1. Applicant's Name: a. Application Date: 14 September 2018 b. Date Received: 17 September 2018 c. Counsel: None 2. REQUEST, ISSUES, BOARD TYPE, AND DECISION: The applicant requests an upgrade of the characterization of service from general (under other than honorable conditions) to honorable. The record of evidence shows at the time of discharge the applicant received an under other than honorable conditions discharge. The applicant did not properly annotate the enclosed application requesting a possible discharge upgrade. However, the Army Discharge Review Board will consider the applicant for a possible upgrade as instructed in pertinent part by Department of Defense Instruction 1332.28 which stipulates that a request for review from an applicant without an honorable discharge shall be treated as a request for a change to an honorable discharge unless the applicant requests a specific change to another character of discharge. The applicant seeks relief contending, in effect, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He served with honor and duty during his time of service and the voices kept telling him to leave the branch. His mental health issues prevented him from serving the entirety of his service period. He spoke with his squad leader and platoon sergeant regarding his depression and mental health issues. His mental health continued to deteriorate and he attempted suicide in 2013. He eventually became homeless and had live out of his car. His discharge was unjust because he suffered from mental health issues. It pains him to his core that his that he cannot look at his fellow Soldiers in the eyes knowing that was with an under other than honorable conditions discharge. He requests an upgrade of his characterization of service in order to stand proudly in front of his fellow Soldiers and veterans and that he is a proud US Army Soldier. 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 no BH diagnoses. The applicant is not service-connected from the VA. Due to the basis of separation not being in file, it is the opinion of the medial advisor that there is insufficient evidence to determine if the applicant had a BH diagnosis that is mitigating for the misconduct which led to separation from the Army. In summary, the separation was proper and equitable. In a records review conducted at Arlington, VA on 16 February 2021, and by a 5-0 vote, the Board denied the request upon finding the separation was both proper and equitable. (Board member names available upon request) 3. DISCHARGE DETAILS: a. Reason / Authority / Codes / Characterization: NIF / AR 135-178 / NA / Under Other Than Honorable Conditions b. Date of Discharge: 17 June 2013 c. Separation Facts: NIF (1) Date of Notification of Intent to Separate: NIF (2) Basis for Separation: NIF (3) Recommended Characterization: NIF (4) Legal Consultation Date: NIF (5) Administrative Separation Board: NIF (6) Separation Decision Date / Characterization: NIF 4. SERVICE DETAILS: a. Date / Period of Enlistment: 7 March 2009 / 8 years b. Age at Enlistment / Education / GT Score: 19 / HS Graduate / NIF c. Highest Grade Achieved / MOS / Total Service: E-4 / 68W10, Health Care Specialist / 4 years, 3 months, 11 days d. Prior Service / Characterizations: USAR, 7 March 2009 to 28 June 2009 / NA IADT, 29 June 2009 to 5 February 2010 / HD (Concurrent Service) e. Overseas Service / Combat Service: None f. Awards and Decorations: NDSM, ASR g. Performance Ratings: NA h. Disciplinary Action(s) / Evidentiary Record: NIF i. Lost Time / Mode of Return: None j. Diagnosed PTSD / TBI / Behavioral Health: Kaiser Permanente Letter, dated 13 September 2018, relates the applicant was diagnosed with Schizophrenia that required medications for this condition. 5. APPLICANT-PROVIDED EVIDENCE: DD Form 293 (three pages), dated 14 October 2020; House of Representative, Privacy Act Release; National Personnel Records Center Letter; DD Form 214; Discharge Orders 13-161-00051; Kaiser Permanente Letter; Dean's List Sierra College; Stanford Health Care Volunteer Hours Verification (three pages); and a DD Form 293, dated 14 September 2018; and Kaiser Permanente Letter. 6. POST SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The applicant states since this discharge, he returned to school and has excelled in his studies. 7. REGULATORY CITATION(S): Army Regulation 135-178 sets forth the policies, standards, and procedures to ensure the readiness and competency of the U.S. Army while providing for the orderly administrative separation of Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) enlisted Soldiers for a variety of reasons. The separation policies throughout the different Chapters in this regulation promote the readiness of the Army by providing an orderly means to judge the suitability of persons to serve on the basis of their conduct and their ability to meet required standards of duty performance and discipline. Specific categories include minor disciplinary infractions, a pattern of misconduct, and commission of a serious offense, to include abuse of illegal drugs, and convictions by civil authorities. The characterization is based upon the quality of the Soldier's service, including the reason for separation and determined in accordance with standards of acceptable personal conduct and performance of duty as found in the UCMJ, Army regulations, and the time-honored customs and traditions of the Army. The reasons for separation, including the specific circumstances that form the basis for the discharge are considered on the issue of characterization. Possible characterizations of service include an honorable, general, under honorable conditions, under other than honorable conditions, or uncharacterized if the Soldier is in entry-level status. However, the permissible range of characterization varies based on the reason for separation. 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 the characterization of service from general (under other than honorable conditions) to honorable. The record of evidence shows at the time of discharge the applicant received an under other than honorable conditions discharge. The applicant did not properly annotate the enclosed application requesting a possible discharge upgrade. However, the Army Discharge Review Board will consider the applicant for a possible upgrade as instructed in pertinent part by Department of Defense Instruction 1332.28 which stipulates that a request for review from an applicant without an honorable discharge shall be treated as a request for a change to an honorable discharge unless the applicant requests a specific change to another character of discharge. The applicant's available record of service, the issues and documents submitted with his applications were carefully reviewed. The applicant's record is void of the specific facts and circumstances concerning the events which led to the former Soldier's discharge from the US Army Reserve. However, the record shows on 10 June 2013, DA, HQS, 88th Regional Support Command, Fort McCoy, WI 54656- 5241, Orders 13-161-00051, discharged the applicant from the US Army Reserve, effective date; 17 June 2013, with an under other than honorable conditions discharge. Barring evidence to the contrary, the presumption of government regularity shall prevail, as all the requirements of law and regulation were met and the rights of the applicant were fully protected throughout the separation process. The applicant seeks relief contending, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia; he served with honor and duty during his time of service and the voices kept telling him to leave the branch; his mental health issues prevented him from serving the entirety of his service period; and his discharge was unjust because he suffered from mental health issues. The applicant provided a Kaiser Permanente Letter, which revealed he was diagnosed with Schizophrenia that required medications for this condition. The applicant further contends, he spoke with his squad leader and platoon sergeant regarding his depression and mental health issues. The service record contains no evidence of a diagnosis of depression and the applicant did not submit any evidence to support the contention that the discharge was the result of any medical condition. The also contends, his mental health continued to deteriorate and he attempted suicide in 2013. The applicant bears the burden of presenting substantial and credible evidence to support this contention. There is no evidence in the record, nor has the applicant produced any evidence to support the contention that his mental health deteriorated and he attempted suicide. The applicant additionally contends, he eventually became homeless and had live out of his car. Eligibility for housing supportive program benefits for Veterans does not fall within the purview of the Army Discharge Review Board. Accordingly, the applicant should contact a local office of the Department of Veterans Affairs for further assistance. Moreover, all veterans at risk for homelessness or attempting to exit homelessness can request immediate assistance by calling the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans hotline at 1-877-424-3838 for free and confidential assistance. Lastly, the applicant contends, it pains him to his core that his that he cannot look at his fellow Soldiers in the eyes knowing that was with an under other than honorable conditions discharge; and he requests an upgrade of his characterization of service in order to stand proudly in front of his fellow Soldiers and veterans and that he is a proud US Army Soldier. However, these contentions are not matters which the Army Discharge Review Board grants a change in discharge because they raise no matter of fact, law, procedure, or discretion related to the discharge process, nor are they associated with the discharge at the time it was issued. The applicant's post-service accomplishments have been noted as outlined on the application and in documents with the application. If the applicant desires a personal appearance hearing, it is his responsibility to meet the burden of proof and provide the appropriate documents (i.e., the discharge packet) or other evidence sufficient to explain the facts, circumstances, and reasons underlying the separation action, for the Board's consideration because they are not available in the official record. Based on the available record, the discharge was consistent with the procedural and substantive requirements of the regulation, was within the discretion of the separation authority and that the applicant was provided full administrative due process. 9. BOARD DETERMINATION: In a records review conducted at Arlington, VA on 16 February 2021, and by a 5-0 vote, the Board denied the request upon finding the separation was both proper and equitable. 10. BOARD ACTION DIRECTED: a. Issue a New DD-214 / Separation Order: No b. Change Characterization to: No Change c. Change Reason to: No Change d. Change Authority to: No Change e. Change SPD / RE Code to: 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 AR20180012626 1