AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD DECISIONAL DOCUMENT  
	CASE NUMBER

FD-2021-00361	
					
The applicant was discharged on 18 October 2010 in accordance with AFI 36-3208 with an Under Other Than Honorable Conditions discharge In Lieu of Trial by Court-Martial.  The applicant appealed for an upgrade of her discharge characterization to General or Honorable, a change to the 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 to deny the applicant’s request to upgrade her 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.  

Due to evidence of  post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mental health conditions found in the applicant’s medical record, the Board considered the case based on the liberal consideration standards required by guidance from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and 10 USC §1553.

The applicant contested the character of service of her discharge.  The applicant’s leadership recommended the discharge in lieu of trial by court martial because the applicant had a positive random urinalysis for D-Amphetamine.  The applicant contended that the discharge is inequitable as it was based on one isolated incident in over 12 years of service. She stated that when the incident occurred, she had recently returned from a remote tour and due to a number of personal events at the time of the incident, she was not in the right state of mind.  She stated that during the tour, she was sexually assaulted, cheated on by her husband, stole from by her husband, and her son had open heart surgery. She explained that she became significantly depressed, suicidal and suffered from insomnia. She stated she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, insomnia, and PTSD. 

The applicant explained in detail the events of the day that she wrongfully ingested the medication.  She stated that she put her medication in a baggy with her daughter’s for the Memorial Day weekend. After an emotional weekend of finding out her son could not have the surgery, she reached into her purse and grabbed the baggy of meds and gave her and her daughter their medications. She states that she did not realize she had taken her daughter’s Adderall and after the long weekend, she was subject to urinalysis for which she tested positive.

The DRB reviewed the applicant’s entire service record and found no evidence of impropriety or inequity to warrant an upgrade of the discharge. It found no evidence to indicate the applicant was unaware of the Air Force policy of zero tolerance for illegal drug use. The DRB recognized the applicant served 12 years before the discharge was initiated and reviewed the entire service record, but concluded the seriousness of the applicant’s willful misconduct offset the positive aspects of her service. The characterization of the discharge received by the applicant was deemed to be appropriate.
 
After a thorough review of the service record 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. Specifically, there is no evidence the applicant was unaware of the Air Force’s substance use policy, and there is no evidence, nor did the applicant claim at the time of the investigation, that a mental health condition caused the misconduct that led to her discharge.

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 her request was not approved. 

The DRB results were approved by the board president on 6 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)