Veterans with PTSD Fight to Appeal “Other Than Honorable” Discharge Designation

Also referred to as “bad paper,” veterans who receive “other than honorable” discharges from their military service give up hard-earned benefits such as VA health care, disability compensation, access to VA home loans and the GI Bill for education. The irony is that the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) they developed from events and experiences during their military service may have been what caused them to receive the bad paper to begin with. Now, the military is taking steps to provide mental health care services to veterans who received other than honorable discharges admitting that they may have received those discharges unjustly.

What are some of the signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder?

There are many signs and symptoms associated with PTSD. Here are a few of the more common ones according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:

• Feeling upset by things that remind you of what happened
• Having nightmares, vivid memories, or flashbacks of the event that make you feel like it’s happening all over again
• Feeling emotionally cut off from others
• Feeling numb or losing interest in things you used to care about
• Feeling constantly on guard
• Feeling irritated or having angry outbursts
• Having difficulty sleeping
• Having trouble concentrating
• Being jumpy or easily startled

What is the VA doing about veterans with bad paper who need mental health services and other medical care?

Earlier this year, VA Secretary David Shulkin promised that the Department of Veterans Affairs will make mental health care services available to military service members who received other than honorable discharges. The VA estimates that there are 22,000 veterans with mental illnesses who have received other than honorable discharges since 2009.

Rep, Mike Coffman, R Colorado, introduced a bill that would require the VA to provide mental health services for veterans with bad paper. The VA secretary also plans to hire 1,000 more mental health providers according to a story on Military.com. These measures were introduced in response to the troublingly high rate of U.S. veterans committing suicide.  According to the VA, the risk for suicide among veterans was 22% higher when compared to non-veteran U.S. adults overall, 19% higher for males and 2.5 times higher among female veterans when compared to non-veteran adult women.

Veterans who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a Veteran in crisis, can call the Veterans Crisis Line for confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Call 800-273-8255 and press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text to 838255.

Apply to upgrade your military discharge

U.S. veterans who received an other than honorable discharge from the military can apply to have their discharge upgraded. If the discharge was related to incidents or actions that could have been the result of the service member’s PTSD, the U.S. military is starting to revise their stance in these cases. You can begin by downloading: How to Upgrade Your Military Discharge – DD214 and filling out a DD Form 293.

If you are a veteran who has proudly served our country, the experienced South Carolina VA medical malpractice attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC can help make sure you or your loved one gets the justice you deserve. Call 803-327-7800 or contact us for a free consultation now.