File DD Form 293 (DRB) for upgrades within 15 years of discharge, or DD Form 149 (BCMR) for upgrades any time after.
A discharge upgrade can change an Other Than Honorable (OTH), General, or Bad Conduct discharge to Honorable, unlocking VA benefits. The path depends on the timing and the reason for the original discharge characterization. Two boards review upgrades: the Discharge Review Board (DRB) within 15 years, and the Board for Correction of Military Records (BCMR) any time after.
Detail
- DD Form 293 (Discharge Review Board / DRB): use within 15 years of discharge for non-General Court-Martial discharges. Filed with your branch's DRB.
- DD Form 149 (Board for Correction of Military Records / BCMR): use any time, OR for General Court-Martial discharges (which DRB can't review).
- Liberal Consideration policy (2014, expanded 2017+): if your discharge was related to PTSD, TBI, MST, or sexual orientation under DADT, the boards apply a more permissive standard — meaning more upgrades are granted.
- Free help available: VA-accredited representatives, VSOs, and clinics like Veteran Legal Clinics at law schools file discharge upgrades pro bono.
- Upgrade success: liberal-consideration claims have ~50%+ approval rates; standard claims much lower (~20%).
- After an upgrade: file VA Form 21-526EZ to claim disability benefits retroactive to your discharge date.
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