AIR FORCE DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD DECISIONAL DOCUMENT  
	CASE NUMBER

 FD-2021-00305	
					
The applicant was discharged on 6 July 2017 in accordance with AFI 36-3209 with a General discharge for Unsatisfactory Participation/Misrepresentation.  The applicant appealed for an upgrade of her discharge characterization to Honorable.  The Board was conducted on 14 October 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.  

The applicant states that she is requesting a change to her discharge because she received an Honorable discharge for her service from 2008 through 2014. She states that she waited a year, went back in and got a second discharge. She states she was under a lot of stress, needed help, and had PTSD. 

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 determined that, through the administrative actions taken by the chain of command in this case, the applicant had ample opportunities to change her negative behavior.  The Board concluded the negative aspects of the applicant’s service outweighed the positive contributions she made during her Air Force career.

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, the member did not submit any records or documentation to substantiate the claim of PTSD, and nothing could be found in the member’s military record. As a member of the Reserve Component, it was the service member’s obligation to report any medical treatment or changes in her medical condition to the unit and/or medical group. 

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 15 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)