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


Docket No: 2343-19  

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


Ref: (a) 10 U.S.C. §1552 Encl: (1) DD Form 149 

1.  Pursuant to the provisions of the reference, Petitioner, a former member of the Marine Corps, filed the enclosure with this Board, requesting that the narrative reason for Petitioner’s discharge, contained on his DD Form 214, be changed from “Unsuitability” to “Secretarial Authority.” 

2. The Board consisting of, reviewed the subject former member’s allegations of error and injustice on 18 June 2020, 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 enclosure, relevant portions of the subject former member’s naval records, and applicable statutes, regulations, and policies. 

3.  The Board, having reviewed all the facts of record pertaining to the subject former member’s allegations of error and injustice, finds as follows: 

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

b.  Although enclosure (1) was not filed in a timely manner, it is in the interest of justice to review the application on its merits. 

c.  The Petitioner enlisted in the Marine Corps and began a period of active duty on 18 October 1966.  

d.  On 15 May 1969, the Petitioner was discharged with a general characterization of service due to unsuitability.  

e.  On 19 July 2004, the Board granted Petitioner’s request to upgrade his discharge characterization from general to honorable. 

CONCLUSION 

Upon review and consideration of all the evidence of record, the Board finds the existence of an injustice warranting relief. Specifically, the Board found that Petitioner’s narrative reason for separation should be changed to Secretarial Authority to mitigate any stigma he may receive from the current narrative reason of “Unsuitability.” 

RECOMMENDATION 

In view of the above, the Board directs the following corrective action: 

Petitioner’s naval record be corrected by issuing him a new DD Form 214 reflecting that the narrative reason for his separation be “Secretarial Authority,” and that no further action be granted. 

A copy of this report of proceedings shall be filed in Petitioner’s naval record. 

That upon request, the Department of Veterans Affairs is informed that Petitioner’s application was received by the Board on 19 February 2019. 

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.  Pursuant to the delegation of authority set out in Section 6(e) of the revised Procedures of the Board for Correction of Naval Records (32 Code of Federal Regulations Section 723.6(e)), and having assured compliance with its provisions, it is hereby announced that the foregoing corrective action, taken under the authority of the reference, has been approved by the Board on behalf of the Secretary of the Navy.