Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today called on the Department of Defense (DoD) to grant Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests from two veterans organizations seeking information on alleged misuse of personality disorder discharges.

            Service members discharged because of personality disorders receive substantially fewer benefits and services.

The Vietnam Veterans of America Connecticut Greater Hartford Chapter 120 and the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) filed FOIA requests seeking information because of allegations that veterans suffering from post traumatic disorder were wrongly discharged for personality orders. The DoD has so far denied their requests.

“The VVA recently filed suit in federal district court in Connecticut to challenge denial of its FOIA requests,” Blumenthal said in a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. “I am considering filing an amicus brief or otherwise supporting the VVA’s lawsuit. I urge you to reconsider your position and release this important information without further litigation. Veterans and the public need and deserve access to information to determine whether DoD has wrongly deprived wounded warriors of benefits and services.

“I respectfully request that you direct DoD and its component entities to promptly comply with the law and provide immediate access to the requested records, after taking into account any privacy concerns.”