The Pentagon announced that hundreds of veterans who were dismissed from the U.S. military under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy have been given honorable discharges following a proactive review over the past year. Many of these veterans were separated with less than fully honorable characterizations, making them ineligible for full military benefits. After the repeal of the policy, those affected were able to appeal for an upgrade to an honorable discharge. However, many were unaware they could do so, leading to the proactive review to address this issue. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that over 96% of the 851 cases reviewed qualified for relief, allowing these veterans to receive an honorable discharge and access to full military benefits. This announcement comes just over a year after the Department of Defense committed to conducting a review of service members dismissed under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which was in effect from 1994 to 2011 and resulted in the discharge of over 13,000 service members. The actions taken by the Department of Defense under President Biden’s leadership aim to redress the harms done by the policy and honor the brave LGBTQ+ Americans who have volunteered to serve the country. This effort is part of a broader legacy that includes an estimated 100,000 service members forced out of the military due to their actual or perceived sexuality between World War II and 2011.
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