Officer Grade Determinations
If you are an officer with misconduct or substantiated adverse findings in your current grade, you will face an Officer Grade Determination (OGD) when you are retiring. Learn what this entails on this episode.

If you are an officer with misconduct or substantiated adverse findings in your current grade, you will face an Officer Grade Determination (OGD) when you are retiring. Learn what this entails on this episode.
Arm yourself with knowledge, know your rights, and avoid becoming a victim of injustice. The Military Law &Life Matters Podcast empowers you to take charge of military law issues such as how to upgrade your discharge, what to do when facing an Officer Grade Determination and other legal issues we may face at various stages of our life. In addition to legal topics, the podcast will also cover Life Matters--Life Lessons I've learned along the way. This podcast is for our Heroes: Active Duty, R...
1 October 2018 is the one year anniversary of the Military Law Matters Podcast, I will be taking a sabbatical from the podcast so I can focus on our Heroes, Veterans who have served their country faithfully and who have been unjustly discharged. I am always available to speak to you about your legal issue, discharge circumstances and happy to give you my insight on your case. Feel free to contact me at ferah@ferahozbek.com or 202-322-7888. Never ever give up, because there is always hope!
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Virginia Veteran and Family Support (VVFS) provides outreach, connection and support to veterans and their families as they address the challenges of military service, transition, deployments, PTSD, behavioral health concerns and physical and traumatic brain injuries. Learn more about how your own State’s Department of Veterans Services can help you and your family. https://www.dvs.virginia.gov/virginia-veteran-and-family-support-2/
Listen to attorney Courtney Smith, the Director, Volunteer Outreach & Education at the Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program talk about how the Veterans Consortium helps Veterans file an Appeal in the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and also assist veterans who have received an other than honorable discharges and who also have a diagnosis or exhibit symptoms of PTSD, TBI or other mental health conditions. https://www.vetsprobono.org/
Attorney Chris Attig of the firm Attig Steel compares the legacy VA Appeals system and the new system that was passed by Congress in 2017 and scheduled to go into effect in 2019. Chris is the author of the Veterans Law Blog. He is also the author of the VA Form 21 Blog. And, if you have Sleep Apnea, Chris is the author of the “VA Sleep Apnea Field Manual,” which teaches veterans what is needed to prove service connection for sleep apnea. Learn more about Chris at https://www.attigsteel.com/
Attorney, Mike Millios talks about mindfulness and yoga and how it helped him deal with the stress and trauma of working as an attorney handling death penalty cases and other challenges in his life. Learn about the Veterans Yoga Project https://www.veteransyogaproject.org/ and the non-profit that Mike has started to help spread the word about mindfulness and yoga and how to take care of ourselves so we can take care of others. Learn more at https://karunacmn.com
It is an honor for me to help fellow veterans who are facing difficulties in their lives and don’t know who to turn to for answers. While I enjoy answering questions on an individual basis, I’d like to share some of common questions that veterans ask in case you also had the same question. Please note that these are general answers and not legal advice. Therefore, it is always best to consult with an attorney or Veterans Service Office for advice regarding your particular case.
It is an honor for me to help fellow veterans who are facing difficulties in their lives and don’t know who to turn to for answers. While I enjoy answering questions on an individual basis, I’d like to share some of common questions that veterans ask in case you also had the same question. Please note that these are general answers and not legal advice. Therefore, it is always best to consult with an attorney or Veterans Service Office for advice regarding your particular case.
It is an honor for me to help fellow veterans who are facing difficulties in their lives and don’t know who to turn to for answers. While I enjoy answering questions on an individual basis, I’d like to share some of common questions that veterans ask in case you also had the same question. Therefore, it is always best to consult with an attorney or Veterans Service Office for advice regarding your particular case.
This episode is intended to ensure Veterans know what that the August 2017 DoD Clarifying Guidance to Military Discharge Review Boards applies to. The DoD Guidance discusses Liberal Consideration for certain cases before the Discharge Review Boards and Boards for Correction of Military Records.
Retired Army Reserve Judge Advocate Scott MacKay gives us an overview of the Disability Evaluation System (DES). Scott discusses cases he has handled and provides valuable information for both active duty members and veterans who are going through the DES. Scott does pro bono work for veterans related to disability-related applications to the Board for Correction of Military Records. He takes clients only through referrals from his attorney network.
Many Veterans Don’t know about benefits available to them. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides medical and non-medical home services for veterans such as Skilled Home Health Care Services, Home Health Aide Services, Family Caregiver Program and benefits. Learn about the healthcare benefits you or your parents who are veterans may need. https://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/access/home_health_care.asp
National Veterans Legal Services Program’s (NVLSP) New APP helps Veterans Analyze Eligibility for Benefits. The application helps veterans, with or without the assistance of a veteran’s advocate, determine specific VA benefits to which they are likely entitled. The App directs users to a questionnaire that assists in verifying whether a veteran should file a claim for service connected disability benefits or non-service connected disability pension. http://www.nvlsp.org/
Sean Marvin, Legal Director of Veterans Education Success and Travis Craig, an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran of the Army National Guard and former student at ITT Tech join us on the podcast to discuss how predatory for-profit colleges target Veterans. Learn how Veterans Education Success provides free legal services for veterans and their survivors and families who have faced college fraud or abuse in using their GI Bill. https://veteranseducationsuccess.org/
Phil Randazzo is the founder of American Dream U, a non-profit organization that assists military members, veterans and their families as they transition out of the military into a new career as a civilian. Phil shares some critical life lessons for you to consider when you are thinking about your next career. Go to the American Dream U website to access free resources including the opportunity to search for a mentor and access a job board at americandreamu.org
Part 10 of a 10 part series. It is possible to upgrade your military discharge characterization. This series covers 10 things you should know about upgrading your discharge either at the Discharge Review Board (DRB) or the Board for the Correction of Military Records (BCMR). Go to ferahozbek.com if you want to download my written guide to follow along with the podcast
Part 9 of a 10 part series. It is possible to upgrade your military discharge characterization. This series covers 10 things you should know about upgrading your discharge either at the Discharge Review Board (DRB) or the Board for the Correction of Military Records (BCMR). Go to ferahozbek.com if you want to download my written guide to follow along with the podcast.