New Research on Veterans With Less Than Honorable Discharges

More than one in seven veterans discharged between 2002 and 2013 received a less than “Honorable” discharge, according to new research out of Syracuse University. The “Serving Those Who Served: Renegotiating Support and Benefits for U.S. Military Veterans with Less than Honorable Discharges” research brief describes how service members with behavioral or mental health challenges, ethnoracial minorities, members of the LGBTQ community, and women are at the greatest risk for receiving a less than “Honorable” discharge—which, in turn, has veterans experiencing lifelong negative consequences associated with their discharge status

Mariah Brennan and Emily Graham, the authors of this brief, said, “It is critical that we raise awareness surrounding the challenges that veterans face when they leave military service with a discharge that is less than ‘Honorable’. Transitioning from service can be challenging enough, but the added consequences associated with less than ‘Honorable’ discharges are severe, lifelong, and put this group of veterans at greater risk for poor health outcomes and homelessness. It’s important that resources and support upon separation are available to those in greatest need.”

If you’d like to learn more about this research and/or schedule an interview with the authors, please reach out to Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.