COLORADO SPRINGS — President Barack Obama is expected to sign a bill ordering an investigation of whether the military has improperly used less-than-honorable discharges to rid the services of wounded troops who commit minor offenses.
A Gazette investigation shows an increasing number of soldiers, including wounded combat veterans, are being kicked out of the service for misconduct, often with no benefits.
The amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act passed Congress and went to Obama’s desk. The amendment, written by U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., follows a Pulitzer Prize-winning 2013 Gazette investigation that found the Army used disciplinary discharges to part with soldiers who later were denied health care benefits that might help them recover from combat wounds and mental illness.
Under the measure, the Government Accountability Office will investigate the discharges. Specifically, the report will look at whether the military unfairly discharges troops for minor misconduct. It also will examine whether officers are trained to balance misconduct against war-caused mental illness and other factors. Other areas of inquiry include how often misconduct discharges can be related to troops with post-traumatic stress and whether troops are counseled on veterans benefits before agreeing to a dishonorable discharge.
Read more of the article at Gazette.com.
