RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  97-02730
            INDEX CODE:  110.02

            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO


_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

Her  narrative  reason  for  discharge  be  changed  from  Personality
Disorder to Performance and her reenlistment eligibility (RE) code  be
changed from 2C to 3E.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

Since she was mentally healthy, it was unfair  to  discharge  her  for
having a personality disorder.  She was a little depressed because her
mother was very ill, but she never had any type of disorder.

The reason for her separation as a personality disorder  is  affecting
her future.  She would like to join the Navy but has been unable to do
so because of it.

In support of her appeal, the applicant provided a personal  statement
and a copy of her DD Form 214, Certificate  of  Release  or  Discharge
From Active Duty (Exhibit A).

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant enlisted in the Regular Air Force on 26  Dec  96  for  a
period of 4 years in the grade of airman first class.

An AETC Form 582, Mental Health Evaluation of Active  Duty  Air  Force
Personnel, dated 2 Jan 97, reflected that the applicant  was  referred
for a mental health evaluation.  The applicant was referred by Captain
E--- S. P--- who indicated that the applicant had  approached  him  on
several occasions stating that because  of  her  difficulty  with  the
language, she did not think she could make it.   Captain  P---  stated
that although the airman’s performance was marginal,  she  was  within
normal  limits,  based  on  his  experience.   The  applicant   seemed
distressed and had related to him that she wanted to succeed, but,  on
that day, asked to be discharged.   According  to  Captain  P---,  the
applicant stated that she could not comprehend the training manual.

On 3 Jan 97, the applicant was given a mental health evaluation at the
Behavioral Analysis Service, Division of Mental Health,  Wilford  Hall
Medical  Center,  and  was  diagnosed  as  follows:   Axis I:   309.28
Adjustment Disorder with Anxiety and Depressed Mood; Axis II:   V71.09
No Diagnosis; and Axis III:  Non-contributory.  A  recommendation  was
made that the  applicant  be  returned  to  duty.   According  to  the
evaluator,  the  applicant’s  problems  appeared  to  be  related   to
difficulties adjusting to the stress of basic military training  (BMT)
rather than an ongoing mental health problem.  She was  encouraged  to
implement teamwork, practice  relaxation,  to  focus  on  successfully
completing training instead of attempting to obtain a separation,  and
to visit the chaplain should she feel the need.

On 4 Jan 97, the applicant was evaluated by the  Inpatient  Psychiatry
Service and was  diagnosed  as  follows:   Axis I:   309.0  Adjustment
Disorder with Depressed Mood; Axis II:  799.9 Deferred; and Axis  III:
None.  The applicant’s disorder was found to significantly impair  her
ability to function in the military.  A recommendation was  made  that
the applicant be given an entry  level  separation  because  retention
could jeopardize her safety and that  of  her  peers,  and  negatively
affect the Air Force mission.

On 10 Jan 97, the applicant’s commander  notified  her  that  she  was
recommending that the applicant be discharged  for  a  condition  that
interferes with military service - mental  disorders.   The  applicant
was advised of her rights in  the  matter  and  that  an  entry  level
separation would be recommended.  The applicant  acknowledged  receipt
of the notification and waived  her  rights  to  consult  counsel  and
submit statements in her own behalf.

On 10 Jan 97, the  Office  of  the  Staff  Judge  Advocate  found  the
discharge case file to be legally sufficient and recommended that  the
discharge authority direct that the applicant be  separated  from  the
service with an entry level separation.

On 14 Jan 97, the discharge authority approved the separation  of  the
applicant  and  directed  that  she  be  furnished  an   entry   level
separation.

On 16 Jan 97, the applicant was separated under the provisions of  AFI
36-3208 (Personality Disorder) with an entry  level  separation.   She
was assigned an RE code of 2C and a separation code of JFX.   She  had
served 21 days on active duty.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The BCMR Medical Consultant reviewed this application and  noted  that
the applicant was  seen  by  mental  health  providers  shortly  after
starting basic training and was diagnosed with an adjustment  disorder
which  interfered  with  her  military  duties/training  and  she  was
discharged because of  the  medical  condition  interfering  with  her
training.   According  to  the  Medical   Consultant,   the   stressor
precipitating this disorder was her basic training which  she  related
she did not feel capable of completing.  The records clearly indicated
that this was the diagnosis, coded under DSM-IV  309.28.   The  letter
notifying her  of  her  pending  entry  level  separation  lists  this
diagnosis as  the  reason  for  separation  which  was  translated  to
“Personality Disorder” on the  DD  Form  214,  as  this  is  the  only
codeable diagnosis possible with the  separation  program  designators
(SPD) as they currently read.

In the Medical Consultant’s view, the case was properly  evaluated  by
the evidence of record.  Administratively, the SPD  was  correct,  but
did not properly describe her actual diagnosis.  However,  the  action
and disposition in this case were proper and reflect  compliance  with
Air Force directives which implement the law, and her RE  code  of  2C
was correct for her entry level separation and should not be changed.

In the opinion of the Medical Consultant,  the  applicant’s  narrative
reason for separation should be changed  to  “Secretarial  Authority,”
with an SPD Code of KFF, as no other suitable SPD exists to  effect  a
needed change.

A complete copy of the Medical Consultant’s evaluation is  at  Exhibit
C.

The  Programs  and  Procedures  Branch,  AFPC/DPPRS,   reviewed   this
application and indicated that there were no errors or  irregularities
causing an injustice to the applicant.  The  discharge  complied  with
the directives in effect at the time of her  discharge.   The  records
indicated that the  applicant’s  military  service  was  reviewed  and
appropriate action was taken.

According to DPPRS, the applicant did not identify any specific errors
in the discharge processing nor provide facts which warranted a change
in her reason  for  separation.   However,  in  view  of  the  Medical
Consultant’s  recommendation  to  change  her  narrative  reason   for
separation to “Secretarial Authority” and SPD code to “KFF,” they have
no objection  to  the  change  since  the  DOD  Instructions  make  no
provision for a narrative reason for an adjustment disorder.

A complete copy of the DPPRS evaluation is at Exhibit D.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Applicant indicated that she is appreciative of the recommendation  to
change her narrative reason for separation but she would also like her
RE code changed.  She believes she should be given another  chance  to
enter the military.  She is healthy and  her  mother  is  doing  fine.
Applicant requests that she  be  given  another  chance  to  join  the
military so that she can make the military a career.

Applicant’s complete response and additional documentary  evidence  is
at Exhibit F.

_________________________________________________________________


THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT:

1.  The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing  law
or regulations.

2.  The application was timely filed.

3.  Sufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the
existence of probable error or injustice.  Having  carefully  reviewed
this application, we agree with the recommendation of the BCMR Medical
Consultant and adopt his rationale as the basis for our decision  that
the applicant has been the victim of an error  or  an  injustice  with
regard to the narrative reason for her  separation.   Accordingly,  we
recommend that the  applicant’s  records  be  corrected  as  indicated
below.

4.  Insufficient relevant evidence has been presented  to  demonstrate
the  existence  of  probable  error  or   injustice   concerning   the
applicant’s request that her RE Code be changed from 2C to 3E.   After
reviewing the available evidence, we are not inclined  to  change  the
applicant’s RE code to one that would allow her  the  opportunity  for
further military service.  In this respect, we are  not  convinced  by
the evidence  presented  that  problems  she  had  which  led  to  her
separation would not recur if she  were  again  to  enter  the  highly
regimented military environment.  Therefore, the  applicant’s  request
that her RE code be changed is not favorably considered.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the  Department  of  the  Air  Force
relating to APPLICANT, be corrected to show that, on 16  Jan  97,  she
was discharged  under  the  provisions  of  AFI  36-3208  (Secretarial
Authority), with a separation code of KFF.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the  Board  considered  this  application  in
Executive Session on 28 Jan 99, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

      Mrs. Barbara A. Westgate, Panel Chair
      Mr. Kenneth L. Reinertson, Member
      Mr. Henry Romo, Jr., Member

All members  voted  to  correct  the  records,  as  recommended.   The
following documentary evidence was considered:

     Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 29 Sep 97, w/atchs.
     Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
     Exhibit C.  Letter, BCMR Medical Consultant, dated
                 29 Oct 96.
     Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPPRS, dated 30 Dec 97.
     Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MIBR, dated 16 Feb 98.
     Exhibit F.  Letter, applicant, undated.




                                   BARBARA A. WESTGATE
                                   Panel Chair



AFBCMR 97-02730




MEMORANDUM FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF

      Having received and considered the recommendation of the Air
Force Board for Correction of Military Records and under the authority
of Section 1552, Title 10, United States Code (70A Stat 116), it is
directed that:

      The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air
Force relating to APPLICANT be corrected to show that, on 16 Jan 97,
she was discharged under the provisions of AFI 36-3208 (Secretarial
Authority), with a separation code of KFF.





    JOE G. LINEBERGER

    Director

    Air Force Review Boards Agency