AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD DECISIONAL DOCUMENT  
	CASE NUMBER

 FD-2020-00695	
					
The applicant was discharged on 10 Oct 18 in accordance with AFI 36-3208 with a General discharge for Alcohol Rehabilitation Failure.  The applicant appealed for an upgrade of his discharge characterization to Honorable.  The board was conducted on 18 Feb 21.  

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.    

Pursuant to 10 USC §1553, the board included a member who is a psychiatrist/ psychologist with training on mental health issues connected with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI), and training on mental health disorders.

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, to change the discharge narrative reason to Secretarial Authority, and to change the reenlistment eligibility code to 2C / 3K.

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 contends that he has Persistent depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder. The member states that at his duty station, he did nothing but self-medicate and allude himself from reality. Explains that he suffered tremendously and it affected not only his team but hindered him from being his self. He continues to say that his condition only got worse and worse. He states that he lost so much due to his mental health and it just kept escalating. The member states that he was given treatment from ADAPT but it was misdiagnosed and mistreated.  He explains that his condition only got worse and they didn’t take his condition seriously. He states that he abused alcohol to stop the hurt, to forget and to cope. He says he spent over a year in treatment for it all to fail and receive a discharge. He explains that he was basically out casted and excluded from his unit and looked at like he was a troubled airman with no hope. The member states that after separation he received a rating from the VA. His discharge changed him as a person. He states he moved back to his home state, got a job and started attending classes. He states he wants to move forward in life. The member concludes that he knows for a fact that if it wasn’t for his mental health, his career would have had a completely different outcome. 

Upon review of the applicant’s service record, the board was not able to find any documentation regarding the discharge.  Since the board relies on the presumption of regularity, it concluded the discharge received by the applicant was appropriate. After a thorough review and inputs from the board’s psychiatrist/ psychologist, the DRB found no conclusive indication that any mental health issues had a direct impact on the applicant's misconduct or discharge. 

If the applicant can provide additional information to substantiate his contentions, the board recommends he exercise the right to make a personal appearance before the DRB or directly appeal the DRB’s decision to the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records.    

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 19 Feb 21.  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 (Applicant Only)