RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:	DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2015-01943 COUNSEL:	NONE
HEARING DESIRED:	NO

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:
His under honorable conditions (general) discharge be upgraded.

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:
He served with honor and integrity for 13 years. Although he admittedly made some mistakes, the consequences were too harsh based on his performance and a leader and trainer in the avionics career field. He has been unsuccessful in obtaining copies of his military records to substantiate his account of the circumstances and offers a hearing via telephone.

The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A.

STATEMENT OF FACTS:
On 24 Oct 85, the applicant entered the Regular Air Force.
On 5 Dec 86, the applicant’s commander notified him that he was recommending him for involuntary discharge for failure  in alcohol abuse rehabilitation. The basis for this action was seven disciplinary actions over a nine month period, to include failing an alcohol abuse rehabilitation program, driving under the influence of alcohol, being drunk on duty, failure to use a spotter while backing a government vehicle, and three incidents of failure to attain or maintain weight standards. These actions resulted in six letters of reprimand.

5 Dec 86, the applicant acknowledged receipt of the discharge notification.

On 7 Jan 87, the applicant’s commander recommended him for discharge for failure in alcohol abuse rehabilitation.

0n 13 Jan 87, the applicant’s separation applicant was found legally sufficient and it was recommended the conditional waiver be rejected.

On 21 Jan 87, the discharge authority rejected the applicant’s condition waiver. The applicant acknowledged receipt of this action the same day.

On 28 Jan 87, the applicant acknowledged receipt of  the discharge notification. The applicant waived his right to a hearing before an administrative discharge board and did not submit statements on his own behalf.

On 30 Jan 87, the discharge was found legally sufficient.
On 4 Feb 87, the discharge authority approved the discharge and directed the characterization of service as General (Under Honorable Conditions).

On 5 Feb 87, the applicant was furnished a general (under honorable conditions) discharge, with a narrative reason for separation of alcohol abuse rehabilitation failure, and was credited with 1 year, 3 months, and 12 days of active service.

On 13 Sep 15, in  response to a request for post-service information (Exhibit C), the applicant reiterates he served the Air Force with honor and dignity and had never been denied any clearances needed to do his job along with the Personnel Reliability Program (PRP) in Strategic Air Command (SAC). As an E-4 he was a shift leader and always had excellent relationships with the maintenance shops to get the job done.

He believes the circumstance at the time requires additional insight to his situation. He was already under scrutiny because of his weight and when external pressures started taking a toll on him, that’s when things started to turn bad for him. After the loss of his mother, he unsuccessfully sought a humanitarian reassignment to be near his father in Florida.

His new squadron commander compounded his problems. The new commander often separated enlisted men for little cause. He was caught in a surprise weekend recall weigh in for everybody that was within 5% of their max. The final straw was getting a DUI in a roadblock. He was just over limit the weekend evening I was caught. He fell right into the trap. With the weight program and now the DUI, he chose the discharge over losing a stripe and staying in for an unknown time with the  new commander. At that time his priorities were different than they are now. He admits his mistake and expresses regret. Since his discharge, he’s led a productive blue collar life. He has another DUI in May of 1994, which resulted in him choosing to stop drinking alcohol. He worked at a Ford dealer for 17 years before going into a construction related business with his son. To this day, he’s 100% dedicated to the military and his country

He gave the Air Force his all, never brought any discredit to the Air Force, and hopes the Board can at least give me a something back for what he gave.

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.	Insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of an error or injustice. We took notice of the applicant's complete submission, to include his rebuttal response, in judging the merits of the case; however, we find no evidence of an error or injustice that occurred in the discharge processing. Based on the available evidence of record, it appears the discharge was consistent with the substantive requirements of the discharge regulation and within the commander's discretionary authority. The applicant has provided no evidence which would lead us to believe the characterization of the service was contrary to the provisions of the governing regulation, unduly harsh, or disproportionate to the offenses committed. In the interest of justice, we considered upgrading the discharge based on clemency; however, we do not find the evidence presented is sufficient for us to conclude that the applicant’s post-service activities overcome the misconduct for which he was discharged. Therefore, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we find no basis to recommend granting the relief sought

THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT:
The applicant be notified the evidence presented did not demonstrate the existence of material error or injustice; the application was denied without a personal appearance; and the application will only be reconsidered upon the submission of newly discovered relevant evidence not considered with this application.

The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2015-01943 in Executive Session on 12 Jan 16 under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

, Panel Chair
, Member
, Member

The following documentary evidence pertaining to AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2015-01943 was considered:

Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 2 May 16, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 14 May 15.
Exhibit D. Letter, Applicant, dated 13 Sep 15.