On 1 June 2016, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus signed a new policy shielding troops with mental health issues from other-than-honorable discharges.  In so doing, he made the sea service the first military department to assure that conditions such as post-traumatic stress would be considered prior to involuntary separation.  Among the new innovations:

1.      Sailors and Marines processed for administrative separation with a diagnosed mental health condition may be diverted to the medical disability system

2.      Other-than-honorable cases must be referred to [and approved by] the first general/flag officer in the chain of command

3.      Service members previously separated can have their “bad” discharge reviewed either through the discharge review board or  the Board for Correction of Naval Records.