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Veterans from all branches of the United States military now possess a real chance to receive a discharge upgrade — especially if they can prove their less-than-honorable end-of-service status was a result of the following: mental health condition (post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] included), traumatic brain injury (TBI), sexual assault or harassment (during military service) or sexual orientation (including under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy).

But how can it be proven, precisely? The actual process can be started entirely online, here.

Once on the site, vets get a series of questions (get them by clicking on the blue “Get Started” button) and receive customized instructions on how to complete an application that essentially requests the change (or a correction).

If the application is approved, the discharge will be upgraded, which means eligibility for health care and other benefits, via the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Once enrolled in health care, for instance, they can access a number of features online — like a download of their VA records, the status of their G.I. Bill, prescription refills, a platform to securely message members of their health care team or a check of a claim or appeal.

The discharge upgrade page (here) also answers a number of questions, in depth, like can you get VA benefits without a discharge upgrade, what if you already applied for an upgrade or a correction, what if you have discharges from more than one period of service, what if you served honorably but didn’t receive discharge paperwork and what if you have a DD215 proving an upgraded discharge but the DD214 doesn’t reflect?