RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:	DOCKET NUMBER:  02-03667

		COUNSEL:  NONE

		HEARING DESIRED:  NO

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APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

Her general (under honorable conditions) discharge be upgraded to honorable.
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APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

She enlisted in the Air Force in May of 1985 and left in October 1987.  During her time in the Air Force, she took her duties seriously and endeavored to excel.

She left the Air Force because she was charged with driving under the influence in Colorado Springs.  Although her superiors urged her to fight the violation, she chose instead to just separate from the service and take the general discharge.  She has regretted her actions and that decision ever since.  She ask the Board to take her exemplary service record into account and to also consider the fact that the reason for her separation was not service related, but due rather, to some very poor decisions in her off duty time.

She realized her off duty conduct was a poor reflection on herself, the unit, and the United States Air Force.  As she previously stated, she regretted her actions and behavior ever since.  Please know that she has not repeated this behavior since 1987.

In support of her application, she submits a personal statement, letters of support from her employment agency, DD Form 293, Application for the Review of Discharge or Dismissal from the Armed Forces of the United States, and part of an Airman Performance Report.

Applicant's complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A.

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STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant enlisted in the Regular Air Force as an airman basic on 14 May 1985.  She was discharged under the provisions of AFR 39-10, (Alcohol Abuse Rehabilitation Failure) from the Air Force on 30 Oct 87 with a general (under honorable conditions) discharge.  She served 2 year, 5 months and 17 days of total active duty service.  

On 23 Sep 87, the applicant’s commander notified her that he was recommending a discharge for failure in the alcohol abuse rehabilitation.  He recommended an honorable discharge.  The basis for the action was between 28 Nov 86 and 26 Aug 87, the applicant had several alcohol related incidents.  On 28 Nov 86, she had an argument with her boyfriend and broke several windows in his barracks, for which she was given a Letter of Counseling and agreed to pay for damage to government property.  On       10-11 Feb 87, she had a drunken argument with her boyfriend that resulted in an investigation by Security Police.  In Feb 87, her supervisor wrote an evaluation, stating she was moody, had problems with alcohol and counseled her for late club bills.  She voluntarily entered alcohol rehabilitation on 12 Feb 87.  On    26 Aug 87, she was arrested by civil authorities for being involved in a car accident in which her alcohol level was above the limit (.169).  On 21 Nov 87, Alcohol Rehabilitation Program staff determined she failed to successfully complete the program.  Applicant consulted with counsel and waived her right to submit statements.  The commander and JA recommended an honorable discharge without probation and rehabilitation.  The Discharge Authority reviewed the separation package and stated a general discharge was warranted because of her numerous counseling and her civil arrest.  For this reason, he determined a general discharge without probation rehabilitation was more appropriate.

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AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPRS recommended denial and states based upon the documentation in the file the discharge was consistent with the procedural and substantive requirements of the discharge regulation.  Additionally, the discharge was within the discretion of the discharge authority.  The applicant did not submit any new evidence or identify any errors or injustices that occurred in the discharge processing.  She provided no other facts warranting an upgrade of the discharge.  Accordingly, they recommend her records remain the same and her request be denied.  

AFPC/DPPRS complete evaluation is at Exhibit C.

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APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The applicant reviewed the evaluation and stated that both her commander and the judge advocate recommended an honorable discharge without probation and rehabilitation.  They did this because they knew that her behavior was attributed solely to her relationship with Airman Whitaker.  They also knew that aside from this nine-month period of time she was an excellent troop where she received high marks on her evaluations.  She graduated Air Base Ground Defense School, she was also one of the few females to be successfully stationed at NORAD during the mid 80’s where she was given extremely sensitive assignments to include the position of “Protocol.”  She was very proud of that fact and of her other accomplishments in the military.

She truly hopes that the Board takes not only the facts as she has given them to the Board, but that the Board incorporates her military record when considering her request.  The reasons listed in the advisory opinion are somewhat exaggerated in that several alcohol-related incidents was in fact only two.  The investigation by the Security Police was in Airman Whitaker’s assault on her, not her behavior.  The failure in alcohol rehabilitation stems from her being charged with driving under the influence and she takes full responsibility for that as with everything else.  There were no other derogatory remarks on her evaluations and the advisory opinion does not reflect the entire story.  She did not go into such detail on her original request, as she was not aware that it was appropriate to do so nor did she know what the advisory opinion would contain.

It is at this point in closing that she wants to thank the Board for their attention to this matter.  That period was a difficult time in her life.  She was young and obviously lacked maturity in dealing with that entire situation.  However, she do not want her indiscretions in dealing with that to overshadow all of her military service in which she is very proud of.  Therefore, she respectfully request that the advisory opinion be reversed and that the Board grant her request to upgrade her discharge from general to honorable.  

Applicant’s complete submission is at Exhibit E.

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THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT:

1.	The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing law or regulations.

2. The application was not timely filed; however, it is in the interest of justice to excuse the failure to timely file.

3. Sufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of probable error or injustice.  After reviewing the discharge action taken against the applicant, we find no error or injustice occurred.  However, based on the applicant’s overall record and noting that the commander and staff judge advocate recommended she received an honorable, we believe the type of discharge received was harsh.  In view of the above findings, we recommend her discharge be upgraded to honorable.

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THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force relating to APPLICANT, be corrected to show that on 30 October 1987, she was honorably discharged and furnished an Honorable Discharge Certificate. 

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The following members of the Board considered Docket Number 02-03786 in Executive Session on 12 February 2003, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

All members voted to correct the records, as recommended.  The following documentary evidence was considered:

	Exhibit A.	DD Form 149, dated 30 Nov 02, w/atchs.
	Exhibit B.	Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
	Exhibit C.	Letter, AFPC/DPPRS, dated 9 Feb 01.
	Exhibit D.	Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 2 Mar 01.
	Exhibit E.	Applicant Response, dated 31 Dec 02.