DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 
BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF NAVAL RECORDS 
701 S. COURTHOUSE ROAD, SUITE 1001 
ARLINGTON, VA 22204-2490 

JUL 29 2019 
Docket No: 3042-18 

You request an upgrade of your characterization of service on the basis that you suffered from unrecognized post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at the time of your military service. Your request was fully and carefully considered by the Board in light of the Secretary of Defense's Memorandum, "Supplemental Guidance to Military Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records Considering Discharge Upgrade Requested by Veterans Claiming Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" of 3 September 2014 and the "Clarifying Guidance to Military Discharge Review Boards and Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records Considering Requests by Veterans for Modification of their Discharge Due to Mental Health Conditions, Sexual Assault, or Sexual Harassment" memorandum of 25 August 2017. 

A qualified Navy mental health professional reviewed your request and provided the Board with an AO regarding your assertion that you suffered from PTSD during your service. The AO 
noted that progress notes from a   Department of Corrections Nurse Practitioner state 
that "[you] discussed previously being in the military, PTSD like symptoms, triggers, and his brother committing suicide while in prison (2014)" and "[you were] given information on PTSD and discussed what [you were] doing to help cope with [your] hypersensitivity and triggers." The AO also noted that, as both notes were written by a Nurse Practitioner, it appears as though the reason for the visit was actually medical, in that the provided diagnosis on both notes was "Hyperlipidemia." The AO determined that there is not enough information contained within these notes to surmise the etiology of your "PTSD like" symptoms, adding that it is not clear from the notes what events occurred that may contributed to your reported symptoms. The AO noted, too, that, although you describe having felt "terrified" while serving on the USS , there are no entries within your entire service record that mention any events that 
contributed to your purported and self-diagnosed PTSD. The AO thus concluded that, given the fact that there are no medical notes concerning any symptoms or complaints of any mental health conditions, and the fact that you were not officially diagnosed with PTSD post-service, it cannot be said your misconduct was mitigated by PTSD or by any other mental health condition, adding that you did not submit any evidence you have been diagnosed with PTSD by a licensed mental health provider. The AO also concluded that your misconduct cannot be attributed to PTSD. 

The Board carefully weighed all potentially mitigating factors, such as your record of service, desire to upgrade your discharge, mental health notes, support letters from family and friends, and various Navy medical and personnel records. The Board also considered your assertions that you suffer from anxiety, stress, insomnia, and intrusive memories, which derived from events that occurred while serving in a "combat zone" onboard the USS , and that the Navy did not provide counseling for those events. The Board, however, concluded that these factors and assertions were not sufficient to warrant recharacterization of your discharge given your repeated misconduct and the fact that you were warned of the consequences of further misconduct prior to your three NJPs. The Board concurred with the AO that you did not submit any evidence that you have been diagnosed with PTSD by a licensed mental health provider. Moreover, the Board determined that your misconduct cannot be attributed to PTSD. The Board thus found no probable material error or injustice and determined that the nature of your misconduct supported your 0TH characterization of service. 

It is regretted that the circumstances of your case are such that favorable action cannot be taken. You are entitled to have the Board reconsider its decision upon submission of new matters. New matters are those not previously presented to or considered by the Board. In this regard, it is important to keep in mind that a presumption of regularity attaches to all official records. Consequently, when applying for a correction of an official naval record, the burden is on the applicant to demonstrate the existence of probable material error or injustice. 

Sincerely,