The effects of Secret Codes that have been arbitrarily applied to discharged veterans DD214s may be contributing to the current veterans suicide crisis in America. Research is needed in order to determine Secret Codes on DD214s relationship to the current veterans suicide crisis in America. It is estimated by the Department of Veterans Affairs that between 20 and  22 veterans a day are committing suicide, an unprecedented number. The secret codes on veterans DD214s can turn an Honorable Discharge or a General Discharge Under Honorable Conditions into a badge of shame and dishonor where it counts most, potential employers, educational institutions and lending institutions. The deciphers for these numerical secret codes on veterans DD214s have been sent  worldwide to institutions and corporations who use these codes to make decisions regarding veterans whom they are considering for jobs and various other things. These secret codes affect veterans ability to gain meaningful employment, advancements while on a job, acceptance into select institutions for higher learning, loans for businesses and may even affect the manner in which a veterans claims for VA Benefits is handled and processed at the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA.

The use of the secret codes on veterans DD214s may be having an extremely negative affect on veterans lives and consequently their mental/emotional well-being.  When veterans are denied jobs that they are qualified for, educational services at desired institutions and or benefits that they may be rightfully due from the VA , these denials may be viewed by them as failures in their lives, especially if they don't know about a secret code on their DD214. These perceived failures may lead to anxiety, depression and an overall feeling of helplessness.  Feelings like these, combined with other pronounced symptoms of PTSD that a veteran may be experiencing in reality can become the lethal combination that has been leading our veterans to thoughts of suicide and actual attempts to kill themselves.

The use of secret codes on veterans DD214s may also be in violation of the United States Code Of Military Justice USMCJ laws of governance, which implicitly states the rules and sets forth the guidelines of military law and the manner justice must be served the accused of any charges made against them while they are military personnel.

The use of these secret codes and the way they are given may also be against the laws of the United States constitution because the assignment of these secret codes to veterans deny military members and veterans DUE PROCESS under the law, and the basic right to face their accuser.  These secret codes are unceremoniously given to veterans by unidentified persons in their command during the period they are being processed out of the military for discharge and are only seen by the veteran at the moment he/she is discharged and handed his or her discharge papers and are no longer a member of the military.

WHAT THIS PETITION ASKS:

This petition calls for a moratorium on the Department of Defenses assignment of any secret codes what-so-ever on veterans discharge DD214s or any other papers  that may be requested by potential employers, educational institutions and/or lending institutions.

This petition  requests of the Department Of Defense and the United States Senate a bill to allow for the creation of new DD214s for America's 22 million veterans that no longer have secret codes on them and to issue them immediately to American veterans throughout the world.

We ask that the Department of Defense identify and inform in writing all veterans who have a secret numerical SPN or RE code on their DD214 to make them aware that there is a coded message that exists on their DD214 and to inform what that code  means in plain language, and identify with specificity when possible the person who gave them that code.

This petition also asks the Department Of Defense and the United States Senate to authorize veterans essentially deputizing them to have the legal authority to white out the SPN or RE code that may already exist on their own DD214s before they are submitted to any organization or institution that requests them as part of their way of doing normal business. We also request and ask the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to conduct a study to determine the ratio and number of veterans who have committed suicide who have secret codes on their DD214s verses veterans whose DD214s did not have a secret code on their DD214s. In this manner it can be clearly determined how the practice of using DD214s on veterans DD214s has contributed to the present veterans suicide crisis if at all.

Petition By the "Veterans Suicide Prevention Channel", Chairman, Glenn Towery and Board of Directors: Charles Eggelston, Derrick Jones, Gary Ray Bugnacki, Wilbert Forbes, Juanita Towery and Calvin Turner