DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
 NAVAL DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD (NDRB)
                     DISCHARGE REVIEW
                   DECISIONAL DOCUMENT

ex-ETSA, USN
Docket No. ND03-01004

Applicant’s Request

The application for discharge review was received on 20030521.  The Applicant requests the characterization of service received at the time of discharge be changed to honorable.  The Applicant requests a documentary record review.  The Applicant did not list any representative on the DD Form 293.

Decision

A documentary discharge review was conducted in Washington, D.C. on 20040415.  After a thorough review of the records, supporting documents, facts, and circumstances unique to this case, no impropriety or inequity in the characterization of the Applicant’s service was discovered by the NDRB.  The Board’s vote was unanimous that the character of the discharge shall not change.  The discharge shall remain: GENERAL UNDER HONORABLE CONDITIONS/MISCONDUCT, authority: NAVMILPERSMAN, Article 1910-146, formerly Article 3630620.

PART I - APPLICANT’S ISSUES AND DOCUMENTATION

Issues, as stated

Applicant’s issues, as stated on the application:

1.  “The issue leading to my voluntary action which caused my discharge was the welfare of my biological child, R___ J. N____ D.O.B. 5-4-93, who resided in New Jersey at the time discharge.  As stated at my Admin Board, “I tried to get time to go to N.J. for the purpose of seeking custody of my son through family court”.  The same response was repeatedly was you can’t miss time from school.  When I asked about using leave, ET1 G___ said, “submit a chit, but when I deny it, it won’t go up the chain of command, and besides, you are only an E-3 and you are not eligible for housing”.  After the third time that I spoke to my son and he informed me of the abuse (Physical & Emotional) that he was enduring, I felt that I was letting him down as a parent.  That was when I spoke to my instructors at school about a hardship discharge and was informed they no longer existed.  I would also stipulate that during all this time I was a duty section leader of 100 to 140 students all my prior classes I graduated with the lowest grade of 81.9, 2 classes with distinction, and the last class.  Before this incident ESM operator, I graduated top of my class after my son told me again he wanted to live with me, I was so upset that I made a big mistake and turned to a bottle of alcohol instead of talking to someone.  This is what impaired my better judgment and ultimately led to my using an illegal substance to fail a urine test.  I made the biggest mistake of my life with this judgment I made that afternoon.  I was excelling in all of my efforts to be the best sailor in the Navy.  As stated earlier I was a duty section leader of 100 to 140 student whom I guided in their adjustment to military life, and trained as to qualify to stand watches throughout the SUB-BASE.  While on limited duty board I was retained by my code N5 where I was the Admin Assistant working for ETCS M___ and Commander B___ directly.  I also was just frocked to ET3, after passing the advancement exam.  I was on my second period of limited duty and was told by Orthopedics at the NACC Groton that within a year I would most likely be boarded out beca