Veterans who left the service with an other-than-honorable discharge often find themselves without many military benefits or resources. According to a recent report from NPR, more than 100,000 servicemembers received such a discharge in the last decade, potentially disqualifying them from benefits such as health care, tuition assistance and VA loans.
For the NPR series, reporter Quil Lawrence interviewed dozens of veterans with an other-than-honorable discharge and found that many of them were turned away from the VA when seeking financial assistance and health care, including treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. According to the VA website, veterans with other-than-honorable discharge can be placed in a pending verification status for health care benefits at the discretion of VA medical center staff, but it's typically a case-by-case basis.
"I had spoken with the receptionist [at a VA medical center] and I told her what was going on with me. She looked at my discharge and said, well, you have a bad discharge, other than honorable," Iraq and Afghanistan veteran Eric Highfill told the news outlet. "And they said we will not see you. Congress does not recognize you as a veteran."
Lawrence said that many veterans, especially those with trauma, are facing the same experience as Highfill. As a result, they not only have a harder time receiving care and treatment, but also finding employment, housing and overall stability in their lives.