The Board has determined that the appellant's character of discharge is a bar to VA benefits due to his service involving drug use and AWOL periods, despite an upgrade under DOD SDRP.
The deciding factor: The appellant's in-service drug use and multiple instances of AWOL resulted in willful and persistent misconduct, which constitutes a dishonorable discharge. The upgraded character of discharge from the DOD SDRP does not remove this bar to VA benefits as per regulations.
- 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
- April 10, 2015
- Citation
- 1515576
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 1515576.
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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