The Board found that the appellant's discharge was under dishonorable conditions due to an absence without official leave (AWOL) for a continuous period of at least 180 days and accepted his request for a discharge for the good of the service. The Board concluded this made him ineligible for VA benefits.
The deciding factor: The appellant had served less than half of his obligated time, was AWOL for over 180 days without valid cause, and did not meet the criteria to have his discharge upgraded under uniform standards set forth in 38 C.F.R. § 3.12(g).
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 30, 2002
- Citation
- 0208633
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 0208633.
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).
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