Why Winning Your Discharge Upgrade Doesn’t Guarantee Back Pay

Posted on July 15, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney You fought for your discharge upgrade and won. The board changed your characterization to Honorable, fixed your narrative reason, and maybe even cleared you to re-enlist. So where is the money? Here is the honest...

Military retirees comparing CRSC vs CRDP pay options on paper statements

CRSC vs CRDP: How to Choose the One That Pays You More

Posted on July 13, 2026

If you are a military retiree with a VA disability rating, the CRSC vs CRDP decision controls how much of your retired pay you actually keep — and whether the government taxes it. Most retirees never get a clear explanation of the difference. Instead, they get an acronym-filled letter from DFAS and...

DOHA Security Clearance Hearing: What to Expect and How to Prepare

Posted on July 7, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney If you have received a Statement of Reasons and asked for a hearing, a DOHA security clearance hearing is the proceeding where an Administrative Judge decides whether you can keep your access to classified information....

How to Remove Personality Disorder From Your DD-214

Posted on July 7, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney If your DD-214 lists “personality disorder” as the reason you left the military, you are not stuck with it. You can petition to remove personality disorder from your DD-214 through one of two boards: your...

Veteran preparing an alcohol-related discharge upgrade petition with a military law attorney An alcohol-related discharge upgrade turns on the link between the drinking and an underlying condition.

Alcohol-Related Discharge Upgrade: The Childhood Trauma and Combat Connection

Posted on June 30, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney If your less-than-honorable discharge traces back to drinking, you are not looking at a lost cause. An alcohol-related discharge upgrade is often possible. The key is showing that the drinking was a symptom of a condition the...

pilot in F-35 going to make a board of inquiry appeal

Board of Inquiry Appeal: What to Do If You Lose

Posted on June 20, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney A board of inquiry appeal is how an officer keeps fighting after losing the board. Strictly speaking, the military has no single “appeal” button for a board of inquiry. But you do have real post-board...

Officer in the field considering a resignation in lieu of elimination.

Resignation in Lieu of Elimination: What Officers Should Know Before Signing

Posted on June 18, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney If you are facing an officer elimination, resignation in lieu of elimination can feel like the fastest way out. It is not always the safest one. Resigning waives your board of inquiry, and you can...

Retirement in lieu of elimination BOI room

Retirement in Lieu of Elimination: Protecting Your Pension at a Board of Inquiry

Posted on June 17, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney If your command has told you to show cause for retention, retirement in lieu of elimination may let you retire with a pension instead of nothing. It is a request, though, not a guarantee. Whether...

Appealing a CRSC Denial From the Navy: Your Reconsideration and BCNR Options

Posted on June 17, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney If you are a Navy or Marine Corps retiree, you have two clear paths to appeal a Navy CRSC denial: first, a request for reconsideration to the Secretary of the Navy’s Council of Review Boards,...

Discharge Upgrade Denied? What to Do Next

Posted on June 13, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney If your discharge upgrade was denied, take a breath. For most veterans, a denial is not the end of the road. Many veterans believe a discharge upgrade denied once is denied for good. That is...

Officer preparing character witnesses for a Board of Inquiry hearing

How to Choose Character Witnesses for a Board of Inquiry

Posted on June 10, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney When an officer faces a show cause hearing, choosing the right Board of Inquiry character witnesses can decide whether a career survives. The temptation is to call the most senior person who will say yes....

A Marine begins to respond to a Statement of Reasons for her security clearance

How to Respond to a Statement of Reasons in a Security Clearance Case

Posted on June 4, 2026

By Kevin Courtney, Esq. | Former USMC Judge Advocate | California Attorney If you just received a Statement of Reasons, you are likely anxious, and that reaction makes sense. A Statement of Reasons (SOR) is the government’s formal notice that it intends to deny or revoke your...