The Pentagon on Tuesday announced that it upgraded the discharges of more than 800 veterans who were kicked out of military service for violating the erstwhile "don't ask, don't tell" policy of openly serving as gay or lesbian.
Roughly 821 veterans will now receive honorable discharges after the Defense Department's yearlong review of military records of LGBTQ+ veterans who hadn't applied for an upgrade to their discharge but were eligible.
"After a year of exceptional work, the Military Department Review Boards directed relief in 96.8% of the 851 cases that they proactively reviewed," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. "What this means is that of the nearly 13,500 individuals who were administratively separated under Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, and served long enough to receive a merit-based characterization of service, 96% now have an honorable discharge."
According to the DOD's release, the "don't ask, don't tell" policy was in effect from Feb. 28, 1994 to Sept. 20, 2011. During that time, gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members could not be open about their sexual orientation.
Under the policy, the services wouldn't ask sexual orientation, and gay and lesbian service members couldn't tell. If their sexual orientation became known, service members were separated.
The upgrade in discharge unlocks benefits to the affected veterans, including healthcare, college tuition assistance, and loans.
"We will continue to honor the service and the sacrifice of all our troops — including the brave Americans who raised their hands to serve but were turned away because of whom they love. We will continue to strive to do right by every American patriot who has honorably served their country," Austin said.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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