AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD DECISIONAL DOCUMENT  
	CASE NUMBER

 FD-2021-00064	
					
The applicant was discharged on 7 Feb 06 in accordance with AFI 36-3208 with an Honorable discharge for Personality Disorder.  The applicant appealed for an upgrade of her discharge narrative reason.  The Board was conducted on 13 May 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 approve the applicant’s request to change her discharge narrative reason to Secretarial Authority, and to change 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.  

Due to evidence of  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/or 10 USC §1553.

The applicant states that she notified her Command of sexual harassment by a superior. She states it was brought up to her immediate supervisor who attempted to assist her. However not action to protect her further was taken by Command. She states the sexual harassment continued and the individual proceeded to come into her office regularly and would put his hands on her shoulders and rub them and she did not ask for this. The member states that he would do push-ups in her office to draw attention to himself. She explains that her working conditions became unmanageable and damaging to her MH. She states that she could no longer focus on her job and was a new Airman. The member explains that upon her complaint with things stated in confidence to another coworker, she was sent to mental ward in a local hospital and was forced to stay for a minimum of 48 hours and in order to be released, she was made to sign separation paperwork which stated she had a mental disorder.

Per guidance from the Department of Defense, applicant requests to change the narrative reason should be approved when the original narrative reason was Adjustment/Personality Disorder and there were no aggravating factors in the record, such as misconduct.  The Board determined the facts in this case met the criteria and, therefore approved the applicant’s request to change the narrative reason.  

CONCLUSION:  
The DRB found neither the evidence of record, nor that provided by the applicant substantiated an impropriety.  However, sufficient evidence existed to convince the board the discharge was inequitable.  After a thorough review of the service record and input from the board’s psychiatrist/ psychologist, the DRB found that the applicant’s mental health condition was a mitigating factor to the applicant's separation, the Board determined the discharge narrative reason was more accurately described as “Secretarial Authority.”  Additionally, the reenlistment eligibility code was changed to “3K.”  

The DRB results were approved by the board president on 19 May 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)