More than 800 service members who were discharged under "don’t ask, don’t tell" (DADT) are now set to receive honorable discharges, as announced by the Department of Defense. This decision follows a year-long review concerning those individuals who had not previously applied for a discharge upgrade. These upgrades were crucial because many service members discharged under DADT were unaware of their eligibility to seek better discharge statuses that would allow them access to veterans' benefits.
During the operational years of DADT, from 1994 to 2011, about 13,500 service members were discharged due to their sexual orientation. Although the majority received honorable discharges, approximately 2,000 received less than honorable discharges, which significantly affected their access to veterans' benefits and employment opportunities. Following DADT's repeal, veterans had the chance to apply for discharge upgrades, and notably, 85 percent were granted relief. Recently, proactive measures were implemented to review those who hadn’t applied yet.
The effort by the Department of Defense to proactively review cases related to DADT discharges is seen as a crucial step towards rectifying a past injustice. Of the 851 cases evaluated, 96.8 percent were granted some form of relief, indicative of a broader commitment to honor those who served. This means that over 96 percent of the nearly 13,500 affected individuals have now been afforded an honorable characterization of service, providing them with a long-overdue recognition.
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