[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-279342-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":81,"doc-detail-279342-en":127},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","military-discharge-upgrade-guide-how-to-apply-july-1-2018","Military Discharge Upgrade Guide - How to Apply - July 1, 2018","","Military Discharge Upgrade Guide explains how to upgrade a discharge characterization listed on the DD 214, including changing the reason for separation and re-enlistment code. It outlines key eligibility impacts such as potential Post 9-11 GI Bill benefits and VA compensation, and describes a process through the Discharge Review Board (DRB) or the Board for Correction of Military Records (BCMR). The guide emphasizes obtaining complete personnel, administrative discharge, medical, and VA records before filing and details how to request them.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/","Letters",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/military-discharge-upgrade-guide-how-to-apply-july-1-2018/279342/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/military-discharge-upgrade-guide-how-to-apply-july-1-2018/279342.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"8796093062539","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-22","2026-09-16",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",13,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What does a discharge upgrade on the DD 214 change?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"The guide states that upgrading your discharge characterization can include changing the reason for discharge and the re-enlistment code in addition to the characterization itself.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"Why do I need to obtain all personnel and medical records before applying?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Complete records are required to identify what documents support the original separation and to build arguments for inequity or impropriety (DRB) or error or injustice (BCMR), including any medical nexus.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"Where do I file my application and what are the time limits?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Applications are filed with the DRB or BCMR. The guide notes a DRB deadline of filing within 15 years of discharge, and if a DRB application is denied, an upgrade application to the BCMR must be filed within 3 years of the DRB decision.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},279342,1790277670,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,89,94,99,104,109,114,118,123],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":86,"show_sort_weight":87,"slug":88},11,"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":90,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":95,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":100,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":105,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":110,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":115,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},18,30,"letters",{"id":119,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":124,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":126},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":128},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":129,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":11,"doc_module":22,"category_id":115,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":135,"language":136,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":140,"read_time":141},8796093062539,"Military Discharge Upgrade Guide  \nTable of Contents  \nIntroduction  \nStep 1. Obtaining Your Personnel Records Step 2. Where do I File my Application?  \nStep 3. What is the basis for your Discharge Upgrade? Step 4. How to Write Your Personal Statement  \nStep 5. Obtaining character statements Step 6. Obtaining Witness Statements Step 7. How I can help  \nAttachment 1: How to Obtain your Medical Records Attachment 2: How to Write Your Personal Statement  \nAttachment 3: Sample Character Statement  \nAttachment 4: Sample Witness Affidavit  \nAttachment 5: Intake Form  \nAuthor Biography  \nIntroduction  \nIt is possible to upgrade your discharge characterization on your DD 214. Please note that reference to upgrading your discharge throughout this guide refers to both an upgrade of discharge, change of the reason for your discharge and change of re-enlistment code. This guide provides you the steps you need to follow to upgrade your discharge, either at the Discharge Review Board (DRB) or the Board for the Correction of Military Records (BCMR) .  \nYou have been administratively discharged from your service. While you may not have thought about the consequences of your discharge at the time, you are now realizing that your DD 214 has information on it that is affecting your life. Your type of separation, character of service andreentry code does not represent your service in the armed forces. While it was not proper or equitable, for whatever reason, you did not contest it at the time. You wanted to get it over with and perhaps never consulted with a military defense counsel. You have may consulted with a defense counsel but they informed you that you had little chance to fight it as you were not entitled to an administrative discharge board.  \nYou now want to set the record straight. Whether to correct you discharge record on principle, or to earn eligibility for the Post 9-11 GI bill that you would have been entitled to were it not for the less than honorable characterization. Unless you have an honorable discharge, you are ineligible for the Post 9-11 GI Bill education benefits--that could be worth up to $100Kor more. Unless you have a discharge under honorable conditions, you are ineligible for VA compensation. Or perhaps employers are not hiring you because your DD 214 cites misconduct as the narrative reason for separation. Oftentimes the VA does not consider you a“Veteran” if you have an under other than honorable conditions discharge.  \nThe military makes mistakes and this has a huge impact on you and your family. But the Department of Defense has a process where veterans who may have been discharged under conditions that were unjust and incorrect--can apply to The DRB or BCMR of your service to correct the error. Before you can even think about filing an application with the DRB or BCMR, you must obtain all of your personnel records. Without knowing what documents are in your personnel records, it will be very difficult, if not impossible to show Board the inequity and impropriety or error and injustice in your case.  \nStep 1. Obtain All of Your Official Personnel Records  \nObtain all of your official military records. These include your personnel and administrative discharge documents, all of your medical records and your VA records.  \nYour military personnel records can be requested on-line or from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) . Submit an online request using the eVetRecs electronic system. You may also submit an SF-180 to obtain your records. For more information, visit this link. The location of your service records varies based on your branch of service and your dates of service. The best way to ensure that you know the specific location where your records are located is to check these tables based upon dates of service. This is also true for your medical and health records, which are archived based on the branch of service and dates. To request your medical records, click this link.  \nYou need all of your r","cbCaimblhNDQ0IZe","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaimblhNDQ0IZe","pdf",619408,26,"English","# Introduction\n## Step 1. Obtaining Your Personnel Records\n## Step 2. Where do I File my Application?\n## Step 3. What is the basis for your Discharge Upgrade?\n## Step 4. How to Write Your Personal Statement\n## Step 5. Obtaining character statements\n## Step 6. Obtaining Witness Statements\n## Step 7. How I can help\n# Attachment 1: How to Obtain your Medical Records\n# Attachment 2: How to Write Your Personal Statement\n# Attachment 3: Sample Character Statement\n# Attachment 4: Sample Witness Affidavit\n# Attachment 5: Intake Form\n# Author Biography","[{\"question\":\"What does a discharge upgrade on the DD 214 change?\",\"answer\":\"The guide states that upgrading your discharge characterization can include changing the reason for discharge and the re-enlistment code in addition to the characterization itself.\"},{\"question\":\"Why do I need to obtain all personnel and medical records before applying?\",\"answer\":\"Complete records are required to identify what documents support the original separation and to build arguments for inequity or impropriety (DRB) or error or injustice (BCMR), including any medical nexus.\"},{\"question\":\"Where do I file my application and what are the time limits?\",\"answer\":\"Applications are filed with the DRB or BCMR. The guide notes a DRB deadline of filing within 15 years of discharge, and if a DRB application is denied, an upgrade application to the BCMR must be filed within 3 years of the DRB decision.\"}]","Military Discharge Upgrade Guide - How to Apply - July 1, 2018 | PDF",1789519169,9]