AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD BEARING RECORD
NAME or SERVICE MEMBER (LAST, FIRST MIDDLE IN ITIAL)	GRADE
(b)(6)

TYPE  GE	I	PERSONAL  APPEARANCE	x	I	RECORD  REVIEW
COUNS&L	NAME OFCOUNSEL ANO OR ORGANll.ATION	ADDRESS ANO OR ORGANIZATION OF COUl'ISE
YES	No
x
VOTE OFTHE BOARD
M EM BER SITflNG	HON	GEN	UOTHC	OTHER	DENY
(b)(6)	x
x x
x x
ISSUES	A94.05	lNOE.X.  NVMOER	A66.00	EXHIBJTS SUBMI'ITED  TO THE BOARD
1 ORDER APPOINTING THE BOARD
2 APPLICATION FOR REV IEW OF DISCHARGE
3 LEnER OF NOTIFICATION
4  8RlEF OF PERSONNEL FILE
COUNSEL'S RELEASE TO THE BOARD
ADDITIONAL EXHIBITS SUBM ITIED AT TIME OF PERSONAL APPEARANCE
TAPE RECORDING OF PERSONAL APPEARANCE HEARfNG

HEARl G DATE	CASE NUMBER

26 Jun 2015	FD-2014-00751
APPLICANT·s JSSU'E ANI> nm BOAAD·s DECISIONAL RATIONALE ARE DISCUSSED ON THE ATTACHED AIR FORCE DISOt.\RGE REVIEW &OAAD DECISIONAL RATIONALE.

Case heard in Washington, D.C.

Advise applicant of the decision of the Board, the right to a personal appearance with/without counsel, and the right to submit an appl ication to the AFBCMR .

(b)(6)

INDORSEMENT	-

DATE: 7/1412015	 	

TO:	FROM :

SAF/MRBR

SECRETARY or THE AIR FORCE PERSONNEL COUNCi i.
AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REV! EW BOARD
550 C STREET WEST. SUITE 40	1535 COMMAND DR. EE. \VlNC. JftO f'LOOJl.
RANDOLPH AFB, TX 78 I 50-4742	ANDREWS Afll,MD 20761 7001

AFHQ FORM 0-2077, JA   00	(EF-V2)	Previous

AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD DECISIONAL RATIONALE	CASE NUMBER

FD-2014-00751	

GENERAL: The applicant appeals for upgrade of discharge to Honorable.

The applicant was offered a personal  appearance  before the Discharge  Review Board  (DRB) but declined and requests that the review be completed based on the available service record .

The attached brief contains available pertinent data on the applicant and the factors leading to the discharge.

FINDING: The Board denies the upgrade of the discharge.

ISSUE: The applicant received a General discharge for Misconduct -Drug Abuse

The Air Force Discharge Review Board, under its responsibility to examine the propriety and equity of an applicant's discharge, is authorized to change the characterization of service and the reason for discharge if such change is warranted. In reviewing discharges, the Board presumes regularity in the conduct of governmental affairs unless there is substantial credible evidence to rebut the presumption , to include evidence submitted by the applicant.  The Board completed a thorough review of the circumstances that led to the discharge and the discharge process to ensure the discharge met the pertinent standards of equity and propriety . In order to adhere to Mental Health Amendments to 10 USC 1553, a physician with specialized training on mental health disorders was present  for this board. The applicant's record  of service included four Letters of Reprimand and three Letters of Counseling. His misconduct included submitting fraudulent leave documents; failure to go to duty due to being highly intoxicated; willfully disobeying a direct order and dereliction of duty; failure to go on time (3x); receiving two speeding tickets and attempting to mislead a SNCO; failure to complete assigned tasks and lying to an NCO; overusing prescribed medication on two separate occasions; and wrongful use of marijuana, mushrooms and Xanax.

The applicant contends that the Air Force is to blame for his discharge by not providing a plan for him to taper off of his prescribed medication.  After review of the records, the Board found that the applicant's overuse of his prescri bed medication and illegal drug use displayed a lack of compliance with the Air
Force's policy of zero tolerance to drug use, which was known to the applicant at the time of use.  The Board also found that the applicant had not exhausted attempts to seek assistance from his physician in regards to his issues with his medication.  The DRB opined that through the administrative actions taken, the applicant had opportunities to change his negative behavior.   The Board concluded the applicant's misconduct was a significant departure from conduct expected of all military members.  The Board also concluded that the negative aspects of the applicant's service outweighed the positive contributions he made in his Air Force career.  The characterization of the discharge received by the applicant was found to be appropriate.

A discharge is upgraded only if the applicant and the Board can establish that an inequity or impropriety took place at the time of discharge. After a thorough review of the record, the Board found no evidence to justify an upgrade of the discharge characterization.

CONCLUSION: The Discharge Review Board concludes that the discharge was consistent with the procedural and substantive requirements of the discharge regulation, was within the discretion of  the discharge authority, and that the applicant was provided full administrative due process.

In view of the foregoing findings, the Board further concludes that there exists no legal or equitable basis for upgrade of discharge and determines the discharge should remain unchanged .	

Attachment: Examiner's Brief