(Dis)honorably Discharged: Identifying Policy Gaps in Military-civilian Reintegration

Despite the substantial transition assistance available for honorably separating servicemembers, 75% of US veterans report difficulties with the transition to civilian life. For the 16% of veterans who separate with less-than-honorable discharges, these difficulties are compounded by the lack of structural support from the US military. Social stigma, limited transition programming, and loss of benefits create a perfect storm of barriers for these discharged servicemembers. These barriers compound with post-service mental and physical health challenges to contribute to cycles of misconduct that can result in criminal incarceration. Further, because most of these veterans lack health benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs due to their discharge status, this population is substantially understudied from a public health perspective. However, actionable policy paths forward and federal policy change offer opportunity to soften the landing for these veterans and meet their legitimate needs for care.