1. Applicant's Name: a. Application Date: 24 January 2020 b. Date Received: 29 January 2020 c. Counsel: None 2. REQUEST, ISSUES, BOARD TYPE, AND DECISION: a. Applicant's Requests and Issues: The current characterization of service for the period under review is uncharacterized. The applicant requests an upgrade to honorable. The applicant seeks relief contending, in effect, the applicant as per the Army Review Board was issued a new updated DD Form 214 with the characterization of honorable. The applicant requested to have the new updated DD Form 214 sent to her with the characterization of honorable discharge; however, the applicant was told that they would not be able to send one because the applicant was never issued one. The applicant contend that is not true and has submitted a copy of the DD Form 214 with the application. b. Board Type and Decision: In a records review conducted on 3 February 2023, and by a 5 - 0 vote, the Board determined that the characterization of service was improper. Therefore, the characterization not being proper and equitable, the Board granted relief in the form of an upgrade of the applicant's characterization of service to Honorable to align with regulatory requirements. Please see Section 9 of this document for more detail regarding the Board's decision. (Board member names available upon request) 3. DISCHARGE DETAILS: a. Reason / Authority / Codes / Characterization: Completion of Required Active Service / AR 635-200, Chapter 4 / MBK / NA / Uncharacterized b. Date of Discharge: 11 August 2004 c. Separation Facts: (1) Date of Notification of Intent to Separate: NIF (2) Basis for Separation: The applicant was informed of the following reasons: NIF (3) Recommended Characterization: NIF (4) Legal Consultation Date: NIF (5) Administrative Separation Board: NA (6) Separation Decision Date / Characterization: NIF 4. SERVICE DETAILS: a. Date / Period of Enlistment: ADT, 25 February 2004 / NIF b. Age at Enlistment / Education / GT Score: 24 / HS Graduate / 95 c. Highest Grade Achieved / MOS / Total Service: E-1 / 92A10, Automated Logistical Specialist / 6 months, 3 days d. Prior Service / Characterizations: USAR, 9 February 2004 to 24 February 2004 / NA e. Overseas Service / Combat Service: None f. Awards and Decorations: NDSM, ASR g. Performance Ratings: None h. Disciplinary Action(s) / Evidentiary Record: NIF i. Lost Time / Mode of Return: NIF j. Diagnosed PTSD / TBI / Behavioral Health: NIF 5. APPLICANT-PROVIDED EVIDENCE: DD Form 293 and DD Form's 214 for the period of 25 February 2004 to 11 August 2004. 6. POST SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: None submitted with the application. 7. STATUTORY, REGULATORY AND POLICY REFERENCE(S): a. Section 1553, Title 10, United States Code (Review of Discharge or Dismissal) provides for the creation, composition, and scope of review conducted by a Discharge Review Board(s) within established governing standards. As amended by Sections 521 and 525 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, 10 USC 1553 provides 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), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), sexual trauma, intimate partner violence (IPV), or spousal abuse, as a basis for discharge review. The amended guidance provides 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, sexual trauma, IPV, or spousal abuse, as a basis for the discharge. Further, the guidance provides that Military Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records and Discharge Review Boards will develop and provide specialized training specific to sexual trauma, IPV, spousal abuse, as well as the various responses of individuals to trauma. b. Multiple Department of Defense Policy Guidance Memoranda published between 2014 and 2018. The documents are commonly referred to by the signatory authorities' last names (2014 Secretary of Defense Guidance [Hagel memo], 2016 Acting Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness [Carson memo], 2017 Official Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness [Kurta memo], and 2018 Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness [Wilkie memo]. (1) Individually and collectively, these documents provide further clarification 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. (2) 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. c. Army Regulation 15-180 (Army Discharge Review Board), dated 25 September 2019, sets forth the policies and procedures under which the Army Discharge Review Board is authorized to review the character, reason, and authority of any Servicemember discharged from active military service within 15 years of the Servicemember's date of discharge. Additionally, it prescribes actions and composition of the Army Discharge Review Board under Public Law 95-126; Section 1553, Title 10 United States Code; and Department of Defense Directive 1332.41 and Instruction 1332.28. d. Army Regulation 635-200 provides the basic authority for the separation of enlisted personnel. (1) Chapter 3, Section II provides the authorized types of characterization of service or description of separation. (2) Paragraph 3-7a states an Honorable discharge is a separation with honor and is appropriate when the quality of the Soldier's service generally has met the standards of acceptable conduct and performance of duty for Army personnel or is otherwise so meritorious that any other characterization would be clearly inappropriate. (3) Paragraph 3-7b states a General discharge is a separation from the Army under honorable conditions and is issued to a Soldier whose military record is satisfactory but not sufficiently meritorious to warrant an honorable discharge. (4) Paragraph 3-7c states Under other-than-honorable-conditions discharge is an administrative separation from the Service under conditions other than honorable and it may be issued for misconduct, fraudulent entry, security reasons, or in lieu of trial by court martial based on certain circumstances or patterns of behavior or acts or omissions that constitute a significant departure from the conduct expected of Soldiers in the Army. (5) Chapter 4 establishes the policies and procedures for separating a Soldier upon expiration of enlistment of fulfillment of service obligation. The periods of military service required of all Army Soldiers will be in accordance with applicable laws. Periods for which enlistment is authorized are in NGR 600-200, AR 140-111, and AR 601-210. Periods for which Soldiers are ordered to AD are prescribed by law. Soldier enlisted or ordered to AD normally will be discharged or released from AD on the date he/she completes the period for which enlisted or ordered to AD. Personnel released from AD and transferred to the USAR upon completion of the term of service for which ordered into active Federal service, or released to their Reserve Component upon completion of AD. These Soldiers will not be discharged until completion of their reserve obligation. (6) Paragraph 4-5, states, a Soldier being separated upon expiration of enlistment or fulfillment of service obligation will be awarded a character of service of honorable, unless the Soldier is in entry-level status and service is uncharacterized. (7) Glossary defines entry-level status for RA Soldiers is the first 180 days of continuous AD or the first 180 days of continuous AD following a break of more than 92 days of active military service. For ARNGUS and USAR Soldiers, entry-level status begins upon enlistment in the ARNG or USAR. For Soldiers ordered to IADT for one continuous period, it terminates 180 days after beginning training. For Soldiers ordered to IADT for the split or alternate training option, it terminates 90 days after beginning Phase II advanced individual training (AIT). (Soldiers completing Phase I BT or basic combat training remain in entry-level status until 90 days after beginning Phase II.) e. Army Regulation 635-5-1 (Separation Program Designator (SPD) Codes) provides the specific authorities (regulatory or directive), reasons for separating Soldiers from active duty, and the SPD codes to be entered on the DD Form 214. It identifies the SPD code of "MBK" as the appropriate code to assign enlisted Soldiers who are discharged under the provisions of Army Regulation 635-200, Chapter 4, for completion of required active service, who are eligible to reenlist or with a DCSS in force and who are REFRAD on completion of enlistment and transferred to the Reserve Components to complete Military Service obligation. f. Army Regulation 601-210, Regular Army and Reserve Components Enlistment Program governs eligibility criteria, policies, and procedures for enlistment and processing of persons into the Regular Army, the U.S. Army Reserve, and Army National Guard for enlistment per DODI 1304.26. It also prescribes the appointment, reassignment, management, and mobilization of Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadets under the Simultaneous Membership Program. Chapter 4 provides the criteria and procedures for waiverable and nonwaiverable separations. Table 3-1, defines reentry eligibility (RE) codes: RE-1 Applies to: Person completing his or her term of active service who is considered qualified to reenter the U.S. Army. Eligibility: Qualified for enlistment if all other criteria are met. RE-3 Applies to: Person who is not considered fully qualified for reentry or continuous service at time of separation, but disqualification is waiverable. Eligibility: Ineligible unless a waiver is granted. RE-4 Applies to: Person separated from last period of service with a nonwaiverable disqualification. This includes anyone with a DA imposed bar to reenlistment in effect at time of separation or separated for any reason (except length of service retirement) with 18 or more years active Federal service. Eligibility: Ineligible for enlistment. 8. SUMMARY OF FACT(S): The Army Discharge Review Board considers applications for upgrade as instructed by Department of Defense Instruction 1332.28. The applicant requests an upgrade to honorable. The applicant's available AMHRR of service, the issues and documents submitted with the application were carefully reviewed. The applicant seeks relief contending, in effect, the applicant as per the Army Review Board was is to be issued a new updated DD Form 214 with the characterization of honorable. The applicant requested to have the new updated DD Form 214 sent to her with the characterization of honorable discharge; however, the applicant was told that they would not be able to send one because the applicant was never issued one. The applicant contend that is not true and has submitted a copy of the DD Form 214 with the application. The applicant's contentions were noted. However, it should be noted on 27 December 2011 the applicant applied to the Army Discharge Review Board Case Number AR20120000091, requesting an upgrade of her discharge to fully honorable and a change to the narrative reason for separation. The specific facts and circumstances leading to the applicant's discharge from the United States Army Reserve were not contained in the available records. On 15 April 2008, DA, HQS, Civil affairs and Psyop Command, Fort Bragg, NC, Orders 08-106-00015, discharge the applicant from the United States Army Reserve, effective 16 April 2008, with an under other than honorable conditions discharge. The applicant was to be reduced to the lowest enlisted rank. On 7 May 2012, the Board after carefully examining the applicant's record of service during the period of enlistment under review, hearing the applicant testimony determined that the characterization of service was too harsh, and as a result it was inequitable. The Board determined that the length of the applicant's service, her post service accomplishments (i.e., Executive Administrative Assistant for Ward 7, under the major at the time) and the circumstance surrounding her discharge (i.e., extraordinary family circumstances based on her testimony), mitigated the discrediting entries in the service record. Accordingly, the Board voted to grant partial relief in the form of an upgrade of the characterization of service to fully honorable. However, the Board determined that the reason for discharge was both proper and equitable and voted not to change it. On 6 August 2012, DA, HQS, Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command, Fort Bragg, NC, Orders 08-106-00015, discharge the applicant from the United States Army Reserve, effective 16 April 2008, with an honorable discharge, in accordance with AR 135-178. This was published at the direction of ARBA docket number AR 20120000091, dated 7 May 2012. Evidence submitted by the applicant with her applicant indicates the applicant appears to be requesting that her DD Form 214 for the period of 25 February 2004 to 11 August 2004 which has an "Uncharacterized" character of service be upgraded too honorable. The applicant's AMHRR is void of the specific facts and circumstances concerning the events which led to the applicant discharge from the Army. However, the applicant has submitted with her application a properly constituted DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), which was authenticated by the applicant's signature. The DD Form 214 indicates the applicant was discharged under the provisions of AR 635-200, Chapter 4, by reason of Completion of Required Active Service, with a characterization of service of Uncharacterized. Barring evidence to the contrary, it appears that all requirements of law and regulation were met, and the rights of the applicant have been protected throughout the separation process. It should be noted; the service record confirms the applicant had completed the period for which the applicant was ordered to Active Duty. The evidence of the record reflects that the applicant entered Active Duty on 25 February 2004, for completion of IADT. At the time of the applicant's discharge, the applicant had served 5 months and 17 days on Active Duty. The applicant's available official service record reflects no acts of misconduct or derogatory information. Upon the applicant's separation from Active Duty, the applicant was transferred to HHC 11th Psychological Battalion, 5550 NDOWER House Road, Upper Marlboro, MD to serve the remaining service obligation until 8 February 2012. The evidence of records shows that the applicant had less than 181 days of continuous active military service, however, she completed her Initial Entry Training, was awarded an MOS of 92A10, and was scheduled to report for duty at a follow-on-unit of assignment. Therefore, it appears because the applicant was being separated upon expiration of enlistment or fulfillment of service obligation, she should have been awarded a character of service of honorable, because the applicant was no longer considered as being in an entry-level status. Also, it should be noted; based on the submitted DD Form 214, it appears that someone in the discharge process erroneously entered on the applicant's DD Form 214, block 27, reentry code as NA. The service record confirms the applicant had completed the period for which the applicant was ordered to Active Duty and then assigned to her Army Reserve unit. Soldiers processed for separation under this provision will be assigned a Narrative Reason for Separation of Completion of Required Active Service. Further, the Soldier will be assigned an SPD Code of MBK and an RE Code of 1. 9. BOARD DISCUSSION AND DETERMINATION: a. As directed by the 2017 memo signed by A.M. Kurta, the board considered the following factors: (1) Did the applicant have a condition or experience that may excuse or mitigate the discharge? No. The Board's Medical Advisor, a voting member, reviewed DoD and VA medical records and found no mitigating BH diagnoses on the applicant. The applicant provided no documents or testimony of a condition or experience, that, when applying liberal consideration, could have excused or mitigated a discharge. (2) Did the condition exist or experience occur during military service? N/A (3) Does the condition or experience actually excuse or mitigate the discharge? N/A (4) Does the condition or experience outweigh the discharge? N/A b. Response to Contention(s): (1) The applicant seeks relief contending as per the Army Review Board she was to be issued a new updated DD Form 214 with the characterization of honorable. The applicant contends that she requested to have the new updated DD Form 214 sent to her with the characterization of honorable discharge; she was told that they would not be able to send her one because she was never issued one. The applicant contend that is not true and has submitted a copy of her DD Form 214 with her application. The Board determined this contention was valid after review of the applicant's DOD records. It revealed the applicant had discharge orders which reflected honorable. The applicant submitted a copy of the DD 214 with the application. Therefore, the Board granted relief in the form of an upgrade of the applicant's characterization of service to Honorable to align with regulatory requirements. c. The Board determined the characterization of service was improper. Therefore, the characterization not being proper and equitable, the Board granted relief in the form of an upgrade of the applicant's characterization of service to Honorable to align with regulatory requirements. d. Rationale for Decision: (1) The Board voted to change the applicant's characterization of service to Honorable to align with regulatory requirements. Thus, the prior characterization is no longer appropriate. (2) The Board voted not to change the applicant's reason for discharge or accompanying SPD code, as there were no Reasons/SPD Codes/RE-codes listed on the applicant's discharge paperwork, due to being in the Army Reserves, no upgrade actions are required for these items. (3) The RE code will not change, as the current code is consistent with the procedural and substantive requirements of the regulation. 10. BOARD ACTION DIRECTED: a. Issue a New DD-214: Yes b. Change Characterization to: Honorable c. Change Reason / SPD Code to: No Change d. Change RE Code to: No Change e. Change Authority to: No Change Authenticating Official: Legend: AWOL - Absent Without Leave AMHRR - Army Military Human Resource Record BCD - Bad Conduct Discharge BH - Behavioral Health CG - Company Grade Article 15 CID - Criminal Investigation Division ELS - Entry Level Status FG - Field Grade Article 15 GD - General Discharge HS - High School HD - Honorable Discharge IADT - Initial Active Duty Training MP - Military Police MST - Military Sexual Trauma N/A - Not applicable NCO - Noncommissioned Officer NIF - Not in File NOS - Not Otherwise Specified OAD - Ordered to Active Duty OBH (I) - Other Behavioral Health (Issues) OMPF - Official Military Personnel File PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder RE - Re-entry SCM - Summary Court Martial SPCM - Special Court Martial SPD - Separation Program Designator TBI - Traumatic Brain Injury UNC - Uncharacterized Discharge UOTHC - Under Other Than Honorable Conditions VA - Department of Veterans Affairs ARMY DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD CASE REPORT AND DIRECTIVE AR20200008696 1