The Board denied the appellant's appeal because his discharge from service was under other than honorable conditions, which is a statutory bar to VA benefits. The appellant did not provide sufficient evidence of insanity at the time of his offenses.
The deciding factor: The appellant accepted an undesirable discharge in lieu of trial by court martial due to multiple periods of unauthorized absence without leave (AWOL), including one for 209 consecutive days, which is a statutory bar to VA benefits. The Board found no evidence of insanity at the time of his offenses.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19179291
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
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.