One issue with military discharge documents and classifications is that they can carry certain stigmas. These can harm a person’s reputation even after they are discharged from the military. A discharge designation could affect a veteran’s career and opportunities moving forward, which is why people often want to rectify these issues if they do not feel that the designation truly matches the situation that occurred.
This is especially clear in cases where someone receives a dishonorable discharge. They have been accused of some form of misconduct by the military. They may feel they did nothing to warrant this black mark on their record.
But even when somebody is given a general discharge, they may argue that it is stigmatizing when compared to an honorable discharge. That was the case in a lawsuit brought by two military veterans. They believed they deserved honorable discharges due to mental health conditions, but they were instead given general discharges.
Disagreement over the details
The issue often stems from disagreements over how the discharge took place.
One of the veterans in the aforementioned lawsuit served in Afghanistan throughout 2010 but was later diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and PTSD. She then missed military drills with excuses from her doctor, based on those diagnoses.
However, the military still determined that she was absent without leave in May 2012. They claimed she had unsatisfactory participation and gave her a general discharge. She believed she should have received an honorable discharge because the PTSD and TBI prevented her from fulfilling her military duties.
There are options to challenge a discharge designation, and it can help to work with an experienced attorney.