Discharge upgrades are handled by your service branch's Discharge Review Board (DRB), not the VA. If it has been more than 15 years since discharge, the case instead goes to the Board for Correction of Military/Naval Records (BCMR/BCNR). The DRB can review discharges for propriety and equity, generally within 15 years of separation, using DD Form 293. The BCMR reviews at any time using DD Form 149, but under a higher "error or injustice" standard.
Drug-related discharges are historically one of the harder categories to upgrade because failing a urinalysis is treated as a specific, documented instance of misconduct rather than a subjective judgment call. Boards weigh factors such as length and quality of service before the incident, whether this was a first offense, any mitigating circumstances (documented mental health conditions, sexual trauma, undiagnosed conditions at the time, duress), post-service conduct, and whether the punishment was disproportionate to similar cases. Boards have also been directed, under guidance stemming from the Hagel, Kurta, and Wilkie memos, to give liberal consideration to claims involving PTSD, TBI, MST, or other mental health conditions that may have contributed to the misconduct, including self-medication with drugs. If there is service-connected trauma or an undiagnosed mental health condition that plausibly contributed to the drug use, that evidence can meaningfully strengthen an upgrade request, though outcomes still vary case by case and there is no fixed approval rate that can be quoted.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →A general discharge under honorable conditions is different from an other-than-honorable (OTH) or dishonorable discharge for VA purposes. Many VA benefits remain available with a general discharge, though some programs (like certain GI Bill benefits) can be affected, so it is worth checking eligibility for specific programs separately from pursuing an upgrade.
Because board decisions turn heavily on documentation — service record, any mental health history, character letters, and a well-written personal statement tying the incident to mitigating factors — it helps to gather that evidence before filing rather than assuming the upgrade will be automatic or unlikely.
The concrete next step is to obtain a full copy of the service record and any medical/mental health records from that period, then consult a Veterans Service Organization (VSO) or an accredited attorney who handles discharge upgrades before filing DD Form 293 with the DRB.
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