There are a number of resources for veterans of the U.S. military who would like to upgrade their discharge status:
- Stateside Legal, which provides a searchable database of legal services providers across the country who may be able to provide assistance to veterans in their respective areas on discharge upgrade applications.
- The Connecticut Veterans Legal Center’s Veterans Discharge Upgrade Manual.
- The full text of guidance from the Secretary of Defense relating to discharge upgrades for veterans with PTSD The Secretary of Defense issued this guidance in September 2014 to require the Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records to give liberal consideration to applications submitted by veterans who asserted evidence of PTSD.
- A supplement to the Manual prepared by the Veterans Legal Services Clinic in light of guidance from the Secretary of Defense.
The Manual and the Supplement reference a number of forms that you should file in the process of preparing your application. Please find a list of these forms and links to download and print them. Note: you will need Adobe Reader (free software) to open these links.
Records Request Forms:
- SF Form 180 (for your military records)
- DD Form 2870 (for military medical records from your time of service)
- VA Form 10-5345a (for your VA medical records; submit with a letter asking for any other VA records)
Discharge Upgrade Application Form:
- DD Form 149 (to request a discharge upgrade through the Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records; submit with supporting materials outlined in Manual and Supplement)
- DD Form 293 (to request a discharge upgrade through the Discharge Review Boards; submit with supporting materials outlined in Manual and Supplement)