We are thrilled to report that the Army Board for Corrections of Military Records (ABCMR) upgraded a former Army private’s Other Than Honorable Discharge from 1984! Our client endured a lot of racism during his short enlistment in the Army. One day, he borrowed a VCR from the breakroom, as it was customary to do in his unit. After a VCR tape got stuck in the VCR and our client tried to pull it out, the VCR fell to the ground and broke. Afraid of facing more racism and hate from his supervisors, he chose not to report it. His plan was to replace the VCR as soon as he could afford it. However, when the VCR was reported stolen, our client admitted to what happened because he did not want anyone else taking the blame. Even after he replaced the VCR, his unit chose to court-martial him for larceny. Based on advice from his defense counsel, our client requested a discharge in lieu of a court-martial and was given an Other Than Honorable Discharge. We applied for a discharge upgrade from the ABCMR and they granted it. The Board stated that they found our client’s “admission and replacement of the item compelling.” They also considered his “expressed remorse” in their choice to upgrade his discharge.
We are so happy for our client and his family. This negative discharge was not justified and it has been weighing on his mind since 1984. He decided to hire us after all that time and now he could not be more pleased with the outcome.
If you or a loved one is looking for a discharge upgrade, you need an experienced military lawyer on your side. Even if you think it is too late, give us a call. We have over 30 years of experience in military law.