RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2013-04517 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His Reentry (RE) code of “4C” which denotes “Concealment of juvenile records; or minority or failure to meet physical standards; or failure to obtain 9.0 reading grade level” be changed to “1M” which denotes “Eligible to Reenlist.” ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: He was diagnosed with atopic dermatitis while in Basic Military Training (BMT). He has been reevaluated and he has no signs of atopic dermatitis. He was recommended to apply for reenlistment if the condition was resolved. In support of his request, the applicant provides a copy of his DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty; a letter from his physician, and SF 600, Chronological Record of Medical Care. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. _________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: On 2 Apr 13, the applicant entered active duty. On 21 May 13, he was recommended for administrative separation for atopic dermatitis, a disqualifying medical condition In Accordance With (IAW) DODI 6130.03, Medical Standards for Appointment, Enlistment, or Induction in the Military Services, Enclosure 22b. It was the opinion of the medical provider that the condition existed prior to enlistment and that he not be considered for an enlistment waiver. On 6 Jun 13, he received an entry level separation with an uncharacterized character of service, RE code “4C” and narrative reason for separation of “Discharge failed medical/physical procurement standards.” He served 2 months and 5 days on active duty. _________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPSOA recommends denial of the applicant’s request for a reenlistment eligible RE code. He received an erroneous RE code on his DD Form 214. The correct RE code is “2C” which denotes “Involuntarily separated with an honorable discharge; or entry level separation without characterization of service” as required by AFI 36-2606, Reenlistments in the United States Air Force, chapter 5. The RE code “2C” is required based on the entry level separation with an uncharacterized character of service and the applicant does not provide any evidence of an error or injustice to his RE code. The applicant will be provided a corrected copy of his DD Form 214 with RE code of “2C” unless otherwise directed by the Board. The complete DPSOA evaluation is at Exhibit B. _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: Due to certain circumstances at BMT, a rash broke out on the skin of his eye lid. He strongly believes he was misdiagnosed with atopic dermatitis. He has been seen by two dermatologists since his discharge and both are in agreement they found nothing that should have disqualified him. At the time of his discharge, he was recommended to be able to come back in the Air Force if his condition was resolved. He requests his RE code be changed to “1M” to allow reentry. He is willing to be reevaluated by a military dermatologist to prove he does not have any signs of atopic dermatitis or other disqualifying conditions. Otherwise, he would like to apply for a waiver to reenter the Air Force. The applicant’s complete response, with attachments, is at Exhibit D. _________________________________________________________________ ADDITIONAL AIR FORCE EVALUATION: The BCMR Medical Consultant recommends denial of the applicant’s request for reentry into active duty service due to a disqualifying skin disorder and recommends the change in the RE code to “2C.” A medical progress note on 21 May 13 documents a diagnosis of atopic dermatitis, bilateral peri-orbital region, and indicates that the applicant’s skin condition is disqualifying for service entry per DODI 6130.03. Progress notes further state that the applicant had a one year history of a peri-orbital rash which was never evaluated by a provider prior to BMT. There was no documentation of treatment while in the military. Atopic dermatitis, a common form of eczema, is a chronic allergic hypersensitivity dermatological condition often associated with periods of intensely itchy, inflamed, crusty and dry skin. It can occur in all age groups and often flares up due to environmental triggers. The applicant submitted a letter from his civilian dermatologist dated 7 Aug 13 which states they only found mild xerosis on his left eyelid and no evidence of atopic dermatitis. Xerosis (dry skin) is considered one of the associated findings which may present without over manifestation of the condition. The Medical Consultant notes that this finding is not inconsistent with the flare and remission cycle often observed with this condition. Furthermore, the Medical Consultant acknowledges that medically recognized periods of flares and remission will occur with this skin disorder and maintains that although the applicant’s skin examination did not reflect evidence of “full blown” disease the disease can still be present. Therefore, the Medical Consultant concludes that the applicant has not met the burden of proof of an error or injustice with regards to the disqualifying diagnosis made by the dermatologist. The complete BCMR Medical Consultant’s evaluation is at Exhibit E. _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF ADDITIONAL AIR FORCE EVALUATION: He was misdiagnosed at BMT with atopic dermatitis and the diagnosis was later corrected to conjunctivitis (pink eye). In the final weeks of BMT, he observed severely dry skin around his brow and believed at the time it was pink eye. He made the mistake of applying hand sanitizer to his face in an effort to disinfect any conjunctivitis and prevent further infection. The hand sanitizer had an adverse effect and ended up drying out and damaging his skin. On 13 May 13, he was directed to the medical treatment facility and was diagnosed with atopic dermatitis. He was recommended for discharge due to the disqualifying condition but was under the impression if his condition improved in six months he could reenlist. On 7 Aug and 17 Dec 13, he was evaluated by dermatologists who observed no evidence of atopic dermatitis or any disqualifying skin conditions. Despite the misdiagnosed skin condition, he knows if given the opportunity he can complete BMT and serve in the Air Force with honor. The applicant’s complete response, with attachments, is at Exhibit G. _________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT: 1. The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing law or regulations. 2. The application was timely filed. 3. Insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of error or injustice. We took notice of the applicant’s complete submission, to include the additional information provided by the applicant in judging the merits of the case; however, we agree with the opinions and recommendations of the Air Force Offices of Primary Responsibility (OPR) and adopt their rationale as the basis for our conclusion that the applicant has not been the victim of an error or injustice. Therefore, aside from the administrative correction of the applicant’s DD Form 214 to reflect the correct RE code of “2C,” we find no basis to recommend granting any of the relief sought in this application. _________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT: The applicant be notified that the evidence presented did not demonstrate the existence of material error or injustice; that the application was denied without a personal appearance; and that 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-2013-04517 in Executive Session on 26 Jun 14 under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: , Panel Chair , Member , Member The following documentary evidence in AFBCMR Docket Number BC- 2013-04517 was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 18 Sep 13, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Letter, AFPC/DPSOA, dated 15 Nov 13. Exhibit C. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 6 Dec 13. Exhibit D. Letter, Applicant, undated, w/atchs. Exhibit E. Letter, Medical Consultant, dated 10 Apr 14. Exhibit F. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 25 Apr 14. Exhibit G. Letter, Applicant, dated 19 Apr 14, w/atchs. PANEL CHAIR