DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF NAVAL RECORDS 701 S. COURTHOUSE ROAD, SUITE 1001 ARLINGTON, VA 22204-2490 Docket No: 7444-18 Ref: Signature Date Dear : This is in reference to your application of 24 July 2018 for correction of your naval record pursuant to Title 10, United States Code, Section 1552. After careful and conscientious consideration of the entire record, the Board for Correction of Naval Records (Board) found that the evidence submitted was insufficient to establish the existence of probable material error or injustice. Consequently, your application has been denied. A three-member panel of the Board, sitting in executive session, considered your application on 18 November 2019. The names and votes of the members of the panel will be furnished upon request. Your allegations of error and injustice were reviewed in accordance with administrative regulations and procedures applicable to the proceedings of this Board. Documentary material considered by the Board consisted of your application, together with all material submitted in support thereof, relevant portions of your naval record, as well as applicable statutes, regulations, and policies. In addition, the Board considered the advisory opinion (AO) furnished by a Navy mental health professional dated 6 May 2019, which was previously provided to you. You enlisted in the Navy and ended a period of active service on 25 March 1987. You then began a period of Reserve service. On 19 May 1992, you were notified by certified mail, that administrative discharge action had be initiated to separate you from the Navy due to unsatisfactory participation in the Ready Reserve. At that time, you had failed to report of 12 days of additional active duty for training. On 27 June 1992, your case was forwarded to the separation authority with the recommendation that you receive an other than honorable discharge due to unsatisfactory participation in the Ready Reserve. On 21 July 1992, the separation authority directed that you receive an OTH discharge by reason of unsatisfactory participation in the Ready Reserve. 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 3 September 2014 memorandum, “Supplemental Guidance to Military Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records Considering Discharge Upgrade Requested by Veterans Claiming Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” the 25 August 2017 memorandum, “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,” and the 25 July 2018 memorandum, “Guidance to Military Discharge Review Boards and Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records Regarding Equity, Injustice, or Clemency Determinations.” A Navy mental health professional further reviewed your request for correction to your record and provided the Board with an AO regarding your assertion you were suffering from PTSD during your service. The AO noted, that you received instructions to report to your local Reserve center in May 1987. In September 1987, you were evaluated for psychological problems associated with a fear of water, stemming from a panic episode during a swim test in boot camp. The evaluation “revealed no significant psychopathology” and you were referred for psychometric testing to rule out possible underlying phobias or panic disorder. In December 1989, the Petitioner submitted a request to be placed in a shore-based unit for the remainder of your Reserve contract due to your fear of water. In July 1992, you were discharged from the Navy Reserves for unsatisfactory participation, after failure to report for 12 days of additional active duty for training in May 1992. You submitted a personal statement that you incurred PTSD as a result of your near-drowning experience during boot camp. You also submitted letters of support from friends and colleagues attesting to your character and contributions in the community. No additional records were available for review. You have submitted no records with a mental health diagnosis. In-service you were evaluated and no diagnosis was assigned. While it is possible that your negative swimming experiences during boot camp could have contributed to a specific fear of water, additional records from a mental health clinician describing your mental health symptoms and their specific relationship to your in-service behavior are required to render an opinion. The AO concluded that there is insufficient information to attribute your failure to report to active duty for training to a mental health condition. The Board carefully weighed all potentially mitigating factors in your case, including your record of service, and desire to upgrade your discharge. The Board also considered your assertions that while you were in boot camp, you could not swim and had to take swimming lessons, that you attempted to perform the evolution and ultimately ended up on the side of pool coughing up water and your nose and eyes were burning, and the experience was very traumatizing and still has you afraid of water you cannot swim in or when the water is near your face. The Board concurred with the AO’s statement that there is insufficient information to attribute your failure to report to active duty for training to a mental health condition. The Board concluded these factors and assertions were not sufficient to warrant recharacterization of your discharge given your unsatisfactory performance while in the Navy Reserve 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 the submission of new matters, which will require you to complete and submit a new DD Form 149. 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.