Lawyers help veterans access much-needed resources despite discharge status at Atlanta event

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - For civilians, it’s a veiled part of the military experience but for the nation’s veterans, discharge status can mean the difference between receiving all the post-service benefits the military offers, or none at all.

Most people have heard of honorable discharges from service, which grant veterans access to Veteran Affairs hospital benefits up and down the board. But for those who receive less-than-honorable discharges, it can mean those retired servicemembers are on their own.

“A lot of people may not know — I didn’t know before I started doing this work — if you don’t get an honorable discharge, if you get other-than-honorable, you don’t get access to that,” said Lindsey Geihsler, chief counsel with Koch Industries.

On Wednesday, Geihsler and a team of a few dozen lawyers gathered at the Georgia Pacific Center in downtown Atlanta to volunteer their time and offer vets pro bono help upgrading their discharge status. For many, it’s a matter of pride and overcoming the stigma that comes with leaving the service.

Less-than-honorable discharges don’t necessarily mean the servicemember has done anything wrong, although some discharges can be tied to small disciplinary matters. Vets can also receive one for medical discharges or if they left the service under the now-defunct Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.

“There’s maybe some stigma, maybe there is some shame that they have, maybe they don’t have as much pride in their service because they have this less-than-honorable discharge,” said Geihsler.

But it’s not an easy process. Discharge upgrades take time and are often easier with the expensive help of an attorney.

“It’s a lengthy process, you have to go in front of military boards, it often takes a year or more,” Geihsler said. “It’s hard, it doesn’t work for a large portion of people, and that’s why we just think it’s really worthy to devote our time to help.”

For veterans who couldn’t attend Wednesday’s event, Geihsler recommends contacting the Veteran’s Consortium, a group that works to provide resources, like discharge upgrades, to veterans free of charge.