ex-MAJ, USMC

Current Discharge and Applicant’s Request

Application Received:  20100407
Characterization of Service Received:  
Narrative Reason for Discharge:  RES 
Authority for Discharge:  SECNAVINST 1920.6C

Applicant’s Request:	Characterization change to: 
	Narrative Reason change to: 

Summary of Service

Prior Service:
Inactive:	NROTC	19870811 - 19920409  	Active:	R  19920410 - 19980713  HON
Period of Service Under Review:
Date of Appointment:  19980714	Age:  29
Years Contracted:  Indefinite
Date of Discharge:  20070430	Highest Rank:  MAJ
Length of Service:  08 Year(s)     Month(s)   16 Day(s)
Education Level:  	
Officer’s Fitness reports:  Available

Awards and Decorations (per DD 214):	Rifle  Pistol   (2)   (2)  NMUC (2)

Period of UA 20061218-20061231, 13 days  CONF: The record indicates pre-trial confinement starting on 20061231

NJP:  	SCM:  	SPCM:  	CC:  

Retention Warning Counseling:  

NDRB Documentary Review Conducted (date):	20080327
NDRB Documentary Review Docket Number:	MD08-00541
NDRB Documentary Review Findings:		Proper as issued and that no change is warranted.

Administrative Corrections to the Applicant’s DD 214

The NDRB did note administrative error(s) on the original DD Form 214:	

	  “SECNAVINST 1920.6C”
	  20061218-20061231

The NDRB will recommend to the Commandant of the Marine Corps that the DD 214 be corrected as appropriate.

Types of Documents Submitted/reviewed
Related to Military Service:
	DD 214:		Service/Medical Record:		Other Records:	
Related to Post-Service Period:
	Employment:		Finances:		Education/Training:	
	Health/Medical Records:		Rehabilitation/Treatment:		Criminal Records:	
	Personal Documentation:		Community Service:		References:	
	Department of VA letter:		Other Documentation:	
		Additional Statements:
	From Applicant:		From/To Representation:		From/To Congress member:	

Pertinent Regulation/Law

A.  Secretary of the Navy Instruction 1920.6C (ADMINISTRATIVE SEPARATION OF OFFICERS) effective 15 December 2005 until Present establishes policies, standards and procedures for the administrative separation of Navy and Marine Corps officers from the naval service in accordance with Title 10, United States Code and DoD Directive 1332.30 of 14 Mar 97

B.  Secretary of the Navy Instruction 5420.174D of 22 December 2004, Naval Discharge Review Board (NDRB) Procedures and Standards, Part II, Para 211, Regularity of Government Affairs, Part V, Para 502, Propriety and Para 503, Equity.

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
NAVAL DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD (NDRB)
DISCHARGE REVIEW DECISIONAL DOCUMENT

Applicant’s Issues

1.	Applicant contends his misconduct was an isolated incident in 15 years of service with no disciplinary action.
2.	Applicant seeks an upgrade based on post-service achievements.

Decision

Date:  20110504		Location: Washington D.C.	 Representation: 

By a vote of  the Characterization shall  .
By a vote of  the Narrative Reason shall  RES .

Discussion

The NDRB, under its responsibility to examine the propriety and equity of an Applicant’s discharge, is authorized to change the character 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 Applicant identified two decisional issues for the Board’s consideration.  The Board conducted a thorough review of the circumstances that led to  discharge and the discharge process to ensure  discharge met the pertinent standards of equity and propriety.  The Applicant’s record of service did not include any 6105 retention warnings, commanding officer nonjudicial punishments (NJP), or trial by courts-martial.  However, the record did reflect the Applicant had been referred to trial by punitive court-martial for violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ): Article 86 (Absence without leave, 18 Dec-31 Dec 2006, terminated by apprehension at a local hospital), Article 92 (Failure to obey order, regulation, specifics NFIR), Article 107 (False official statement, specifics NFIR), Article 112a (Wrongful use, possession, etc. of controlled substance, cocaine, specifics NFIR), and Article 133 (Conduct unbecoming an officer, specifics NFIR).  The Applicant, after consult with qualified counsel, submitted a request to his commanding officer for a resignation in lieu of trial by court-martial (RILT).  In the request, the Applicant, in exchange for pleading guilty to the offenses in which he was charged, offered to accept administrative separation with a characterization of service no less than Under Other Than Honorable Conditions, thereby avoiding a possible conviction and punitive discharge by Special Court-Martial.  The Secretary of the Navy accepted the Applicant’s request, and he was administratively separated on 30 April 2007 with an Under Other Than Honorable Conditions discharge.

:  (Decisional) ()  .  The Applicant contends his misconduct was an isolated incident in 15 years of service with no disciplinary action.  Despite a service member’s prior record of service, certain serious offenses, even though isolated, warrant separation from the Naval Service in order to maintain proper order and discipline; violations of UCMJ Articles 92, 107, 112a, and 133 meet this standard.  Since an administrative discharge is not punishment, the decision to administratively discharge a service member is made independently of and does not require adjudication at court-martial or nonjudicial punishment.  When the service of a member of the Naval Service has been honest and faithful, it is appropriate to characterize that service as Honorable.  An Under Other Than Honorable Conditions discharge is warranted when the member’s conduct involves one or more acts or omissions that constitute a significant departure from the conduct expected of members of the Naval Service.  The Applicant’s service contained a violation of UCMJ Articles 92, 107, 112a, and 133, which each constitute the commission of a serious offense and are punishable by up to five years confinement and a Bad Conduct or Dishonorable Discharge if adjudicated by trial at courts-martial.  The Applicant’s conduct, which forms the primary basis for determining the character of service, reflects the Applicant’s willful failure to meet the requirements of conduct expected of all Marines, especially a Major with 15 years of service, and falls short of what is required for an upgrade in the characterization of service.  Relief denied.

:  (Decisional) ()  .  The Applicant seeks an upgrade based on post-service achievements.  The NDRB considers post-service conduct in order to determine if the misconduct committed during active duty was indicative of the Applicant’s character or an aberration.  However, there is no law or regulation that 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.  Normally, to permit relief, a procedural impropriety or inequity must have been found to have existed during the period of enlistment in question.  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.  The Applicant provided documentary evidence of his career pursuit and current employment in the teaching field and a commercial driver’s license certificate.  Although not submitted, the Applicant could have also provided: letters of personal references; verifiable employment record; letters of recommendation from his employer; evidence of a drug-free lifestyle; certification of non-involvement with civil authorities; evidence of financial stability; college or vocational training transcripts; and documentation of community or church service.  After careful consideration of all the available evidence to include the Applicant’s testimony, the Board determined that this issue did not provide a basis for which relief could be granted.  Relief denied.

Summary:  After a thorough review of the available evidence, to include the Applicant’s summary of service,  record entries, documents and testimony given by the Applicant and the resignation in lieu of trial discharge process, the Board found   Therefore, the awarded characterization of service shall  UNDER OTHER THAN HONORABLE CONDITIONS and the narrative reason for separation shall remain RES IN LIEU OF TRIAL BY COURT MARTIAL.

ADDENDUM:  Information for the Applicant

Complaint Procedures:  If you believe the decision in your case is unclear, not responsive to the issues you raised, or does not otherwise comport with the decisional document requirements of DoD Instruction 1332.28, you may submit a complaint in accordance with Enclosure (5) of that Instruction to the Joint Service Review Activity, OUSD (P&R) PI-LP, The Pentagon, Washington, DC  20301-4000.  You should read Enclosure (5) of the Instruction before submitting such a complaint.  The complaint procedure does not permit a challenge of the merits of the decision; it is designed solely to ensure that the decisional documents meet applicable requirements for clarity and responsiveness.  You may view DoD Instruction 1332.28 and other Decisional Documents by going online at “http://Boards.law.af.mil.”

Additional Reviews:  After a document review has been conducted, former members are eligible for a personal appearance hearing, provided the application is received at the NDRB within 15 years of the Applicant’s date of discharge.  The Applicant can provide documentation to support any claims of post-service accomplishments or any additional evidence related to this discharge.  Representation at a personal appearance hearing is recommended but not required.  There are veterans organizations such as the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans that are willing to provide guidance to former service members in their efforts to obtain a discharge upgrade.  If a former member has been discharged for more than 15 years, has already been granted a personal appearance hearing or has otherwise exhausted their opportunities before the NDRB, the Applicant may petition the Board for Correction of Naval Records (BCNR), 2 Navy Annex, Washington, DC 20370-5100 for further review.

Service Benefits:  The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) determines eligibility for post-service benefits, not the NDRB.  There is no requirement or law that grants recharacterization solely on the issue of obtaining veterans benefits and this issue does not serve to provide a foundation upon which the Board can grant relief.

Employment/Educational Opportunities:  The NDRB has no authority to upgrade a discharge for the sole purpose of enhancing employment or educational opportunities.  Regulations limit the NDRB’s review to a determination of the propriety and equity of the discharge.

Reenlistment/RE-code:  Since the NDRB has no jurisdiction over reenlistment, reentry, or reinstatement into the Navy, Marine Corps, or any other of the Armed Forces, the NDRB is not authorized to change a reenlistment code.  Only the BCNR can make changes to reenlistment codes.  Additionally, the NDRB has no authority to upgrade a discharge for the sole purpose of enhancing reenlistment opportunities.  An unfavorable “RE” code is, in itself, not a bar to reenlistment.  A request for a waiver can be submitted during the processing of a formal application for reenlistment through a recruiter.

Medical Conditions and Misconduct:  DoD disability regulations do not preclude a disciplinary separation.  Appropriate regulations stipulate that separations for misconduct take precedence over potential separations for other reasons.  Whenever a member is being processed through the Physical Evaluation Board, and is processed subsequently for an administrative involuntary separation or is referred to a court martial for misconduct, the disability evaluation is suspended pending the outcome of the non-disability proceedings.  If the action includes either a punitive or administrative discharge for misconduct or for any basis wherein an Other Than Honorable discharge is authorized, the medical board report is filed in the member’s terminated health record.  Additionally, the NDRB does not have the authority to change a narrative reason for separation to one indicating a medical disability or other medical related reasons.  Only the BCNR can grant this type of narrative reason change.

Automatic Upgrades - There is no law or regulation that provides for an unfavorable discharge to be upgraded based solely on the passage of time or good conduct subsequent to leaving naval service.

Post-Service Conduct:  The NDRB is authorized to consider post-service factors in the recharacterization of a discharge.  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 reviews.  Documentation to support a post-service conduct upgrade includes, but is not limited to: a verifiable continuous employment record; marriage and children’s birth certificates (if applicable); character witness statements; documentation of community or church service; certification of non-involvement with civil authorities; evidence of financial stability or letters of good standing from banks, credit card companies, or other financial institutions; attendance at or completion of higher education (official transcripts); and documentation of a drug-free lifestyle.   The Applicant is advised that completion of these items alone does not guarantee the upgrade of an unfavorable discharge, as each discharge is reviewed by the Board on a case-by-case basis to determine if post-service accomplishments help demonstrate  in-service misconduct was an aberration and not indicative of the member’s overall character.

Issues Concerning Bad-Conduct Discharges (BCD): Because relevant and material facts stated in a court-martial specification are presumed by the NDRB to be established facts, issues relating to the Applicant’s innocence of charges for which he was found guilty cannot form a basis for relief.  With respect to a discharge adjudged by a special court-martial, the action of the NDRB is restricted to upgrades based on clemency.  Clemency is an act of leniency that reduces the severity of the punishment imposed.  The NDRB does not have the jurisdictional authority to review a discharge or dismissal resulting from a general court-martial.

Board Membership:  The names and votes of the members of the NDRB Board are recorded on the original of this document and may be obtained from the service records by writing to:

Secretary of the Navy Council of Review Boards
Attn:  Naval Discharge Review Board
720 Kennon Street SE Rm 309
Washington Navy Yard DC  20374-5023