The Board found that the appellant's character of discharge was under other than honorable conditions and constitutes a bar to VA benefits, as his periods of absence without leave (AWOL) do not meet the criteria for an upgrade to an honorable discharge.
The deciding factor: The appellant had multiple prolonged periods of AWOL which did not meet the requirement of being of such quality and length that it can be characterized as honest, faithful, and meritorious and of benefit to the Nation.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19101672
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
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.