1. Applicant's Name: a. Application Date: 16 March 2022 b. Date Received: 16 March 2022 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 under honorable conditions (general). The applicant requests an upgrade to honorable. b. The applicant states, in effect they had mental issues that they were not aware of and after being discharged they were diagnosed with chronic anxiety and received a 50 percent disability rating for it. The anxiety affected their mood and had their mind in a negative space all the time, the anxiety also interfered with their work life. Before they were discharged, they were searching for methods to cope, they went to behavioral health and ASAP classes. Now that time has passed, they realize everything that was happening then, and they understand they should have never done the things that they did to cope. c. Board Type and Decision: In a records review conducted on 13 December 2023, and by a 5-0 vote, the Board determined the discharge is inequitable based on the applicant's Generalized Anxiety Disorder mitigating the wrongful use of marijuana. Therefore, the Board voted to grant relief in the form of an upgrade of the characterization of service to Honorable and changed to the separation authority to AR 635-200, the narrative reason for separation to Misconduct (Minor Infractions), with a corresponding separation code of JKN, and the reentry code to RE-3. 3. DISCHARGE DETAILS: a. Reason / Authority / Codes / Characterization: Misconduct (Drug Abuse) / AR 635- 200, CH 14-12c / JKK / RE-4 / Under Honorable Conditions (General) b. Date of Discharge: 20 August 2015 c. Separation Facts: (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: N/A (6) Separation Decision Date / Characterization: 27 July 2015 / Under Honorable Conditions (General) 4. SERVICE DETAILS: a. Date / Period of Enlistment: 30 December 2013 / 4 years, 28 weeks b. Age at Enlistment / Education / GT Score: 18 / NIF / 106 c. Highest Grade Achieved / MOS / Total Service: E-2 / 91B10 Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic / 1 year, 7 months, 20 days. d. Prior Service / Characterizations: N/A e. Overseas Service / Combat Service: None f. Awards and Decorations: NDSM, ASR g. Performance Ratings: N/A h. Disciplinary Action(s) / Evidentiary Record: (1) An Enlistment/ Reenlistment Document provides the applicant enlisted in the Army Reserve at the rank of private (E-1) with an active-duty obligation of 4 years and 28 weeks on 5 September 2013. (2) An Enlisted Record Brief (ERB) provides on 27 April 2015 the applicant was flagged for a drug abuse averse action (UA) and for involuntary separation (BA). (3) A memorandum, Department of The Army, Headquarters, 1ST Cavalry Division Artillery, 1ST Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, subject: Separation under AR 635-200, Ch 14-12c(2), Misconduct-Abuse of illegal drugs dated 27 July 2015 provides the applicant was directed to be separated from the army with a general, under honorable conditions characterization of service. (4) A Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214) provides on 20 August 2015 the applicant was discharged from the army. Item 18 (Remarks) of their DD Form 214 has administrative error, which provides the applicant had "continues honorable active service" from 30 December 2013 - 20 August 2015. * Authority: 635-200, Chapter 14-12c * Narrative Reason: Misconduct (Drug Abuse) * Service Characterization: Under Honorable Conditions (general) * Remarks: Member has not completed first term of service * Net Service: 1 year, 7 months, and 20 days * Signature: Electronically signed by the applicant i. Lost Time / Mode of Return: None j. Behavioral Health Condition(s): (1) Applicant provided: None; the applicant states they were diagnosed with chronic anxiety however they did not provide any supportive documentation to support their diagnosis. (2) AMHRR Listed: None 5. APPLICANT-PROVIDED EVIDENCE: An online (Discharge Review) application. 6. POST SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: None submitted in support of their 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 provides the authorized types of characterization of service or description of separation. (1) 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. (2) 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. (3) An 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. (4) Chapter 14 establishes policy and prescribes procedures for separating members for misconduct. Specific categories include minor disciplinary infractions, a pattern of misconduct, and commission of a serious offense, to include abuse of illegal drugs, convictions by civil authorities and desertion or being absent without leave. Action will be taken to separate a member for misconduct when it is clearly established that rehabilitation is impractical or unlikely to succeed. A discharge under other than honorable conditions is normally appropriate for a Soldier discharged under this chapter. However, the separation authority may direct a general discharge if such is merited by the Soldier's overall record. A soldier subject to this discharge under this regulation will be considered and processed for discharge even though he/she has filed an appeal or has stated his/her intention to do so. Paragraph 14-12c, states a Soldier is subject to action per this section for commission of a serious military or civilian offense, if the specific circumstances of the offense warrant separation and a punitive discharge is, or would be, authorized for the same or a closely related offense under the Manual for Courts-Martial. (5) Chapter 15 provides explicitly for separation under the prerogative of the Secretary of the Army. Secretarial plenary separation authority is exercised sparingly and seldom delegated. Ordinarily, it is used when no other provision of this regulation applies, and early separation is clearly in the Army's best interest. Separations under this paragraph are effective only if approved in writing by the Secretary of the Army or the Secretary's approved designee as announced in updated memoranda. Secretarial separation authority is normally exercised on a case-by-case basis. e. Army Regulation 600-85 (Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP)) governs the program and identifies Army policy on alcohol and other drug abuse, and responsibilities. The ASAP is a command program that emphasizes readiness and personal responsibility. It provides the ultimate decision regarding separation or retention of abusers is the responsibility of the Soldier's chain of command. Abuse of alcohol or the use of illicit drugs by military personnel is inconsistent with Army values and the standards of performance, discipline, and readiness necessary to accomplish the Army's missions. Individuals who do not self-refer for treatment and are subsequently identified as positive for controlled substances for which they do not have a valid prescription may be considered in violation of the UCMJ for drug misuse/abuse. f. Army Regulation 600-8-2 (Suspension of Favorable Personnel Actions (Flag)) provides the policies, operating rules and steps governing the suspension of favorable personnel actions. A flag is emplaced during some type of disciplinary or administrative action until that action is concluded. The Flag should be initiated within 3 working days after identification of the soldiers' unfavorable status and removed within 3 working days after determination of the final disposition. Commanders and general office staff will establish necessary internal controls to ensure requirements are met: DA Form 268 is prepared to reflect that favorable personnel actions are suspended; the Flag is input into HR systems without delay. * Flag code "U" is to be used for drug abuse averse actions. Flags are initiated for positive drug tests; the effective date of the Flag is the date of the offense. * Flag code "B" is a nontransferable code used when involuntary separation or discharge is initiated (field) g. 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 "JKK" as the appropriate code to assign enlisted Soldiers who are discharged under the provisions of Army Regulation 635-200, Chapter 14, paragraph 12c, misconduct (drug abuse). h. 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. i. Army Regulation 635-5 (Separation Documents) This regulation prescribes policy and procedural guidance relating to transition management. It consolidates the policies, principles of support, and standards of service regarding processing personnel for transition and explains separation document preparation. It provides the following for Block 18 (Remarks): (1) Mandatory entry: "The information contained herein is subject to computer matching within the Department of Defense (DOD) or with any other affected Federal or non-Federal agency for verification purposes and to determine eligibility for, and/or continued compliance with, the requirements of a federal benefits program." (2) Mandatory entry: "SOLDIER (HAS) OR (HAS NOT) COMPLETED FIRST FULL TERM OF SERVICE." This information assists the State in determining eligibility for unemployment compensation entitlement. The following guidance will help determine which entry to use: * To determine if an enlisted Soldier has completed the first full term of enlistment, refer to the enlistment contract and any extensions to those initial enlistment documents and compare the term of enlistment to the net service in block 12c of the DD Form 214. * Routinely, a Soldier should not be considered to have completed the first full term of service if separation occurs before the end of the initial contracted period of service. However, if a Soldier reenlists before the completion of that period of service, the first term of service is effectively redefined by virtue of the reenlistment contract. j. Appendix 12, Maximum Punishment Chart in the Manual for Courts-Martial provides that wrongful use of marijuana includes a punitive discharge, confinement from 2-5 years, and total forfeiture or pay. 8. SUMMARY OF FACT(S): The Army Discharge Review Board considers applications for upgrade as instructed by Department of Defense Instruction 1332.28. a. The applicant requests an upgrade to honorable. The applicant's DD-214 provides that the applicant received a General (under honorable conditions) characterization of service, rather than an under other than honorable conditions (UOTCH) discharge which is normally considered appropriate for a soldier discharged for drug abuse. b. Based on the available evidence the applicant enlisted in the army at the age 18, on 27 April 2015 the were flagged for drug usage and for involuntary separation, at some point they were processed for administrative separation and on 27 July 2015 the appropriate authority reviewed the applicant's separation packet and directed the applicant be separated with a General under honorable conditions characterization prior to completing their contractual obligation. c. A Review of the record provides administrative irregularity occurred in the proper retention of official records, specifically, the AMHRR is void of the applicant's entire separation packet to include documentation to support if the applicant consulted with counsel and if they received the required medical and mental health separation examinations. Due to the lack of evidence, we are unable to provide all the specific facts and circumstances surrounding the applicant's involuntary separation. Notwithstanding the lack of evidence, the record provides a properly constituted DD Form 214, that was signed by the applicant and shows they were discharged under the provisions of Army Regulation 635-200, Chapter 14 Misconduct (Drug Abuse) with an under honorable conditions (general) characterization of service on 20 August 2015. d. Review of the available evidence provides administrative error in Item 18 (Remarks) of the DD Form 214 which provides the applicant had continuous honorable service from the date they entered active duty until their separation date. Mandatory remarks are required to be accurate according to Army Regulation 635-8. e. Chapter 14 establishes policy and prescribes procedures for members being separated for misconduct. Specific categories include minor disciplinary infractions, a pattern of misconduct, commission of a serious offense and convictions by civil authorities. Action will be taken to separate a member for misconduct when it is clearly established that rehabilitation is impracticable or is unlikely to succeed. A discharge under other than honorable conditions is normally appropriate for a soldier discharged under this chapter. However, the separation authority may direct a general discharge if such is merited by the soldier's overall record. f. Published Department of Defense guidance indicates that the guidance is not intended to interfere or impede on the Board's statutory independence. The Board will determine the relative weight of the action that led to the discharge and whether it supports relief or not. In reaching its determination, the Board shall consider the applicant's petition, available records and/or submitted documents in support of the petition. 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? Yes. The Board's Medical Advisor, a voting member, reviewed the applicant's DOD and VA health records, applicant's statement, and/or civilian provider documentation and found that the applicant has the following potentially-mitigating diagnoses/experiences: Generalized Anxiety Disorder(GAD)-50%SC. (2) Did the condition exist, or experience occur during military service? Yes. The Board's Medical Advisor found VA service connection for GAD establishes it occurred or began during military service. (3) Does the condition or experience actually excuse or mitigate the discharge? Yes. The Board's Medical Advisor applied liberal consideration and opined that the applicant has a mitigating BH condition, Generalized Anxiety DO (GAD). As there is an association between GAD and self-medication with alcohol and/or illicit drugs, there is a nexus between this condition and his positive UA for THC. (4) Does the condition or experience outweigh the discharge? Yes. After applying liberal consideration to the evidence, including the Board Medical Advisor opine, the Board determined that the applicant's GAD outweighed the drug use basis for separation for the aforementioned reason(s). b. Response to Contention(s): The applicant was suffering from undiagnosed chronic anxiety. The Board determined that this contention was valid and voted to upgrade the characterization of service due to GAD mitigating the applicant's drug use. c. The Board determined the discharge is inequitable based on the applicant's Generalized Anxiety Disorder mitigating the wrongful use of marijuana. Therefore, the Board voted to grant relief in the form of an upgrade of the characterization of service to Honorable and changed to the separation authority to AR 635-200, the narrative reason for separation to Misconduct (Minor Infractions), with a corresponding separation code of JKN, and the reentry code to RE-3. d. Rationale for Decision: (1) The Board voted to change the applicant's characterization of service to Honorable because the applicant's Generalized Anxiety Disorder mitigated the applicant's misconduct of marijuana abuse. Thus, the prior characterization is no longer appropriate. (2) The Board voted to change the reason for discharge to Misconduct (Minor Infractions) under the same pretexts, thus the reason for discharge is no longer appropriate. The SPD code associated with the new reason for discharge is JKN. (3) The Board voted to change the RE code to RE-3. 10. BOARD ACTION DIRECTED: a. Issue a New DD-214: Yes b. Change Characterization to: Honorable c. Change Reason / SPD Code to: Misconduct (Minor Infractions)/JKN d. Change RE Code to: RE-3 e. Change Authority to: AR 635-200 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 AR20220006032 1