treatment Records (STRs)

Service treatment records may also have important evidence, especially if the misconduct was related to mental or physical health struggles you were having at the time. You may want to provide the Board with diagnosis information or proof of symptoms. To request your STRs, see our self-help guide on Requesting Your Military Records.

Courts-martial Transcripts

Courts-martial transcripts and records of military investigations may also be helpful to your Discharge Upgrade application. For information about ordering these documents, including sample request letters you can use, review our guide on Ordering Courts-Martial Transcripts and Military Investigative Records

Rap Sheet

As a rule of thumb, avoid any criminal justice issues for 5 years before applying for a Discharge Upgrade. The Boards like to see that you haven’t had any recent issues with the law. You can request your rap sheet from the FBI and include that to show you’ve stayed out of trouble.

Other Documentation

Depending on your situation, there may be other documentation worth collecting in order to show that your discharge was unjust or erroneous. You might need to gather more documents to prove your discharge was unfair or wrong, based on your situation. Here are some documents that can help support your story or explain why you got a less than honorable discharge:

• Newspaper articles
• Obituaries or death certificates
• Divorce records
• Private, off-base mental health and/or medical records
• Police reports
• Civilian court records
• Naval ship logs or cruise books

Corroboration Statements

Oftentimes, there’s an explanation for the misconduct that led to the less than honorable discharge. If people you served with or who knew you at the time can corroborate your explanation, ask them to write letters explaining what happened. Ask that they explain in their own words what you were experiencing or what happened. The more letters you can get, the easier it will be for the Board to believe your account of what happened.

Character Reference Letters

In addition, the Boards also care about what your life looks like today and all the good contributions you’ve made since getting out of the military, whether that’s in your family, at work, at school, or in the community. You can include with your application letters from people in your life today who can speak to your honorable qualities and good character.

In general, you’ll want to include anything that will help the Board understand and believe that your discharge should be upgraded, and that you are deserving of an Honorable discharge today.

In addition to records and support letters, perhaps the most important piece of support to your Discharge Upgrade application is your personal statement.

This step goes over how to effectively and clearly tell your story and make your case for a Discharge Upgrade.

Why does your story matter?

Your personal statement is important to explaining to the Boards what you want changed on your DD214 and why the Board should upgrade your discharge.
Remember, the Boards can only upgrade a discharge if it was unjust or an error was made at separation — so your statement can directly explain to the Board why you should get an upgrade.

Things to Consider:

• You can write your statement out by hand, but it may be easier for the Boards to read if you type it out.
• We suggest you limit the length of your personal statement to 5 pages or less.
• Conclude your statement with this declaration:
  • I certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing statement is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
• Sign and date the statement.

How should I begin?

You’ll want to start your statement by explaining what you want changed on your DD214. For most applicants, this will be a request for

1. An Honorable Discharge
2. A change of your narrative reason for separation
3. A change in your RE-Code.

Note: You’ll also want to list your requested changes on the Application Form as well, which we’ll discuss in the next step.

• Discharge Status: Most folks will want to request a fully Honorable discharge. Even if you think you only deserve a General Under Honorable, there’s no harm in asking for a fully Honorable discharge, and if granted, that can help you get GI Bill education benefits for you or possibly your family.
• Narrative Reason for Separation: Many want this change because the reason is hurtful and might sway employers or anyone else who sees your DD214 against you. It may currently say “Pattern of Misconduct” or “Drug Abuse” or “Misconduct-Serious Offense.” You can ask to replace it with “Secretarial Authority.” This is the default category the Boards use for this change. This is important because correcting the narrative reason can better reflect your true service and help you in future situations, such as job applications or accessing benefits.
• RE-Code: For those familiar with DD214s, like employers, having an RE-Code of 3 or 4 may raise questions as it indicates you’re likely ineligible for re-enlistment. As part of your Discharge Upgrade application, you can request this be changed to RE-1 (meaning your immediately eligible for re-entry) in order to remove this risk of raising suspicions and prompting invasive questions.

What else should my Personal Statement say?

In addition to clearly stating what you want changed on your DD214, you’ll also want to tell your story to the Boards about what happened in the military.

There are generally three things that the Board cares about – all the good things you did while in the service, what explanation there is for the misconduct that led to the less than honorable discharge, and what positive contributions have you’ve made since you got out of the military.‍

If it’s helpful, you can organize your statement into these three parts:

Part A: Your Military Service

• What led you to joining the military?
• Describe your work in the service and any positive contributions you made
• Did you get an accolades, early promotions, awards, or honors in the military?
• If you deployed, what was your experience like?

Overall, provide the Board with a sense of the good things you accomplished while in the military and if it feels honest, any feelings of pride for what you did and/or gratitude for the experiences.

Part B: Explanation of Misconduct

• Explain to the Board whatever the misconduct was that led to your discharge, and any other misconduct from your time in the service.
  • Tip: Reviewing your military record can help refresh your memory about these events.
• The Board will want you to be up-front and honest about what happened, and if it feels authentic, express any regret for the misconduct.

Often there will be an explanation for what happened – explain that in detail to the Board.

For example:
Did you have a strong reason for going AWOL or UA?
Were you using drugs or alcohol at the time to cope with anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other mental health symptoms?
Have the policies changed since your discharge that would have led to a different outcome if discharged today?
Were you facing personal challenges, such as family issues, that affected your ability to serve?
Was discrimination a factor in your receiving a less than honorable discharge?
Were you experiencing mental health struggles that made it difficult to serve?

Part C: Post-Service Life

• Since separation, have you gone to school? Started a family? Built your career?
• Have you done any volunteering in the community? Have you served as anyone’s mentor?
• Have you stayed free of any criminal justice involvement?
• Are you active in your church or other community space?
• If your misconduct was drug- or alcohol-related, and you are now sober, that would be helpful to share with the Board
• Overall, include any information that will help them understand that you are living honorably today and deserving of an Honorable discharge

If your Discharge Upgrade request is related to PTSD, TBI, MST, or other mental health issues:

Make sure to clearly mention that in your personal statement, especially in the misconduct section.

The Board will be looking for your answers to these four questions:

1. Did you have a mental health issue or experience that could explain or lessen the discharge?
2. Did that condition or experience occur during military service?
3. Does that condition or experience actually excuse or mitigate the discharge?
4. Does that condition or experience outweigh the discharge?

To strengthen your case, you can provide the Board with answers to these four key questions in your personal statement.

Where to Apply?

Once you have all your supporting evidence collected and your personal statement written, the next step is to fill out the Discharge Upgrade Application.

First, you’ll need to figure out which Board to apply to. The service branches have two Boards that hear Discharge Upgrade applications – the Discharge Review Boards (DRBs) and the Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records (BCMRs/BCNRs).

The Marine Corps falls within the Navy, so Marines will apply to the Navy DRB or Navy BCNR. Space Force veterans will apply to the Air Force DRB or the Air Force BCMR.

How do I pick which Board to apply to?

You will apply to your service branch’s DRB or BCMR/BCNR. To figure out if you should apply to the DRB or BCMR/BCNR, please check off the statements that apply to you:

• I was discharged more than 15 years ago.
• I was discharged by a General Court Martial.
• I am asking to be retroactively medically separated or medically retired.

If any one of those boxes is checked, you will apply to the BCMR/BCNR. Everyone else will apply to the DRB.

If you’re coming up close to the 15 year mark since separation, but you don’t have all your documents in order yet, submit the DRB’s application form now and then send the supporting documents in ASAP.

Which Forms to Use

Once you know where to apply, you’ll need to fill out the correct forms:

• BCMR/BCNR - use DD Form 149
• DRB - use DD Form 293

You’ll see the form is pretty straight forward. Fill in all the information clearly, and check all the boxes that apply. Be sure to list our what you want corrected on your DD214, and list any evidence you’re attaching in support of your application. And remember - sign the form before you submit it.

Three-Year Deadline to the Board for Correction of Military/Naval Records

If you’re applying to the BCMR/BCNR, you’ll see on the DD149 a section asking you to explain if you’ve missed their three-year deadline.

What does this mean?

Technically, you are required to apply to the BCMR or BCNR within three years of the date you first discover the “error” or “injustice” that you’re looking to correct. But, the BCMR or BCNR has the power to ignore, or “waive,” the three-year deadline “in the interest of justice”— and it often does.

The Board can ignore the deadline if you have a strong reason for upgrading your discharge or a good explanation for why you waited to apply. For example, you can honestly say you didn’t know you were eligible. In this part of the form, explain why you couldn’t or didn’t know how to apply before, and ask them to review your request now “in the interest of justice.” If you need more space, you can add to your personal statement.

Choosing to Request a Hearing

You’ll see there’s a section on the application asking if you want a hearing. Here’s some information about how to make that call:

Discharge Review Board:

If applying to a DRB, you have the option to request a hearing, which will likely be conducted over the phone. It’s an opportunity for you (and if applicable, your attorney or representative) to share your story directly with the Board, but requesting a hearing may significantly delay getting a decision on your application.

You only get one hearing with the DRB. If you request a hearing in your application and it’s denied, you can’t ask for another one. But if you don’t request a hearing at first and your application is denied, you can then ask for a hearing to have the Board reconsider— as long as you’re still within 15 years of discharge. This gives you a second chance to make your case. Because of this, it may be better to wait on requesting a hearing in case you need that second opportunity

Board for Correction of Military/Naval Records:

These Boards very rarely grant hearing requests, but if they do, it will be in-person. You’ll need to pay to travel to the Board headquarters, in or near Washington, D.C.

Submitting Your Application

You will submit your application as one packet to the Board. The packet should include:

• Application Form DD149 or DD293
• A copy of your DD214
• Your personal statement
• Supporting evidence, for example portions of your military records, mental health records, support letters, and corroborating evidence
• Keep Copies: Make sure to keep copies of everything you submit. This is crucial in case anything gets lost or if you need to reference your application later.
• Certified Mail: Send the application in via certified mail with tracking, and keep a copy of the tracking information as proof of filing.
• Moved? If you move or change your contact information while your application is pending, be sure to update the Board. This ensures you receive their decision and any further communication.

Keep Copies: Make sure to keep copies of everything you submit. This is crucial in case anything gets lost or if you need to reference your application later.
Certified Mail: Send the application in via certified mail with tracking, and keep a copy of the tracking information as proof of filing.
Moved? If you move or change your contact information while your application is pending, be sure to update the Board. This ensures you receive their decision and any further communication.
Check Status Regularly: Stay in touch with the board to track the status of your application. This can help you address any issues quickly if they arise.- Check Status Regularly: Stay in touch with the board to track the status of your application. This can help you address any issues quickly if they arise.

What Next?

It can take 1-2 years to get a decision back from the Board. The Board will review everything you’ve sent them and issue a letter to you explaining their decision whether to grant your Discharge Upgrade.

Mental Health Advisory Opinions

If your application explains how your mental health affected the actions that led to your less than honorable discharge, the Board will get an opinion from a mental health doctor. The doctor will advise the Board on whether your mental health challenges at the time outweigh or help explain your misconduct.

The Board must send you a copy of that opinion before it reaches a final decision about your upgrade. If you disagree with what the doctor’s opinion says, you should write the to Board immediately explaining why you disagree and send them any additional supportive evidence.

What if my Discharge Upgrade is denied?

If the DRB denies your application and you are still within 15 years of your discharge, you can request a telephonic hearing to plead your case. If you don’t want a hearing or are past the 15-year limit, you have three years to appeal the denial to the BCMR or BCNR.

If the BCMR denies your request, you can ask for reconsideration if you have new evidence. You can also appeal the denial to Federal District Court, but you must file within six years of the BCMR/BCNR decision.