1. Applicant's Name: a. Application Date: 23 May 2016 b. Date Received: 27 May 2016 c. Counsel: 2. REQUEST, ISSUES, BOARD TYPE, AND DECISION: The applicant requests an upgrade of his general (under honorable conditions) discharge to honorable. The applicant seeks relief contending, in effect, that his discharge should be upgrade because Chapter 5 of the Army Regulation states that when a character of serviced other than an honorable discharge is given there is a requirement to document the factors for separation, the applicant contends that this was not done in his case therefore an honorable discharge is appropriate. Per the Board's Medical Officer, based on the information available for review at the time, the Applicant had adjustment disorders and suicide risk as diagnoses in AHLTA. He had a pre- discharge Medical Exam that concluded he met Army medical retention requirements. The impression created in the notes is that the applicant wanted out of the Army and was indeed having a dysfunctional adjustment to the Army that seemed unlikely to change. JLV showed no VA contacts. In a records review conducted at Arlington, VA on 4 August 2017, and by a 5-0 vote, the board determined that the characterization of service was improper. The record indicates the applicant was not notified of any specific factors which would warrant a general (under honorable conditions) characterization of service. Therefore, the characterization being improper the Board granted relief in the form of an upgrade of the applicant's characterization of service to honorable. The Board determined the reason for discharge was proper and equitable and voted not to change it. (Board member names available upon request) 3. DISCHARGE DETAILS: a. Reason / Authority / Codes / Characterization: Physical Condition, Not A Disability / AR 635-200, Chapter 5, Paragraph 5-17 / JFV / RE-3 / General (Under Honorable Conditions) b. Date of Discharge: 21 October 2014 c. Separation Facts: (1) Date of Notification of Intent to Separate: 16 September 2014 (2) Basis for Separation: The applicant was informed of the following reason: being diagnosed with acute adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood. (3) Recommended Characterization: Honorable (4) Legal Consultation Date: 8 September 2014 (5) Administrative Separation Board: NA (6) Separation Decision Date / Characterization: 2 October 2014 / General (Under Honorable Conditions) 4. SERVICE DETAILS: a. Date / Period of Enlistment: 22 January 2014 / 3 years, 16 weeks b. Age at Enlistment / Education / GT Score: 19 / HS Graduate / 100 c. Highest Grade Achieved / MOS / Total Service: E-2 / 11B10, Infantryman / 9 months d. Prior Service / Characterizations: None e. Overseas Service / Combat Service: None f. Awards and Decorations: NDSM, GWOTSM, ASR g. Performance Ratings: None h. Disciplinary Action(s) / Evidentiary Record: Counseling statement reference the applicant's lack of ability to perform his duties in the US Army i. Lost Time / Mode of Return: None j. Diagnosed PTSD / TBI / Behavioral Health: Report of Mental Status Evaluation, dated 31 July 2014, indicated the applicant demonstrated difficulty adjusting to the Army since Basic training, per his report. On his first day at his assigned duty station, he reportedly had an emotional breakdown in response to PT. He had suicidal statements with a vague plan and was inpatient by that evening. It was noted that since returning from the hospital, the applicant had responded very well to treatment, but only within the context that he was being separated from the Army. The disorder was of sufficient severity to interfere with the applicant ability to function in the military. The applicant was not amenable to BH treatment nor would respond to command efforts at rehabilitation. The applicant's medical record did not contain evidence of a documented change in diagnosis from board able condition to non-board-able condition within the past 90 days. The medical record did not contain substantial evidence that the applicant met criteria for a board-able condition but had not received a diagnosis. He was recommend for Chapter 5-17. 5. APPLICANT-PROVIDED EVIDENCE: DD Form 293 and letters of support. 6. POST SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: None submitted with the application. 7. REGULATORY CITATION(S): Army Regulation (AR) 635-200 provides the basic authority for the separation of enlisted personnel. Paragraph 5-17 specifically provides that a Soldier may be separated for other physical or mental conditions not amounting to a disability, which interferes with assignment to or performance of duty and requires that the diagnosis be so severe that the Soldier's ability to function in the military environment is significantly impaired. AR 635-200, paragraph 5-1, states that a Soldier being separated under this paragraph will be awarded a characterization of service of honorable, under honorable conditions, or an uncharacterized description of service if in entry-level status. A general (under honorable conditions) discharge is normally inappropriate for individuals separated under the provisions of Chapter 5-17 unless properly notified of the specific factors in the service that warrant such characterization. Secretary of Defense Memorandum for Secretaries of the Military Departments (Subject: Supplemental Guidance to Military Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records Considering Discharge Upgrade Requests by Veterans Claiming Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, dated September 3, 2014), provided guidance to help ensure consistency across the military services in consideration of PTSD relevant to Service Members' discharges. "Liberal consideration will be given in petitions for changes in characterization of service to service treatment record entries which document one of more symptoms which meet the diagnostic criteria of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or related conditions. Special consideration will be given to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) determinations which document PTSD or PTSD-related conditions connected to military services. In cases where Service Records or any document from the period of service substantiated the existence of one or more symptoms of what is now recognized as PTSD or PTSD-related condition during the time of service, liberal consideration will be given to finding that PTSD existed at the time of service. Liberal consideration will also be given in cases where civilian providers confer diagnoses of PTSD or PTSD-related conditions, when case records contain narratives that support symptomatology at the time of service, or when any other evidence which may reasonably indicate that PTSD or a PTSD-related disorder existed at the time of discharge which might have mitigated the misconduct that caused the under other than honorable conditions characterization of service. This guidance in not applicable to cases involving pre- existing conditions which are determined not to have been incurred or aggravated while in military service." "Conditions documented in the record that can reasonably be determined to have existed at the time of discharge will be considered to have existed at the time of discharge. In cases in which PTSD or PTSD related conditions may be reasonably determined to have existed at the time of discharge, those conditions will be considered potential mitigating factors in the misconduct that caused the under other than honorable conditions characterization of service. Correction boards will exercise caution in weighing evidence of mitigation in cases in which serious misconduct precipitated a discharge with a characterization of service other than honorable conditions. Potentially mitigating evidence of the existence of undiagnosed combat related PTSD or PTSD-related conditions as a causative factor in the misconduct resulting in discharge will be carefully weighed against the severity of the misconduct. PTSD is not a likely cause of premeditated misconduct. Correction Boards will also exercise caution in weighing evidence of mitigation in all cases of misconduct by carefully considering the likely causal relationship of symptoms to the misconduct." 8. DISCUSSION OF FACT(S): The applicant requests an upgrade of his general (under honorable conditions) discharge to honorable. After a careful review of all the applicant's military records for the period of enlistment under review and the issue he submitted, it appears that the characterization of service was improper. The record indicates the applicant was not notified of any specific factors which would warrant a general (under honorable conditions) characterization of service. The records show the proper discharge and separation procedures were not followed in this case. The discharge was not consistent with the procedural and substantive requirements of the regulation, was not within the discretion of the separation authority, and the applicant was not provided full administrative due process. 9. BOARD DETERMINATION: In a records review conducted at Arlington, VA on 4 August 2017, and by a 5-0 vote, the board determined that the characterization of service was improper. The record indicates the applicant was not notified of any specific factors which would warrant a general (under honorable conditions) characterization of service. Therefore, the characterization being improper the Board granted relief in the form of an upgrade of the applicant's characterization of service to honorable. The Board determined the reason for discharge was proper and equitable and voted not to change it. 10. BOARD ACTION DIRECTED: a. Issue a New DD-214: Yes b. Change Characterization to: Honorable c. Change Reason to: No Change d. Change Authority to: No Change e. Change SPD/RE Code to: No Change f. Restore (Restoration of) Grade to: No Change AUTHENTICATING OFFICIAL: Legend: AWOL - Absent Without Leave GD - General Discharge NCO - Noncommissioned Officer SCM - Summary Court Martial BCD - Bad Conduct Discharge HS - High School NIF - Not in File SPCM - Special Court Martial BH - Behavioral Health HD - Honorable Discharge NOS - Not Otherwise Specified SPD - Separation Program Designator CG - Company Grade Article 15 IADT - Initial Active Duty Training OAD - Ordered to Active Duty TBI - Traumatic Brain Injury CID - Criminal Investigation Division MP - Military Police OMPF - Official Military Personnel File UNC - Uncharacterized Discharge ELS - Entry Level Status MST - Military Sexual Trauma PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder UOTHC - Under Other Than Honorable Conditions FG - Field Grade Article 15 NA - Not applicable RE - Reentry VA - Veterans Affairs ARMY DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD CASE REPORT AND DIRECTIVE AR20160010105 1