A bad discharge characterization on your DD 214 can have a devastating impact on your life. You are ashamed to show your DD 214 to prospective employers and when you do, you may not get hired for the job you wanted. It is demoralizing. The words on the DD 214 affect your self-esteem. It does not take into account who you really are and what you did in the armed forces. You are no longer entitled to GI Bill benefits. And, while the VA may have found that you have a service-connected disability such as PTSD or TBI, with an under other than honorable conditions discharge, you are not entitled to monetary benefits. The VA does not even consider you a veteran unless your discharge characterization is under honorable conditions.
You signed up to serve your country and never would have imagined being discharged and leaving the service with a black permanent mark on your record. You now are in a worse position than someone who never even enlisted in the armed forces. Do not give up. There is hope. I will help you get through the process. I know that it is difficult to even discuss the circumstances of what happened because it brings back bad memories. I have many clients who are just like you. I will help you get your pride back — the pride of serving your country.
While on active duty, I was a Board Member on the United States Air Force Discharge Review Board. I reviewed the cases of veterans who applied to the Discharge Review Board to upgrade their military discharges. I retired from the USAF as a Colonel after serving 22 years as a Judge Advocate, a military prosecutor, defense counsel, Staff Judge Advocate, and Senior Legal Advisor to both the Secretary of the Air Force Personnel Council and the Air Force Discharge Review Board. It is an honor for me to advocate for those who have been wrongly accused, wrongly punished, wrongly discharged and wrongly labeled on their DD 214. I help you Right the Wrongs from you Military career.
Ferah Ozbek, Colonel, USAF (retired) served in the United States Air Force as an active duty judge advocate for over 20 years. She continues to practice military law and helps Veterans who are facing injustice. She specializes in helping Veterans with Military Discharge Upgrades. To learn more about how Ferah can help you, Just email Ferah@ferahozbek.com with a brief paragraph describing the help you need.