Some military discharges mean no benefits after service ends

Associated Press ^ | Dec. 24, 2015 11:58 AM EST | Jim Salter

[Olog-hai]

No medical or mental health care. No subsidized college or work training. For many who leave the U.S. military with less-than-honorable discharges, including thousands who suffered injuries and anguish in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, standard veterans benefits are off limits.

The discharge serves as a scarlet letter of dishonor, and the effects can be severe: Ex-military members with mental health problems or post-traumatic stress disorder can't turn to Veterans Affairs hospitals or clinics; those who want to go to college aren't eligible for the GI Bill; the jobless get no assistance for career training; the homeless are excluded from vouchers. ...

[American in Israel]

Oh, one other thing, a medical discharge IS now called a less than Honorable. She recovered from the back injury before they drummed her out, but Clintoon wanted to downsize the military and that was their excuse.

[Gay State Conservative]

I've left you a supply of spaces at the end of this comment.

My writing style is the result of instruction I received in the 1950's and 60's.Others have told me that the teaching has changed since then but old habits die hard...at least with me.

If anything I write offends you,either because of content *or* style,I can only apologize most humbly.

[Gay State Conservative]

a medical discharge IS now called a less than Honorable

What????????? Are you *certain* of that?????

[BlueLancer]

"Oh, one other thing, a medical discharge IS now called a less than Honorable."

Uh ... I think you may be mistaken about that. My stepson received a medical discharge .. 100% disability .. and he has an Honorable Discharge Certificate. I know because I received it for him and forwarded it to his new address.

I work on Fort Hood and have regular contact with personnel being medically discharged and none of them have received anything other than an Honorable Discharge. If they are being discharged solely for medical reasons, it's honorable service.

[Blood of Tyrants]

This is nothing new. A less that honorable or OTH discharge has ALWAYS been a dis-qualifier for veterans benefits.

[BlueLancer]

If someone has served more than one enlistment and received an Honorable Discharge for the first term of service, they are still entitled to all of the benefits of that Honorable Discharge even if they receive a less-than-honorable, bad conduct, or even dishonorable discharge in a later enlistment. Juries in military courts are informed that sentencing the accused to a bad conduct or dishonorable discharge causes them to lose all of the benefits entitled to those with an honorable discharge which are administered by the Department of the Army or the VA, but that any benefits that have been vested by (an) earlier honorable discharge(s) would still be forthcoming to the accused.

This means that those who are losing their benefits are those that were still in their first enlistment period AND are being separated from the service with a less-than-honorable, bad conduct, or dishonorable discharge. Even with an administrative General Discharge, some of the benefits still are provided to the service member.

[Professional Engineer]

Responses like this are the reason so many are leaving FR.

Jackass.

[oh8eleven]

I wonder if I should give the VA a try.
I only went to the VA because the hearing aids that help me cope with tinnitus (they produce white noise) cost over $5000. The VA provided them for free.
Given my experience, I believe you have a very good chance of getting approved.

[Drew68]

Up until a few years ago, it was normal to have an alcohol related incident. When I came in, almost every SNCO had at least one. Now, almost any alcohol related incident is a career killer.

Yep. When I read that 9% are leaving with "bad paper" discharges, I was actually shocked it is that high. Any NJP today is a career killer. Used to be a right of passage. Today, you're going home and good luck after that. For crying out loud, we have people serving time in Leavenworth for punching enemy combatants in the face. And grizzled old vets from a far different eras have the nerve to tell those soldiers to man-up?

[onedoug]

Thanks, oh8. I may give it a try.

[oh8eleven]

You're welcome. For me, there was a side benefit too. I was only seeking the hearing aids, but my VA hearing test also discovered a minor loss at high frequencies.
The VA gave me a 10% disability and now I get a $130 a month.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

For dishonorable you are covered by the Docs at Leavenworth.

Or local morticians.

[jwalsh07]

Yes, there is that. Merry Christmas.

[editor-surveyor]

.
What?

You mean actions have lasting consequences?

Damn!

[editor-surveyor]

.
Many had head injuries and much more, yet remained honorable.

[American in Israel]

Well now you know our story, and trust me, I am not mistaken. We can’t get past the privacy act.

[American in Israel]

The IRS was certain enough to take back her GI Bill tuition out of my taxes!

[CodeToad]

In other words, Obama and his handlers do not want felonies to matter for military enlistment nor felonies committed while in the military to count at all.