1. Applicant's Name: a. Application Date: 8 August 2017 b. Date Received: 23 August 2017 c. Counsel: None 2. REQUEST, ISSUES, BOARD TYPE, AND DECISION: The applicant requests an upgrade of an uncharacterized discharge to general (under honorable conditions). The applicant seeks relief contending, in effect, was discharged due to no fault of the applicant's own. Per the Board's Medical Officer, a voting member, based on the information available for review at the time in the service record, the Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA), and Joint Legacy Viewer (JLV), notes indicate diagnoses of Borderline Personality Disorder, Adjustment Disorder, Alcohol Dependence, Anxiety Disorder, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder NOS, Major Depressive Disorder, PTSD, and relational issues. In summary, due to the applicant's medical diagnoses, it is the option of the Board's Medical Advisor that the discharge was proper and equitable. In a records review conducted at Arlington, VA on 5 April 2019, and by a 5-0 vote, the Board determined that the narrative reason for discharge was improper based on the circumstances surrounding the discharge (i.e. in-service and post-service diagnosis of PTSD and OBH). Accordingly, the Board voted to grant relief by changing the separation authority to AR 635-200, paragraph 5-17, the narrative reason for separation to Condition, Not a Disability, and the separation code to JFV. The board determined the characterization of service was proper and equitable and voted not to change it. (Board member names available upon request) 3. DISCHARGE DETAILS: a. Reason / Authority / Codes / Characterization: Personality Disorder / AR 635-200, Paragraph 5-13 / JFX / RE-3 / Uncharacterized b. Date of Discharge: 7 June 2006 c. Separation Facts: (1) Date of Notification of Intent to Separate: 1 June 2006 (2) Basis for Separation: The applicant was informed of the following reasons: She was diagnosed with a Personality Disorder. Soldier has a disorder that is a deeply ingrained maladaptive pattern of behavior of long duration that interferes with Soldier's ability to perform duty. This condition is not compatible with satisfactory service. (3) Recommended Characterization: Uncharacterized (4) Legal Consultation Date: On 1 June 2006, the applicant waived her rights to consult with a JAG officer. (5) Administrative Separation Board: NA (6) Separation Decision Date / Characterization: 5 June 2006 / Uncharacterized 4. SERVICE DETAILS: a. Date / Period of Enlistment: 16 May 2006 / 4 years b. Age at Enlistment / Education / GT Score: 19 / HS Graduate / 111 c. Highest Grade Achieved / MOS / Total Service: E-3 / None / 22 days d. Prior Service / Characterizations: None e. Overseas Service / Combat Service: None f. Awards and Decorations: None g. Performance Ratings: NA h. Disciplinary Action(s) / Evidentiary Record: See paragraph 4j below. i. Lost Time / Mode of Return: None j. Diagnosed PTSD / TBI / Behavioral Health: Report of Mental Status Evaluation, dated 19 May 2006, reflects the applicant had a stable mood, appropriate affect, linear flow of thought, speech WNL. No evidence of audio or visual hallucinations, delusions or psychosis. Mental status was normal that day. However, SM reports an extensive psychiatric history which includes two suicide attempts. SM was admitted to a psychiatric unit hospital November 2005 and December 2005. Upon her first hospital stay she was prescribed Zoloft 200mg, Lexapro 10 mg. Neurontin 200 mg, and Risperdal 20mg. SM discontinued medications in April 2006 against medical advice. Her diagnosis are Major Depressive Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder and Bipolar Tendencies. SM has extensive history of abuse. Given her recent suicide attempts and discontinuance of medication, prognosis to successfully complete training was poor. If this SM is retained command can expect her symptoms and behaviors to escalate to a point of risk of harm to herself. The above stated diagnosis are not amenable to short-term therapy while in training. SM may return to CMHS as needed for supportive therapy, however separation 5-13 was recommended as soon as possible. Recommendation 5-13, Personality Disorder; Borderline Personality Disorder. 5. APPLICANT-PROVIDED EVIDENCE: DD Form 214; DD Form 293. 6. POST SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: None submitted with the application. 7. REGULATORY CITATION(S): Army Regulation 635-200 provides the basic authority for the separation of enlisted personnel. Paragraph 5-13 in effect at the time, provided that a Soldier may be separated for a personality disorder, not amounting to disability, when the condition interfered with assignment to or performance of duty. The regulation requires that the condition is a deeply ingrained maladaptive pattern of behavior of long duration that interferes with the Soldier's ability to perform military duties. The regulation also directs that commanders will not take action prescribed in this Chapter in lieu of disciplinary action and requires that the disorder is so severe that the Soldier's ability to function in the military environment is significantly impaired. Army policy requires the award of a fully honorable discharge in such case. Characterization of service under honorable conditions may be awarded to a Soldier who has been convicted of an offense by general court-martial or who has been convicted by more than one special court-martial in the current enlistment, period of obligated service, or any extension thereof. National Defense Authorization Act 2017 provided specific guidance to the Military Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records and Discharge Review Boards when considering discharge upgrade requests by Veterans claiming Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in connection with combat or sexual assault or sexual harassment as a basis for discharge review. Further, it provided that Boards will include, as a voting board member, a physician trained in mental health disorders, a clinical psychologist, or a psychiatrist when the discharge upgrade claim asserts a mental health condition, including PTSD; TBI; as a basis for the discharge. In August 2017, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness provided further clarifying guidance to the Military Discharge Review Boards and Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records when considering requests by Veterans for modification of their discharge due to mental health conditions, including PTSD; TBI; sexual assault; or sexual harassment. Liberal consideration will be given to Veterans petitioning for discharge relief when the application for relief is based in whole or in part on matters relating to mental health conditions, including PTSD; TBI; sexual assault; or sexual harassment. Special consideration will be given to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) determinations that document a mental health condition, including PTSD; TBI; or sexual assault/harassment potentially contributed to the circumstances resulting in a less than honorable discharge characterization. Special consideration will also be given in cases where a civilian provider confers diagnoses of a mental health condition, including PTSD; TBI; or sexual assault/harassment if the case records contain narratives supporting symptomatology at the time of service or when any other evidence which may reasonably indicate that a mental health condition, including PTSD; TBI; or sexual assault/harassment existed at the time of discharge might have mitigated the misconduct that caused a discharge of lesser characterization. Conditions documented in the service record that can reasonably be determined to have existed at the time of discharge will be considered to have existed at the time of discharge. In cases in which a mental health condition, including PTSD; TBI; or sexual assault/harassment may be reasonably determined to have existed at the time of discharge, those conditions will be considered potential mitigating factors in the misconduct that caused the characterization of service in question. All Boards will exercise caution in weighing evidence of mitigation in cases in which serious misconduct precipitated a discharge with a less than Honorable characterization of service. Potentially mitigating evidence of the existence of undiagnosed combat related PTSD, PTSD-related conditions due to TBI or sexual assault/harassment as causative factors in the misconduct resulting in discharge will be carefully weighed against the severity of the misconduct. PTSD is not a likely cause of premeditated misconduct. Caution shall be exercised in weighing evidence of mitigation in all cases of misconduct by carefully considering the likely causal relationship of symptoms to the misconduct. 8. DISCUSSION OF FACT(S): The applicant requests an upgrade of her uncharacterized discharge to general (under honorable conditions). The applicant's record of service, the issues and documents submitted with her application were carefully reviewed. The record confirms that the applicant was diagnosed by competent medical authority with a personality disorder: Personality Disorder; Borderline Personality Disorder. The applicant provided no independent corroborating evidence demonstrating that either the command's action was erroneous or that the applicant's service mitigated her duty performance, such that she should have been retained on Active Duty. Further, the uncharacterized description of service accurately reflects the applicant's overall record of service. An uncharacterized discharge is neither positive nor negative and it is not meant to be a negative reflection of a Soldier's military service. It merely means that the Soldier has not been in the Army long enough for his or her character of service to be rated as honorable or otherwise. The applicant contends that she was discharged due to no fault of her own. However, the record does not contain any indication or evidence of arbitrary or capricious actions by the command and all requirements of law and regulation were met and the rights of the applicant were fully protected throughout the separation process. The character of the applicant's discharge is commensurate with her overall service record. The discharge was consistent with the procedural and substantive requirements of the regulation, was within the discretion of the separation authority, and the applicant was provided full administrative due process. 9. BOARD DETERMINATION: In a records review conducted at Arlington, VA on 5 April 2019, and by a 5-0 vote, the Board determined that the narrative reason for discharge was improper based on the circumstances surrounding the discharge (i.e. in-service and post-service diagnosis of PTSD and OBH). Accordingly, the Board voted to grant relief by changing the separation authority to AR 635-200, paragraph 5-17, the narrative reason for separation to Condition, Not a Disability, and the separation code to JFV. The board determined the characterization of service was proper and equitable and voted not to change it. 10. BOARD ACTION DIRECTED: a. Issue a New DD-214: Yes b. Change Characterization to: No Change c. Change Reason to: Condition, Not a Disability d. Change Authority to: AR 635-200, paragraph 5-17 e. Change SPD / RE Code to: JFV / No Change Authenticating Official: Legend: AWOL - Absent Without Leave GD - General Discharge NCO - Noncommissioned Officer SCM - Summary Court Martial BCD - Bad Conduct Discharge HS - High School NIF - Not in File SPCM - Special Court Martial BH - Behavioral Health HD - Honorable Discharge NOS - Not Otherwise Specified SPD - Separation Program Designator CG - Company Grade Article 15 IADT - Initial Active Duty Training OAD - Ordered to Active Duty TBI - Traumatic Brain Injury CID - Criminal Investigation Division MP - Military Police OMPF - Official Military Personnel File UNC - Uncharacterized Discharge ELS - Entry Level Status MST - Military Sexual Trauma PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder UOTHC - Under Other Than Honorable Conditions FG - Field Grade Article 15 NA - Not applicable RE - Reentry VA - Veterans Affairs ARMY DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD CASE REPORT AND DIRECTIVE AR20170016055 1