The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the appellant's character of discharge from service is a bar to VA benefits, as his discharge was for the good of the service with an undesirable discharge due to unauthorized absences and he did not meet the criteria for upgrading his discharge.
The deciding factor: The appellant's discharge was found to be for the good of the service due to multiple instances of unauthorized absence without leave (AWOL), which were deemed necessary by military authorities to ensure the safety of other personnel. The Board concluded that these absences did not meet the criteria for upgrading his discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Anxiety disorder, Dysthymic disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 16, 2001
- Citation
- 0107950
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0107950.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70 percent rating prior to March 7, 2022, while other claims were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a compensable rating for the veteran's right ear hearing loss and an increased rating for his anxiety disorder, but granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation effective May 13, 2023.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and GAD, as well as tinnitus.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, anxiety disorder, and a bilateral eye condition as the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.
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