What do the boards for the Correction of Military or Naval Records do exactly?

The Boards for the Corrections of Military (Army, Air Force, Coast Guard) or Naval (Navy and Marine Corps) Records (BCMR) are the highest level of administrative review within their respective military service. They were created by statute (Title 10 USC § 1552) to “correct an error or remove an injustice.” This broad statement allows the Secretary of a Military Department power to correct anything from changing the spelling of your last name on a DD214 to awarding you a military retirement to giving you recognition for wounds obtained in combat. The Secretary of Defense instructed each of the military services to establish these BCMRs and these boards have been processing these kinds of correction requests for decades.