AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD DECISIONAL DOCUMENT  
	CASE NUMBER

 FD-2021-00505

The applicant was discharged on 1 December 2017 with a Bad Conduct Discharge after being convicted of criminal offenses during a Special Court-Martial.  The applicant appealed for an upgrade of his discharge characterization to Honorable.  The Board was conducted on 9 December 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.    

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 or 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 made no contentions that the discharge was inequitable or improper.  The applicant stated that he would like to receive VA benefits and explained that his character of service was Honorable until his last month of service. 

A review of the record revealed the applicant was tried at a Special Court-Martial for falsifying several signatures on court documents that pertained to his divorce proceedings.  He was sentenced to a reduction to E-1, forfeitures of pay, confinement for four months, and a Bad Conduct Discharge.  Upon review of an applicant’s Bad Conduct Discharge as adjudged by a Special Court-Martial, the DRB may change the punitive discharge to an administrative discharge for the purposes of clemency, if warranted.  The DRB reviewed the applicant’s entire service record and found insufficient evidence to grant the applicant’s request.  The Board found the negative aspects of the applicant’s willful misconduct outweighed the positive aspects of his military service.  The characterization of the discharge received by the applicant was deemed to be appropriate.

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 December 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)