The Board denied the appellant's claim, finding that his discharge from service was under dishonorable conditions due to willful and persistent misconduct. The Board concluded that this discharge constitutes a bar to VA benefits (exclusive of health care under Chapter 17, Title 38, United States Code).
The deciding factor: The appellant committed multiple offenses during service, including being absent without leave and violating Article 86 and Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The Board found that these offenses constituted willful and persistent misconduct.
- Claimed conditions
- Willful and persistent misconduct
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2000
- Citation
- 0029785
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0029785.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the appellant's under other than honorable discharge due to a pattern of willful and persistent misconduct constitutes a bar to VA benefits.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Appellant's in-service offenses constitute willful and persistent misconduct, which is a bar to VA benefits. The case was remanded for further development due to the appellant raising the issue of insanity.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the appellant committed willful and persistent misconduct during his service, resulting in a bad conduct discharge. As this constitutes dishonorable conditions under VA regulations, he is barred from receiving VA benefits.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the appellant's discharge from service was due to willful and persistent misconduct involving offenses of moral turpitude, resulting in an undesirable discharge. As a result, his character of discharge is considered dishonorable, which bars him from receiving VA benefits.
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