Military discharge appeals get one final review board, outside the individual services

The Department of Defense has created a new board to review military discharge appeals. This board will be the last stop for service members who want to upgrade their discharge status, after all other appeals within their individual service have been exhausted.

Before this, a service member's final appeal for a discharge upgrade was handled by their own military branch. This meant different standards could apply across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Now, a single, independent board will apply uniform standards, which could change outcomes for many veterans seeking benefits or recognition.