AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD DECISIONAL DOCUMENT  
	CASE NUMBER

FD-2021-00313	
					
The applicant was discharged on 18 June 2019 in accordance with AFI 36-3208 with an Honorable discharge for Unsatisfactory Performance.  The applicant appealed for an upgrade of his discharge narrative reason, and a change to the reenlistment eligibility code.  The Board was conducted on 4 November 2021.  

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 approve the applicant’s request to upgrade his discharge narrative reason to Secretarial Authority, and unanimously to deny an upgrade of the reenlistment eligibility code to 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’s record of service included Letters of Reprimand, and a Letter of Counseling.  His misconduct included:  improper control of military working dog allowing him to get into an altercation with another, causing the need for medical attention; allowing his dog to get his foot stuck in the bathroom door, and failure to obey by not having uniform on hand, causing member to be late and fail to complete tasks; failure to obey a lawful order to out-process in a timely manner; and lying to an NCO regarding his where abouts. 

The applicant requested a second chance to enlist. The member stated that he didn’t want to separate but his unit said it was in the best interests of the Air Force. The member concluded by saying that he now has a family and wants to provide a good life for them. 

The board noted inconsistencies between the discharge memorandum and the DD 214 and Form 100. Specifically, the Wing Commander directed an Honorable discharge however, the DD 214 and Form 100 identified a General discharge. Through an inquiry with AFPC, it was determined to be an administrative error. This error was corrected prior to the DRB deciding the case. Administratively, the discharge was corrected to an Honorable Character, the Narrative Reason remained Unsatisfactory Performance and the Re-enlistment eligibility code was changed to a “2C”. 

CONCLUSION:  
The Board found neither the evidence of record, nor that provided by the applicant substantiated any inequity.  However, sufficient evidence existed to convince the board the discharge was improper.  Therefore, the Board determined the discharge narrative reason was more accurately described as “Secretarial Authority.”  The Board did not change the discharge narrative reason or the reenlistment eligibility code.    

The DRB results were approved by the board president on 4 November 2021.  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  
Instructions on how to appeal an AFDRB decision can be found at 
https://afrbaportal.azurewebsites.us

Attachment:
Examiner's Brief (Applicant Only)