The Jerome N.

Frank Legal Services Organization

YALE LAW SCHOOL

The Yale Law School Veterans Legal Services Clinic analyzed ABCMR decisions from 2003-2012
for Vietnam Veterans with other-than-honorable discharges. These veterans had all sought a
discharge upgrade claiming service-related PTSD.

Key Findings
Only 1.4% of upgrades granted (2 out of 145 cases), compared with ABCMRs 46%
overall grant rate in recent years.1
In at least 61 cases a veteran who had at least one medal was denied
In 30 cases a veterans who had a PTSD Diagnosis from the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) was denied
When denying such applications, the ABCMR has frequently ignored the veterans PTSD
claims entirely or discredited their PTSD diagnoses because there was no evidence of
PTSD from the time of the veterans service, disregarding the fact that PTSD was not a
recognized mental illness before 1980.
One veteran was denied despite six letters from VA medical personnel in support of his
claim. At least one of the letters stated that the veterans other-than-honorable discharge
was likely due in part to PTSD. Disregarding the six VA medical letters, the ABCMR
rejected the application, stating no evidence shows the applicant was having mental
problems in 1967 that interfered with his ability to perform his military duties or that
were the underlying cause for the misconduct that led to his discharge.
Another veteran was denied despite submitting VA clinical records from 1968 showing a
hospitalization for transient stress reaction. . . manifested by anxiety, insomnia and fear
of death and listing severe, combat duty in Vietnam as a cause. The veteran also
submitted a current VA diagnosis of service-connected PTSD. The ABCMR denied the
application, stating there was no disqualifying mental or physical defects sufficient to
warrant disposition of the applicant through medical channels prior to, or at the time of
his discharge. The veteran had served two honorable tours of duty, participated in four
campaigns, and earned an Air Medal with Valor Device for heroism.

List of cases attached. Decisions can be found at http://boards.law.af.mil/ARMY_BCMR.htm.

1 Barton F. Stichman, et al., (eds.), Veterans Benefits Manual, p. 1721 (footnote 40) (2012 edition).
P.O. BOX 209090, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 06520-9090 TELEPHONE 203 432-4800 FACSIMILE 203 432-1426
COURIER ADDRESS 127 WALL STREET, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 06511

The Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization

YALE LAW SCHOOL

D= Denied
H= Upgraded to Honorable
G= Upgraded to General
Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35

Year
2003
2003
2004
2004
2004
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2007
2007
2007
2007
2007
2007
2007
2008

Case #
AR2003088478
AR2002076334
AR2004100363
AR2003097903
AR2003099088
AR20040006150
AR20040007688
AR20040008134
AR20040011390
AR20040008698
AR20050002747
AR20040004483
AR20040000376
AR20040011564
AR20040006390
AR20050002316
20050002536C070206
AR20050016250
AR20060002540
AR20060003202
AR20060003502
AR20050008804
AR20050006954
AR20060001593
AR20050016830
AR20060000999
AR20050004275
AR20060008499
AR20070002163
AR20060014985
AR20060010824
AR20060017217
AR20070008956
AR20060008468
AR20080005934

Outcome
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D

P.O. BOX 209090, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 06520-9090 TELEPHONE 203 432-4800 FACSIMILE 203 432-1426
COURIER ADDRESS 127 WALL STREET, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 06511

The Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization

YALE LAW SCHOOL

36
37
38
39
40
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80

2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010

AR20080013645
AR20080007285
AR20070016322
AR20080006207
AR20080010428
AR20080012126
AR20070017337
AR20070013696
AR20080014451
AR20080007277
AR20080006183
AR20070015045
AR20080005897
AR20080002754
AR20080008247
AR20080012514
AR20080015267
AR20080011534
AR20090018725
AR20070009209
AR20090000170
AR20090001592
AR20090007063
AR20090001077
AR20090010376
AR20080017114
AR20090008226
AR20080019014
AR20090007849
AR20090012330
AR20090002859
AR20090011583
AR20090005212
AR20090005853
AR20080016103
AR20080019905
AR20090003251
AR20090005061
AR20100001048
AR20090018034
AR20100006977
AR20100008813
AR20090021730
AR20100011237

D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
G
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
G
D

P.O. BOX 209090, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 06520-9090 TELEPHONE 203 432-4800 FACSIMILE 203 432-1426
COURIER ADDRESS 127 WALL STREET, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 06511

The Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization

YALE LAW SCHOOL

81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124

2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2011

AR20090016107
AR20100015666
AR20100007677
AR20100008096
AR20090015129
AR20090014572
AR20100007345
AR20090014028
AR20090017124
AR20090021242
AR20100013509
AR20100013121
AR20090019801
AR20090019732
AR20090016306
AR20090017180
AR20100014341
AR20100015023
AR20110004221
AR20100023816
AR20100025789
AR20110004221
AR20100027923
AR20110000129
AR20100021767
AR20100025638
AR20110010234
AR20100021729
AR20100025759
AR20110003109
AR20100029547
AR20100020508
AR20100022238
AR20100025577
AR20100019131
AR20110010141
AR20110011625
AR20100026173
AR20100026652
AR20100029229
AR20100019817
AR20100029658
AR20110000748
AR20100021071

D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D

P.O. BOX 209090, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 06520-9090 TELEPHONE 203 432-4800 FACSIMILE 203 432-1426
COURIER ADDRESS 127 WALL STREET, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 06511

The Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization

YALE LAW SCHOOL

125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145

2011
2011
2011
2011
2011
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012

AR20110002439
AR20100029328
AR20100019463
AR20100029058
AR20110010170
AR20110014639
AR20120006241
AR20110023781
AR20110018870
AR20110011501
AR20120000157
AR20110016349
AR20110015482
AR20110024434
AR20110013813
AR20110013885
AR20110019371
AR20110022610
AR20110014984
AR20110014050
AR20110021504

D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D

P.O. BOX 209090, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 06520-9090 TELEPHONE 203 432-4800 FACSIMILE 203 432-1426
COURIER ADDRESS 127 WALL STREET, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 06511