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AIR FORCE DISCHARGE R EVIEW BOARD HEARI NG RECORD

NAME OF SERVICE MEMBER (LAST, FIRST MIQDLE INITIAL)	GRADE	AFSN/SSAN

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TYPE

rxPEQSONAL APPEARANCE

RECORD

REVIEW

COUNSEL
YES	NO
x

NAME OF COUNSEL AND OR ORGANIZATION	ADDRESS AND OR ORGANIZATION  OF COUNSEL

VOTE OF THE BOARD
MEMBERS  SITTING	HON	GEN	UOTHC	OTHER	DENY
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ISSUES	INDEX NUMBER	EXHIBITS SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD
A42.00	A94.06	A67.00/10	]	ORDE R APPOINTING TH E BOARD
2	APPLICATION FOR REVIEW OF DISCHARGE
3	LETTER OF NOTIFICATION
HEARING DATE	CASE NUMBER	4	BRIEF OF PERSONNEL  FILE
25,0CT 2003	FD2003-00262A	COUNSEL'S RELEASE TO THE BOARD
ADDITIONAL EXHIBITS SUBMITTED AT  TIME OF PERSONAL APPEARANCE

TAPE RECORDING OF PERSONAL APPERANCE HEARING
APPLICANT'S ISSUE AND THE BOARD'S DECISIONAL RATIONAL ARE DISCUSSED ON THE ATTACHED AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD DECISIONAL RATIONALE. REMARKS
Case hea rd at Albany, New York (American Red Cross Regional Offices)

* Change of reason for discha rge to Personality Disorder
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Advise applicant of the decision of the Boa rd.

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INDORSEMENT

TO:	FROM:

I	DATE:  20 NOV 2003

SAF/MIBR	SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE PERSONNEL COUNCIL
550 C STREET WEST, SUITE 40	AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD
RANDOLPH  AFB, TX  78150-4742		1535 COM MAND DR, EE WING, 3Ro FLOOR AN DREWS AFB, M D 20762-7002

AFHQ FORM 0-2077, JAN 00	(EF-V2)	Previous

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edition

Wiil be used .

AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD DECISIONAL RATIONALE	CASE NUMBER

FD2003-00262-A	

GENERAL: The applicant appeals for an Honorable Discharge, a Change in Reason for discharge and Change in RE code.

The applicant appeared and testified before the Discharge Review Board (DRB), without counsel at Albany, New York. The applicant's spouse, professor of psychology, was present as a witness on behalf of the applicant.
The following additional exhibits were submitted by the applicant at the hearing:

The attached brief contains available pertinent data on the applicant and the factors leading to the discharge. FINDINGS:  Upgrade of discharge to Honorable and Change in Reason for discharge are approved.
The Board finds evidence of record and that provided by the applicant, which substantiates an inequity that justifies an upgrade of discharge to Honorable and a Change in Reason for discharge. Change in RE code is denied.

ISSUES: The applicant was discharged with a service characterization of General, under Honorable conditions, for misconduct and a pattern of minor disciplinary infractions principally related to recurring interpersonal conflicts (disrespect and verbal outbursts) directed towards her peers and individuals within her supervisory chain. Additionally, the member received letters of counseling and reprimand for a variety of minor infractions, such as having an unauthorized pet in her living quarters, conflicts over bus transportation to and from her place of duty, and an Article 15 for making a false official  statement regarding her reason for not attending Chemical Warfare Training at the appointed time. The applicant's commander subsequently referred her for a mental health evaluation, whereupon she received a diagnosis of personality disorder. The applicant's principal contention is that she should have been discharged with a "medical discharge" based upon her clinical diagnosis. However, the applicant's commander chose not to discharge the member for her mental disorder. The Board also found reason to believe there were significant additional factors not considered by the discharge authority in its decision to separate the member with a General discharge. These include the applicant's poor work environment and her behavioral response to physical and verbal provocations (both of a sexual and racial nature), reportedly, by her coworkers and supervisors. While the Board does not condone the applicant's maladaptive behavior displayed within her place of duty, the Board opines her behavior bore a significant causal and mitigating relationship with her medical diagnosis. The applicant also provided post-service evidence, as documented in the above additional exhibits, she continues to suffer from significant residual adverse occupational affects of her mental disorder, for which she attributes to her experiences during military service.

CONCLUSIONS:
The Discharge Review Board concludes that the discharge was consistent with the procedural and substantive requirements of the discharge regulation and was within the discretion of the discharge authority and that the applicant was provided full administrative due process. However, in view of the foregoing findings, the Board also concludes there is substantial evidence to justify an upgrade to Honorable and change in the reason for discharge to Personality Disorder.