ADDENDUM TO RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2010-00270 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 1. His discharge be upgraded from general (under honorable conditions) to honorable. 2. His narrative reason for separation be changed from “Pattern of Misconduct” to “Secretarial Authority.” _________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS On 14 Dec 10, the applicant requested that his records be corrected to change his discharge characterization to honorable and his narrative reason to Secretarial Authority. After considering all the facts and evidence in the case, the Board denied his request on 4 Nov 10. For an accounting of the facts and circumstances surrounding the applicant’s request, and the rationale of the earlier decision by the Board, see the Record of Proceedings at Exhibit G. By way of undated letter, the applicant requests reconsideration and submits additional supporting documentation for reconsideration. In support of his request, he provides a personal statement, whichincludes five new pieces of evidence he contends was not previously presented or taken into consideration by the Board. First he was not provided a Medical Evaluation Board assessment while on active duty. Additionally, the Board did not consider the exhaustive process required to diagnose bipolar disorder, his stress level at the time of his discharge and his eventual diagnosis of bipolar disorder subsequent to his discharge. Also to be considered is the time frame of his discharge in relation to other problems faced by base mental health clinics. Prior to 2004, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was not as well known or understood as it is currently, nor were personnel screened for this disorder after returning from war zones. Bipolar disorder is categorized along with schizophrenia as a condition that is incompatible with military service and results in a medical discharge. For a physician to begin the line of inquiry necessary to successfully diagnose a patient with bipolar disorder, he must do so with the knowledge that his patient will be discharged from military service; the physician will also take into account whether or not the patient wishes to stay in uniform. The last piece of evidence not considered by the Board is his answer to the physicians question on whether or not he would prefer to remain in the military. It is easy to understand how a physician dealing with military members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan wants to go along with the wishes of his patient and diagnose his problems as life issues or work related stress instead of attempting to have an individual discharged against his will for mental health reasons. He was misdiagnosed while he served on active duty. Since the DVA evaluated him with 50 percent service connected disability he believes his request should be approved. The applicant's complete submission is at Exhibit F. _________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT: We have thoroughly reviewed the evidence of record and considered the weight and relevance of the additional documentation provided by the applicant, and whether or not it was discoverable at the time of any previous application. We do not find the statements submitted by the applicant meet the criteria for reconsideration of his case. As the applicant has been previously advised, reconsideration is provided only where newly discovered relevant evidence if presented which was not available when the application was submitted. Further, the reiteration of facts we have previously addressed, uncorroborated personal observations, or additional arguments on the evidence of record are not adequate grounds for reopening a case. Therefore, in view of the above and in the absence of new and relevant evidence, we find no basis to reconsider the applicant’s request. _________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT: The applicant be notified the additional evidence presented did not meet the criteria for reconsideration by the Board; 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-2010-00270 in Executive Session on 13 Dec 12, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: The following documentary evidence was considered: Exhibit G. Record of Proceedings, dated 14 Dec 10, w/atchs. Exhibit H. Applicant's Submission, undated.