AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD DECISIONAL DOCUMENT  
	CASE NUMBER

 FD-2019-00398	
					
GENERAL:  The applicant was discharged on 01 Jul 11 in accordance with AFI 36-3208 with a(n) Under Honorable Conditions - General discharge for Misconduct (Drug Abuse).  The applicant appealed for an upgrade of his discharge characterization to Honorable and a change to the discharge narrative reason.  The board was conducted on 08 Oct 19.  

The applicant was offered a personal appearance before the Discharge Review Board (DRB), but declined and requested the board be completed based on a records only review.  The applicant was not represented by counsel.    

The attached examiner’s brief (provided to applicant only), extracted from available service records, contains pertinent data regarding the circumstances and character of the applicant’s military service. 
  
FINDING:  The DRB voted unanimously to deny the applicant’s request to upgrade his discharge characterization to Honorable and to change the discharge narrative reason to Secretarial Authority.  The board also denied to change the reenlistment eligibility code to 2C / 3K.

DISCUSSION:  The DRB, under its responsibility to examine the propriety and equity of an applicant’s discharge, is authorized to change the characterization of service and the narrative reason for discharge if such changes are warranted.  If applicable, the board can also change the applicant’s reenlistment eligibility code.  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 board completed a thorough review of the circumstances that led to the discharge and the discharge process to determine if the discharge met the pertinent standards of equity and propriety.  

The applicant’s record of service included several Letters of Counseling/Reprimand and Article 15’s.  The misconduct included: failure to go to appointment, disrespect towards an NCO, unprofessional behavior, and wrongful use and possession of Spice.

The applicant made no contentions that the discharge was inequitable/improper and that his discharge did not warrant a General discharge.  However, he contends that his narrative reason is unjust because of being labeled as a drug abuser.  He states that his personal issues made him be lost, afraid and alone.  He had tried different types of assistance, through counseling and seeking a chaplain but didn’t receive the help he needed.  Even though he did not receive the assistance he looked for, he excelled in his career, which was reflected by his evaluations and feels that it justifies his request for an honorable discharge.  

After reviewing the service record, the DRB found no evidence to indicate the applicant was unaware of the Air Force policy of zero tolerance for illegal drug use.  It determined that, through the administrative actions taken by the chain of command in this case, the applicant had ample opportunities to change his negative behavior.  The board also took note of the applicant's duty performance as documented by his performance reports, awards and decorations, and other accomplishments. While the board was pleased to see the applicant has been successful since leaving the Air Force, upon reviewing the applicant’s entire service record it found no evidence of impropriety or inequity to warrant any changes to the discharge.  It found the seriousness of the applicant’s willful misconduct offset the positive aspects of his service.  

CONCLUSION:  

The board found insufficient evidence of an inequity or impropriety that would warrant a change to the applicant’s discharge.  Therefore, the discharge received by the applicant was deemed to be appropriate and his request was not approved. 

The DRB results were approved by the board president on 10 Jan 20.  If desired, the applicant can request a list of the board members and their votes by writing to:  

Air Force Review Boards Agency
Attn: Discharge Review Board
3351 Celmers Lane
Joint Base Andrews, NAF Washington, MD 20762-6602  

Attachment:
Examiner's Brief