AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD DECISIONAL DOCUMENT  
	CASE NUMBER

FD-2021-00290	
					
GENERAL:  The applicant was discharged on 07 Feb 2011 in accordance with AFI 36-3208 with a General discharge for Misconduct.  The applicant appealed for an upgrade of her discharge characterization to Honorable, a change to the discharge narrative reason, and a change to the reenlistment eligibility code.  The Board was conducted on 30 Sep 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.

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 an Article 15 and a Letter of Reprimand. Her misconduct included: falling asleep on the flight line, failure to report for training, failure to obey a lawful order given by an NCO, and falsifying an official statement with intent to device an NCO. 

Due to evidence of  military sexual trauma 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 stated that she was discharged base on minor misconduct issues which resulted from being sexually assaulted from another military member which caused behavioral issues that led to her discharge.  The applicant stated between Aug 2010 to Dec 2010, the individual not only assaulted her but gave her an STD, which led to behavioral issues and additional issues with her mental health.  She stated that out of fear of retaliation and being young, she withheld information that could have helped her. She stated that because of the sexual assault, trauma, guilt and the fact that the person who committed the assault was married only led to her withholding the information as a victim.  She stated that since she has been out of the military, she has tried to maintain a normal life however the anxiety from being discharged, having to show and explain her misconduct has led to her not being able to get employment opportunities. 
 
The DRB was pleased to see the applicant has been successful since leaving the Air Force.  However, the Board reviewed the applicant’s entire service record and found no evidence of impropriety or inequity to warrant any changes to the discharge.  After a thorough review of the service record and input from the Board’s psychiatrist/ psychologist, the DRB found that some aspects of the applicant’s mental health condition may have been a mitigating factor to the applicant's misconduct, however, it could not completely explain or excuse the misconduct sufficiently to warrant upgrading the discharge.

If the applicant can provide additional information to substantiate her contentions, the Board recommends she 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.  

Instructions on how to appeal to AFDRB or AFBCMR can be found at https://afrbaportal.azurewebsites.us

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 12 October 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)