Docket No: 9104-17
Ref: Signature date 

From: Chairman, Board for Correction of Naval Records 
To: Secretary of the Navy 

Subj: REVIEW OF NAVAL RECORD OF FORMER 
Ref: (a) 10 U.S.C. § 1552 
     (b) USECDEF memo, “Guidance to Military Discharge Review Boards and Boards for 
         Correction of Military/Naval Records Regarding Equity, Injustice, or Clemency 
         Determinations,” of 25 July 2018 

Encl: (1) DD Form 149 (NR20170009104) 

1. Pursuant to the provisions of reference (a), Petitioner, a former enlisted member of the Navy, 
filed the enclosure with this Board requesting an upgrade to her characterization of service from 
general to honorable, a change to her narrative reason for separation from “Personality disorder” 
to “Secretarial Authority,” and a change to her reentry (RE) code from RE-4 to RE-1. 

2. The Board, consisting of reviewed Petitioner's 
allegations of error and injustice on and, pursuant to its regulations, 
determined that the corrective action indicated below should be taken on the available evidence 
of record. Documentary material considered by the Board consisted of the enclosures, relevant 
portions of Petitioner’s naval service records, and applicable statutes, regulations, and policies. 

3. The Board, having reviewed all the facts of record pertaining to Petitioner's allegations of 
error and injustice, finds as follows: 

a. Before applying to this Board, Petitioner exhausted all administrative remedies available 
under existing law and regulation within the Department of the Navy. 

b. Although the enclosure was not filed in a timely manner, the Board found it is in the 
interest of justice to review the application on its merits. 

c. Petitioner enlisted in the Navy and began a period of active duty service on 
she received nonjudicial punishment (NJP) for a making a false official statement to a 
chief petty officer and for consuming alcohol while under the legal drinking age. 

d. On the day following NJP, Petitioner was diagnosed at 
with adjustment disorder with depressed mood and personality disorder. On 
 Petitioner was notified of administrative separation proceedings against her 
on the basis of a personality disorder with a least favorable characterization of service of general. 

e. On Commanding Officer, directed that Petitioner be separated and noted that she was diagnosed 
with a disorder that was virtually untreatable in a military facility. Petitioner was discharged from 
the Navy on the basis of personality disorder and received a general characterization of service and 
a reentry (RE) code of RE-4. 

f. Petitioner seeks an upgrade to her characterization of service from general to honorable, a 
change to her narrative reason for separation to Secretarial Authority, and a change to her RE 
code from RE-4 to an RE-1. She provides a brief through counsel in support of her application. 
She states that she was young, new to the Navy
She also states that she suffered a stress fracture during her time in the Navy, for which she 
had been prescribed opiates, and after being transferred to her duty station in she was caught 
underage drinking. 

g. She states that she met with a career counselor who allegedly diagnosed her with a severe 
personality disorder. She contends that she had two visits with mental health professionals, an 
amount insufficient to diagnose personality disorder, never saw the paperwork indicating her 
diagnosis of personality disorder, foreign language mental health diagnosis is particularly 
challenged by communication and cultural nuances, the Navy over-diagnoses personality 
disorder, and the diagnosis could have been attributed to her prescribed opiates. She also 
provides character letters and a post-service mental health evaluation from a civilian provider in 
which she was found not to have a personality disorder. 

h. The Board carefully considered Petitioner’s request in light of reference (b), and took into 
account all potentially mitigating factors, including Petitioner’s contentions that she did not fully 
understand the English language and that she was improperly diagnosed with personality 
disorder. 

MAJORITY CONCLUSION: 

The majority of the Board (Majority) determined that even in consideration of Petitioner’s 
personal statement and taking into account her post-service medical diagnosis indicating she 
does not have a personality disorder, Petitioner’s record supports her separation on the basis of 
an in-service diagnosis of personality disorder. The Majority determined that the evidence
supports the general characterization of service, the RE-4 reenlistment code, that Petitioner’s 
discharge was properly initiated on the basis of Petitioner’s diagnosed mental health condition, 
and that all were applied without material error or injustice. The Majority found that the diagnosis 
occurred properly and that there was not sufficient evidence in the record or submitted by the petitioner 
for her contentions to overcome the presumption of regularity applied to the past actions of the officials 
involved. 

The Majority found, however, that Petitioner’s narrative reason for separation should be changed 
to “Secretarial Authority,” as a master of justice, so as to remove any reference to personal 
medical or diagnostic information. 

In view of the above, the Majority recommends the following corrective action. 

MAJORITY RECOMMENDATION: 

That Petitioner’s requests for correction be granted in part, to reflect a narrative reason for 
separation of “Secretarial Authority.” That Petitioner be issued a new DD Form 214, Certificate 
of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, to show she was discharged with a narrative reason 
for separation of “Secretarial Authority.” 

That no further correction action be taken. 

That a copy of this report of proceedings be filed in Petitioner’s naval record. 

That, upon request, the Department of Veterans Affairs be informed that Petitioner's application 
was received by the Board on 

MINORITY CONCLUSION: 

A Minority of the Board found that, in light of the evidence provided by Petitioner to support her 
request and in consideration of the information in Petitioner’s record, that no corrective action 
should be taken. The Minority determined that Petitioner’s discharge as reflected in her record is 
supported by the in-service medical diagnosis. 

In view of the above, the Minority recommends the following. 
 
MINORITY RECOMMENDATION: 

That Petitioner’s request be denied and no corrective action is taken. 

That a copy of this report of proceedings be filed in Petitioner’s naval record. 

That, upon request, the Department of Veterans Affairs be informed that Petitioner's application 
was received by the Board on 

4. It is certified that a quorum was present at the Board’s review and deliberations, and that the 
foregoing is a true and complete record of the Board’s proceedings in the above-entitled matter. 

5. The foregoing action of the Board is submitted for your review and action. 

 
Executive Director