‘Dirty, Embarrassing Secret:’ Veterans with PTSD Struggle to Shed Stigma of Bad Paper Discharges – By Richard Sisk (Military.com) / April 21 2021
A sailor helped prevent the sinking of the destroyer John S. McCain. A Marine received the Purple Heart when his vehicle was blown off the road in Afghanistan.
Both now bear the lifetime stigma of having their service branded as “other than honorable” by the military.
They are among thousands of veterans cut off from Department of Veterans Affairs benefits by so-called “bad paper” discharges despite a Defense Department directive and an act of Congress ordering discharge review boards to give “liberal” consideration to upgrades for those with diagnoses of post-traumatic stress or traumatic brain injury.
