DOD Willing to review discharges of vietnam era vets with PTSD

The Pentagon has announced a new rule that applies to all vets with discharges prior to the formal recognition of PTSD in 1980.  Under this new rule, the DoD will reconsider the bad-paper discharges of thousands of Vietnam-era veterans who may have suffered combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but were kicked out of the military in a time before that became a diagnosable condition.  The rule announced September 3, 2014, said Veterans will be given “liberal consideration” if they seek to correct their military records and provide some evidence that a PTSD diagnosis existed during their service.  The new guidance focuses on minor misconduct that may have led to administrative discharges and is unlikely to affect those court-martialed for serious misconduct and kicked out with bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge.

In order to correct service records, it is important to hire a law firm dedicated to serving members of the military in filing a petition before the Army’s and Air Force’s Boards for Correction of Military Records and the Board for Correction of Naval Records.