When a service member departs the military, their discharge documentation, known as a DD214, details the nature of their discharge. Most veterans will receive an honorable discharge at the end of their service. However, a service member's service may be characterized less favorably due to their acts while in uniforms, such as a poor discharge or discharge under less than honorable conditions.

The classification of a discharge can affect the types of benefits a veteran is entitled to following military duty, such as educational benefits, and the types of jobs a veteran can apply for once their military service is completed.

Veterans can already appeal their discharge status by requesting that their military service's discharge review board, or DRB, reassess their discharge status. They can then appeal to the Board for Correction of Military/Naval Records, or BCM/NR, of their respective military.

Individual services control those channels for rethinking a discharge status, each with its own culture, practices, and conventions. As a result, even though their circumstances are comparable, a veteran seeking to amend their discharge status may receive a different result than a service member from an additional service.

The discharge categorization of any service member who earned a less-than-honorable discharge should not be upgraded. However, according to Joyner, certain veterans deserve such a change, and everyone has the right to consider their case.

"There will be blunders in the military because it is a microcosm of society. Everyone, on the other hand, is entitled to a second opportunity. According to Joyner, DARB offers the chance to have a discharge classification reassessed."

Veterans who have already appealed to their service's DRB and BCM/NR and want their discharge classification reassessed can apply to the DARB by accessing the board's application page.