What Is Character of Discharge
Character of discharge is the official categorization on your DD-214 that reflects how the military separated you from service. The VA uses this designation to determine your eligibility for virtually all federal veterans benefits, including disability compensation, healthcare, education benefits, and survivor benefits. There are five discharge categories: Honorable, General (Under Honorable Conditions), Other Than Honorable (OTH), Bad Conduct, and Dishonorable. Only those with Honorable or General discharges automatically qualify for VA benefits. OTH discharges require a separate VA review to establish eligibility, while Bad Conduct and Dishonorable discharges generally disqualify you from benefits unless a military discharge review board or the VA determines otherwise.
Impact on VA Disability Claims
Your character of discharge directly affects whether you can file a VA disability claim. Veterans with Honorable or General discharges can file immediately through VA.gov or with a VSO representative. If you have an OTH discharge, you must petition the VA for a character of discharge determination before filing a disability claim. The VA reviews your discharge circumstances using 38 U.S.C. 5303(b) criteria, which examine the reason for discharge, your service record, and whether the discharge was issued under honorable conditions. This review can take 60 to 180 days. During this period, you cannot schedule Compensation and Pension (C&P) exams or receive a VA rating.
Discharge Upgrades and Appeals
If you received an OTH, Bad Conduct, or Dishonorable discharge and believe it was unjust or improper, you can request a discharge upgrade through the military branch that issued it. This is separate from the VA character of discharge determination. A successful upgrade to Honorable or General can open VA benefits eligibility. Many veterans use VSO representatives to file upgrade petitions with the Board for Correction of Military Records (BCMR) or the Discharge Review Board (DRB). Alternatively, if the VA denies your character of discharge determination, you have appeal rights under the VA appeals process, including Board of Veterans' Appeals review.
Verification and Documentation
Your character of discharge appears on your DD-214 under Item 24 (Separation Code and Reason). When filing a disability claim, the VA automatically pulls your discharge information from the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). If you cannot locate your DD-214, request it from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) using VA Form 180 or the eVetRecs online system. Having your DD-214 in hand before filing is helpful for VSO representatives and ensures your discharge status is accurate in VA records.
Common Questions
- Can I file a VA disability claim with an Other Than Honorable discharge? You cannot file until the VA completes a character of discharge determination and finds you eligible. File VA Form 21-0958d (Application for Veterans Benefits Based on Discharge from Active Duty) first, which typically takes 2 to 6 months.
- Will a discharge upgrade make me eligible for retroactive VA benefits? If your discharge is upgraded after being denied benefits, the VA can backdate benefits to your original claim date, but only if you filed a claim while the OTH discharge was under review or appealed the initial denial.
- Does character of discharge affect my C&P exam scheduling? Yes. You must have confirmed eligibility before the VA will schedule a C&P exam. If your character of discharge determination is pending, the VA will not schedule exams until the determination is finalized.
Related Concepts
- DD-214 - Your official military separation document, which contains your character of discharge
- Discharge Upgrade - The process to change an unfavorable discharge to Honorable or General status