1. Applicant's Name: a. Application Date: 8 August 2017 b. Date Received: 14 August 2017 c. Counsel: 2. REQUEST, ISSUES, BOARD TYPE, AND DECISION: The applicant requests a narrative reason change. The applicant seeks relief contending, in effect, she was mislabeled by having her separation code reflect that she has a personality disorder, while she was medically diagnosed with having PTSD. She states, that while she was asleep, she was sexually assaulted. She was hospitalized shortly after, due to extreme anxiety from the traumatic experience. She was then honorably, but medically discharged from the Army. Once she returned home, she went to the VA hospital in her home town, where it was explained to her that her separation code on her DD Form 214 was mislabeled. It should reflect PTSD, due to her mental state. She states that she was sent to a Ninety Women's VA Trauma Facility due to this traumatic event and went into isolation for 10 years. In 2015, she came out of isolation long enough to return to college in her community. Per the Board's Medical Officer, based on the information available for review at the time to include the military electronic medical record, the applicant had a mitigating medical or behavioral health condition for the offenses which led to her separation from the Army. SM has a 70 percent disability rating from the VA for PTSD. PTSD is attributed to in-service MST. In a records review conducted at Arlington, VA on 25 April 2018, and by a 5-0 vote, the Board determined the narrative reason for the applicant's separation is improper based on the applicant's length and quality of service and the circumstances surrounding the discharge (i.e. in-service and post-service diagnosis of PTSD due to MST). Therefore, the board directed the issue of a new DD Form 214 changing the separation authority to AR 635-200, Chapter 5-3, and the narrative reason for separation to Secretarial Authority, with a corresponding separation code to JFF. The Board determined the RE code was proper and equitable and voted not to change it. (Board member names available upon request) 3. DISCHARGE DETAILS: a. Reason / Authority / Codes / Characterization: Personality Disorder / AR 635-200, Paragraph 5-13 / JFX / RE-3 / Honorable b. Date of Discharge: 15 April 2005 c. Separation Facts: (1) Date of Notification of Intent to Separate: 31 January 2005 (2) Basis for Separation: The applicant was informed of the following reasons: (3) Recommended Characterization: Honorable (4) Legal Consultation Date: 24 January 2005 (5) Administrative Separation Board: NA (6) Separation Decision Date / Characterization: 15 February 2005 / Honorable 4. SERVICE DETAILS: a. Date / Period of Enlistment: 9 January 2003 / 2 years b. Age at Enlistment / Education / GT Score: 37 / Associate's Degree / 101 c. Highest Grade Achieved / MOS / Total Service: E-5 / 92A10, Automated Logistics Specialist / 5 years, 9 months, 24 days d. Prior Service / Characterizations: RA, 22 June 1999 - 8 January 2003 / HD e. Overseas Service / Combat Service: Korea / None f. Awards and Decorations: AAM-3, NDSM, KDSM, GWOTSM, ASR, AGCM, OSR g. Performance Ratings: None h. Disciplinary Action(s) / Evidentiary Record: None i. Lost Time / Mode of Return: None j. Diagnosed PTSD / TBI / Behavioral Health: Report of Mental Status Evaluation, dated 9 November 2004, reflects the applicant was cleared for any administrative actions deemed appropriate by the command. The applicant could understand the difference between right and wrong and could participate in the proceedings. The applicant was diagnosed with: Major Depressive Disorder, PTSD (Axis I) and Personality Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified (Axis II). The applicant provided a copy of her VA disability rating decision, dated 18 January 2008, which reflects the applicant was rated 70 percent disability for PTSD. 5. APPLICANT-PROVIDED EVIDENCE: DD Form 293; self-authored statement; and, VA Disability Rating Decision. 6. POST SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The applicant states she has returned to college. 7. REGULATORY CITATION(S): Army Regulation 635-200 provides the basic authority for the separation of enlisted personnel. Paragraph 5-13 in effect at the time, provided that a Soldier may be separated for a personality disorder, not amounting to disability, when the condition interfered with assignment to or performance of duty. The regulation requires that the condition is a deeply ingrained maladaptive pattern of behavior of long duration that interferes with the Soldier's ability to perform military duties. The regulation also directs that commanders will not take action prescribed in this Chapter in lieu of disciplinary action and requires that the disorder is so severe that the Soldier's ability to function in the military environment is significantly impaired. Army policy requires the award of a fully honorable discharge in such case. Characterization of service under honorable conditions may be awarded to a Soldier who has been convicted of an offense by general court-martial or who has been convicted by more than one special court-martial in the current enlistment, period of obligated service, or any extension thereof. Army Regulation 635-5-1 (Separation Program Designator (SPD) Codes) provides the specific authorities (regulatory or directive), reasons for separating Soldiers from active duty, and the SPD codes to be entered on the DD Form 214. It identifies the SPD code of "JFX" as the appropriate code to assign enlisted Soldiers who are discharged under the provisions of Army Regulation 635-200, Chapter 5-13, personality disorder. National Defense Authorization Act 2017 provided specific guidance to the Military Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records and Discharge Review Boards when considering discharge upgrade requests by Veterans claiming Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in connection with combat or sexual assault or sexual harassment as a basis for discharge review. Further, it provided that Boards will include, as a voting board member, a physician trained in mental health disorders, a clinical psychologist, or a psychiatrist when the discharge upgrade claim asserts a mental health condition, including PTSD; TBI; as a basis for the discharge. In August 2017, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness provided further clarifying guidance to the Military Discharge Review Boards and Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records when considering requests by Veterans for modification of their discharge due to mental health conditions, including PTSD; TBI; sexual assault; or sexual harassment. Liberal consideration will be given to Veterans petitioning for discharge relief when the application for relief is based in whole or in part on matters relating to mental health conditions, including PTSD; TBI; sexual assault; or sexual harassment. Special consideration will be given to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) determinations that document a mental health condition, including PTSD; TBI; or sexual assault/harassment potentially contributed to the circumstances resulting in a less than honorable discharge characterization. Special consideration will also be given in cases where a civilian provider confers diagnoses of a mental health condition, including PTSD; TBI; or sexual assault/harassment if the case records contain narratives supporting symptomatology at the time of service or when any other evidence which may reasonably indicate that a mental health condition, including PTSD; TBI; or sexual assault/harassment existed at the time of discharge might have mitigated the misconduct that caused a discharge of lesser characterization. Conditions documented in the service 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 a mental health condition, including PTSD; TBI; or sexual assault/harassment 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 characterization of service in question. All Boards will exercise caution in weighing evidence of mitigation in cases in which serious misconduct precipitated a discharge with a less than Honorable characterization of service. Potentially mitigating evidence of the existence of undiagnosed combat related PTSD, PTSD-related conditions due to TBI or sexual assault/harassment as causative factors 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. Caution shall be exercised 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 a narrative reason change. The applicant's record of service, the issues and documents submitted with her application were carefully reviewed. The record confirms that the applicant was diagnosed by competent medical authority with: Personality Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified and PTSD. The applicant provided no independent corroborating evidence demonstrating that either the command's action was erroneous or that the applicant's service mitigated her duty performance, such that she should have been retained on Active Duty. The applicant contends her narrative reason for separation should be changed because it was mislabeled to reflect a personality disorder rather than PTSD. However, the applicant was separated under the provisions of Chapter 5, paragraph 5-13, AR 635-200 with an honorable discharge. The narrative reason specified by Army Regulations for a discharge under this paragraph is "Personality Disorder," and the separation code is "JFX." Army Regulation 635-5, Separation Documents, governs preparation of the DD Form 214 and dictates that entry of the narrative reason for separation, entered in block 28 and separation code, entered in block 26 of the form, will be exactly as listed in tables 2-2 or 2-3 of AR 635-5-1, Separation Program Designator (SPD) Codes. The regulation further stipulates that no deviation is authorized. There is no provision for any other reason to be entered under this regulation. The applicant's service record contains documentation that supports a diagnosis of in service PTSD; however, a careful review of the entire record reveals that this medical condition did not overcome the reason for discharge and characterization of service granted. The record shows that on 9 November 2004, the applicant underwent a mental status evaluation, which indicates she was mentally responsible, with thought content as clear, and was able to recognize right from wrong. The recommendation was that the applicant be separated under the provisions of AR 635-200, Chapter 5-13, for a personality disorder. Further, the applicant's requested change to the DD Form 214, reflecting she was discharged based on PTSD, does not fall within the purview of this Board. The applicant may apply to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR), using the enclosed DD Form 149 regarding this matter. A DD Form 149 may also be obtained from a Veterans' Service Organization. The Army Discharge Review Board is authorized to consider post-service factors in the recharacterization of a discharge. However, there is no law or regulation which provides an unfavorable discharge may be upgraded based solely on the passage of time or good conduct in civilian life subsequent to leaving the service. Outstanding post-service conduct, to the extent such matters provide a basis for a more thorough understanding of the applicant's performance and conduct during the period of service under review, is considered during Board proceedings. The Board reviews each discharge on a case-by-case basis to determine if post-service accomplishments help demonstrate previous in-service misconduct was an aberration and not indicative of the member's overall character. The discharge was consistent with the procedural and substantive requirements of the regulation, was within the discretion of the separation authority, and the applicant was provided full administrative due process. 9. BOARD DETERMINATION: In a records review conducted at Arlington, VA on 25 April 2018, and by a 5-0 vote, the Board determined the narrative reason for the applicant's separation is improper based on the applicant's length and quality of service and the circumstances surrounding the discharge (i.e. in-service and post-service diagnosis of PTSD due to MST). Therefore, the board directed the issue of a new DD Form 214 changing the separation authority to AR 635-200, Chapter 5-3, and the narrative reason for separation to Secretarial Authority, with a corresponding separation code to JFF. The Board determined the RE code 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: No Change c. Change Reason to: Secretarial Authority d. Change Authority to: AR 635-200, Chapter 5-3 e. Change SPD / RE Code to: JFF / 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 AR20170014515 4