Veterans Unfairly Discharged Under ‘don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Get Long-overdue Benefits

More than 800 veterans got some good news on Tuesday. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced that hundreds of service members who were less than honorably discharged under the now-repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy will have their discharge upgraded.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell went into effect in 1994 and continued until President Barack Obama repealed the policy in 2011. Of the 13,000 service members discharged during that time frame, 2,000 were done so with “less than fully honorable characterizations,” Christa A. Specht, director of legal policy at the Pentagon’s Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, said.  

Last year, on the 12th anniversary of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Austin spoke out about the many Americans who were forced to leave the military due to their sexual orientation. That decision left them without access to the benefits and services they earned. Benefits available to service members who are honorably discharged include assistance related to home loans, education costs, job training, health care, disability compensation, life insurance, and more.

Over the years, some of those veterans successfully applied to have their discharge status upgraded. Of those who took that step, 85 percent received some form of relief. However, in 2023, Austin announced that the Department of Defense would begin proactively reviewing cases. Amid that process eligible veterans got their status upgraded.

More Than 96 Percent of Impacted Veterans Had Their Discharge Status Upgraded

As part of that effort, the Military Department Review Boards directed relief in 96.8 percent of the cases they reviewed. As such, Austin said, “of the nearly 13,500 individuals who were administratively separated under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, and served long enough to receive a merit-based characterization of service, 96 percent now have an honorable discharge.”

“We will continue to honor the service and the sacrifice of all our troops—including the brave Americans who raised their hands to serve but were turned away because of whom they love,” Austin said. “We will continue to strive to do right by every American patriot who has honorably served their country.”

Specht added that she encourages service members “who might have been impacted by records that predate Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell who were separated for their sexual orientation” to come forward and request relief. That action, she said, has “a high chance of success.”

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