TYPE

AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD HEARING  RECORD
-

NAME OF SERVICE MEMBER (LAST, FIRST MIDDLE INTilAL)	GRADE

AFSN/SSAN

X  PERSONAL APPEARANCE

RECORD REVIEW

YES	NO
x

NAME

OF COUNSEL AND Oft ORGANIZA noN	ADDRESS AND OR ORGANIZA noN 01' COUNSEL

MEMBERS SITTING	HON
X* X*
x
X* X*

GEN

VOTE OFTHE BO:UO

UOTHC

OTHER.

DENY

ISSUES
A92.22 A93.02 A.93.10

INDEX NUMBER
A69.00	1	ORDER APPOlNTING THE BOARD
2	APPLICATION FOR REVIEW OF DISCHARGE
3	LETTER OF NOTIFlCATION

IJl!:ARING DATE
5 JUN 03

CASE NUMBER
FD2002-042S

4	BRIEF OF PERSONNEL FILE
COUNSEL'S RELEASE TO THE BOARD
ADDITIONAL EXHIBITS SUBMITTED AT TIME OF PERSONAL APPEARANCE

TAPE RECORDING OF PERSONAL APPERANCE HEARING

ll.EMARKS
Case heard at Scott AFB, Illinois.

* Change in reason for discharge to Secretarial Authority Advise applicant of the decision of the Board.

SAF/MIBR
SSO C STREET WEST, StnTE 40
RANDOLPH AFB, TX 781504742

SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE PERSONNEL COUNCIL AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVrEW BOARD
1535 COMMAND DR, EE WING, 3RD FLOOR
ANDREWS AFB, MD 20762-7002

AFHQ FORM 0-2077, JAN 00	(EF-V2)	Previous edition will be used.

AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD DECISIONAL RATIONALE	CASE NUMBER

FD2000-0425	

GENERAL: The applicant appeals for upgrade of discharge to Honorable Discharge, to change the RE code, and to change the Reason and Authority for discharge.

The applicant appeared and testified before the Discharge Review Board (DRB), without counsel, at Scott AFB, IL on June 5, 2003. The following additional exhibits were submitted at the hearing:

Exhibit 6: 1 Character Letter, dated 20 May 2003	Director, La Petite Academy Exhibit 7: lCharacter Letter, dated 1June 2003,	Lead Teacher, La Petite Academy
The attached brier contains available pertinent data on the applicant and the factors leading to the discharge.

FINDINGS: Upgrade of discharge to Honorable and change of Reason for discharge to Secretarial Authority.

The Board finds that the evidence of record and that provided by the applicant substantiates an impropriety that justifies an upgrade of the discharge.

ISSUES: The applicant was discharged with a General Discharge for Alcohol Rehabilitation Failure.

The applicant was separated due to failure to complete an alcohol rehabilitation program. The applicant presented several issues, which are under consideration for a causal or mitigating relationship with her failure to complete alcohol rehabilitation. Central to the applicant's issues is that she was treated unfairly by the medical professional staff at the time of her initial intake evaluation, which then precipitated her refusal to further participate in an alcohol rehabilitation program sponsored by the base hospital. It must be stated that the applicant was never ordered or directed to attend the alcohol rehabilitation program and that her commander had previously documented his intent to allow the applicant to voluntarily separate from military service in lieu of further administrative processing. The applicant testified that the professional staff member who conducted her evaluation, made inappropriate and threatening remarks, which contributed to her refusal to further participate in the alcohol rehabilitation program. The applicant's subsequent request for referral to a civilian alcohol rehabilitation program was denied due to existing policy for treatment of military members with alcohol dependency. The applicant was, shortly thereafter, processed for discharge after her refusal to participate in the alcohol rehabilitation program. The applicant offered additional testimony, supported by an eye witness present at her bearing, that she also experienced frequent negative racial comments from the senior enlisted supervisory staff within her organization and was not afforded avenues to remedy her distress through command channels existing at the time. The DRB also noted the circumstances surrounding the applicant's initial identification to be entered into alcohol rehabilitation, which was based upon an alcohol-related incident of substantiated spousal physical abuse from her husband, resulting in her husband's arrest. The applicant admitted using alcohol as a coping measure in the abusive relationship with her husband. Nonetheless, the husband was neither referred to receive alcohol treatment nor did he receive a punitive discharge. Since the applicant's discharge she has entered and successfully completed an alcohol 'rehabilitation program and testified she has remained alcohol-free for the past 18 months. The member's post-service activities are noteworthy with her participation in college-level education in the field of criminology. Two faculty members from the applicant's college, the St.Clair County Sheriff and a US Attorney staff member, also testified to the applicant's high moral character, high academic achievement, and their recommendations to offer the applicant an internship within the Department of Justice. The applicant presented evidence of a previous satisfactory term of enlistment culminating in an Honorable Discharge. Additionally, the DRB noted the applicant's performance reports have been satisfactory except for one referral report, following which she demonstrated  a  full  recovery  of  satisfactory  perfonnance.  The  DRB  concluded  the  circumstances	

surrounding the applicant's discharge demonstrated  an impropriety and that her discharge did not warrant the lifeMlong characterization of her military service.

CONCLUSIONS:  Discharge  Review  Board  concludes  that  the  discharge  was  not  consistent  with  the
procedural and substantive requirements of the discharge regulation.

In view of the foregoing fmdings.the Board also concludes that there exists an equitable basis for upgrade
of discharge, thus the applicant's discharge should be changed to Honorable, Secretarial Authority.

Attachment: Examiner's Brief