Never Ever Give Up—there is always Hope
“I had been on a 30-year journey trying to get my USMC Other Than Honorable Conditions (OTH) discharge upgraded. I enlisted in the Marine Corps when I was 17 years old. I had to get my parents’ permission because I was not yet 18. Unfortunately, I was young,...
Justice for a U.S. Marine
“I was discharged with an Other than Honorable Discharge from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2005. My faith had been broken so many times that it was hard to believe that I could receive an upgrade of my discharge, but it happened! I had two combat deployments to Iraq and...
Transfer of Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits to Dependents
Transfer of Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits to Dependents If you served in the Armed Forces and retired before transferring you Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to your dependents--this means that one of your dependents will not be able to go to college for free. And,...
Officer Grade Determinations – The Tangibles and Intangibles of Retiring at a Lower Grade
“Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.” –Seneca If your military record triggers an OGD you will go through the lengthy process of an Officer Grade Determination (OGD). You will face the stress of not knowing if you will retire in grade, the date...
Officer Grade Determinations (OGDs) -What You Need to Know NOW–Before you Apply for Retirement
You Will Undergo an OGD in the Air Force when you are retiring if any of the below apply: You have applied for Retirement in lieu of judicial or administrative separation action. If you are allowed to retire instead of a court-martial or administrative discharge, an...
The Wilkie Memo–What every Veteran who was Administratively Discharged Needs to Know
If you are a Veteran and were discharged from your service, you may be aware of the "Kurta Memo." The Under Secretary of Defense issued a memo on August 25, 2017, which expanded protections for veterans whose adverse discharges were a result o the “invisible wounds”...
Do you want to Correct your Military Records?
You may apply to correct you military records with the Board for the Correction of Military Records (BCMR). BCMRs are the highest level of administrative appeal for each service and have the authority to correct an error or injustice in your case. A DD Form 149 is...
Do you Want to Know How to Apply for a Military Discharge Upgrade?
Veterans can apply for a Military Discharge Upgrade using a DD Form 293 or DD 149 depending on how long it has been since their discharge. The DD Form 293 is for the Discharge Review Board, and the DD Form 149 is for the Board for Correction of Military Records. If...
Other than Honorable Discharges and PTSD
I recently spoke with a former enlisted service member (hereinafter referred to as “the Veteran”) who was discharged from his Service 14 years ago. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) psychologist told him he had PTSD. He was intelligent, driven, focused...
Military Sexual Trauma Victim’s Discharge Upgraded to Honorable 30 years after he Enlisted
Heath Phillips enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1988. He was only 17 years old. He followed in the footsteps of his family. This is all he ever wanted to do. His father was in the Army. His uncles served in Vietnam. Soon after arriving at his first assignment, Mr....
