How hard is it to get the status of a discharge changed?

2019-07-01T10:08:17-04:00

I know a guy who was chaptered out for PT failure. That was 2 years ago. He just recently found out that he's had a significant heart condition that went undiagnosed for many years. Is it possible for him to get his discharge changed to medical and is there any benefit to doing so?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 1 at 2019 10:11 AM

2019-07-01T10:11:08-04:00

This is, according to the Dr, a genetic/congenital condition. It was not detected when he went through MEPS. It is significant enough that he would have been disqualified for service had it been detected. It is also, in all likelihood, the major reason in his poor PT performance, ie he had no problem with PU and SU, he just had trouble with the run. He is 27 and had a major heart attack which led to the discovery of this condition.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 1 at 2019 10:20 AM

2019-07-01T10:20:37-04:00

He would have to apply to the Army Board of Corrections of military records. His discharge would be changed, and it's possible he would be medically separated under Meb.

Response by SSgt Rebekah Bradfield made Jul 1 at 2019 2:52 PM

2019-07-01T14:52:41-04:00

Is his character of discharge something other than Honorable? I've seen PT failures end up a few different ways. If it's not preventing him from receiving VA benefits, it's probably not worth the paperwork.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 2 at 2019 4:25 AM

2019-07-02T04:25:56-04:00

That depends on if the condition can be proven it was service connected since he’s already separated from the Military.