RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:                       DOCKET NUMBER:  00-01418
                                        INDEX CODE 110.02  100.06
      xxxxxxxxxxx                            COUNSEL: No

      xxxxxxxxxxx                            HEARING DESIRED: Yes


_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

The narrative reason on her DD Form 214 be changed  from  “Personality
Disorder” to one that more accurately reflects her diagnosis  and  her
military record reflect she is fit for military  service.   [Applicant
further indicated on her attached DD Form 293 that she “will  also  be
asking for an upgrade” in her reenlistment eligibility (RE) code.]

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

She feels there was insufficient cause to substantiate  discharge  for
personality  disorder.  Affective  disorders  are  not  the  same   as
personality disorders. She was told that “personality disorder”  is  a
catch-all category for a number of medical or mental health  diagnoses
as far as a DD Form 214 is concerned.  Employers  question  her  about
this offensive, inaccurate and unjust label.  She  wants  her  records
changed so that she  can  reenter  the  service  if  she  chooses.  In
support, she submits three statements from two civilian mental  health
providers  who  essentially  assert  she  manifests  no  symptoms   of
personality disorder and has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity  Disorder
(ADHD), which was undiagnosed for years.

A complete copy of her submission is at Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant was honorably discharged on 22 Oct 98 in  the  grade  of
staff sergeant with 9 years, 11 months and 9 days of  active  service.
Her  separation  program  designator  (SPD)  code  is   “HFX,”   which
corresponds  to  the  narrative  reason  for  discharge,  “Personality
Disorder.” She was issued an RE code of “2C” (Involuntarily  separated
with an honorable characterization).

The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application, extracted
from the applicant's military records (Exhibit B),  are  contained  in
the letters prepared by the  appropriate  offices  of  the  Air  Force
(Exhibits C and D).  Accordingly, there is no  need  to  recite  these
facts in this Record of Proceedings.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The AFBCMR Medical Consultant  advised  that  problems  related  to  a
series of events appeared to have overwhelmed the applicant’s  ability
to cope. Mental health evaluation revealed her  to  have  early  onset
dysthymic disorder, which was  considered  severe  enough  to  warrant
administrative  discharge.  This   was   not   [emphasis   advisory’s]
considered a  psychiatric  disease  for  which  consideration  in  the
Disability Evaluation System (DES) was required.  In preparing the  DD
Form 214, the diagnosis became  “Personality  Disorder,”  a  diagnosis
that was never made and which, therefore, is written erroneously.  The
current AFI regulating separations for mental health problems does not
allow coding  for  other  than  “Personality  Disorder,”  an  entirely
different Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV  code
sequence from that with which she was diagnosed. It’s  not  proper  to
apply an erroneous label to an  individual  because  of  a  recognized
administrative shortfall as occurred in  this  case.   The  Consultant
recommends that  the  improper  labeling  should  be  corrected  to  a
narrative reason of “Secretarial Authority” with an SPD code of “JFF.”
The RE code should remain unchanged as  it  reflects  the  involuntary
honorable  discharge  received  because  of  having  a  mental  health
disorder incompatible with military life.

A complete copy of the Air Force evaluation is at Exhibit C.

The Chief, Special Actions/BCMR Advisories, HQ AFPC/DPPD,  notes  that
the 8 Jun 98 mental health evaluation by the Mental Health  Clinic  at
XXXX AFB, XX, makes contradicting and confusing comments regarding her
worldwide fitness. [The Chief misread the pertinent  paragraph  (5.a.)
of the 2 Sep 98 memo (Exhibit B) summarizing the 8 Jun 98  evaluation.
The   applicant    was    found    worldwide    qualified    from    a
psychiatric/psychological   perspective   and   did   meet    physical
standards.] The mental health evaluation diagnosis during this  period
reflects an early onset for dysthymic disorder under  Axis  I.   Since
the diagnosis of dysthymic  disorder  is  a  ratable  and  compensable
medical condition under military disability laws and  policy  and  the
Veterans Administration Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD),  the
Chief forwarded this case to an  Informal  Physical  Evaluation  Board
(IPEB)  for  further  adjudication.   The  IPEB  concluded  that   the
applicant has a diagnosis of  dysthymic  disorder  and  not  dysthymic
personality, a form of personality disorder not ratable under military
disability laws and policy. Assuming the mental health evaluation  was
correct in diagnosing her with dysthymic disorder versus  a  dysthymic
personality, the separation for a personality disorder under  AFI  36-
3208 was indeed inappropriate.  However, the IPEB could not  determine
whether her  medical  condition  was  unfitting  or  not.   The  Chief
recommends deferring the issue of the narrative reason pending a  more
thorough  medical  evaluation.  The   applicant   should   be   issued
invitational travel orders to Wilford Hall Medical  Center  (WHMC)  so
her condition at the time of her involuntary administrative  discharge
can be determined, and the examination results forwarded to  the  IPEB
for further adjudication.

A complete copy of the Air Force evaluation is at Exhibit D.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Complete copies of the evaluations were forwarded to the applicant  on
20 Oct 00 for review and comment within 30 days.   As  of  this  date,
this office has received no response.

_________________________________________________________________

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  to  warrant  partial
relief. We believe that putting the applicant through another  medical
evaluation at this point would result in  an  essentially  speculative
determination regarding her  actual  condition  at  the  time  of  her
discharge in 1998.  Whether she has a dysthmic disorder  as  diagnosed
by the Air Force or ADHD, as she  contends,  we  do  not  believe  her
condition  warrants  her  being  stigmatized  with  the   “Personality
Disorder” label currently indicated on her DD Form 214. Therefore,  in
order to preclude a possible injustice,  we  agree  with  the  partial
relief suggested by the Medical Consultant; that is,  change  her  SPD
code to “JFF” but leave her  RE  code  unchanged.  However,  when  the
applicant was discharged in 1998, the “Secretarial Authority” SPD code
was “KFF,” not “JFF,” and this is what  should  be  indicated  on  her
DD Form  214.  The  “2C”  code  reflects  the  involuntary   honorable
discharge  she  received  from  having  a   mental   health   disorder
incompatible with military life. In view of the  above,  we  recommend
the applicant's records be corrected to the extent indicated below.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the  Department  of  the  Air  Force
relating to APPLICANT, be corrected to show that, on 22  Oct  98,  she
was  honorably  discharged  under  the  provisions  of  AFI   36-3208,
paragraph 1.2, Secretarial Authority, was issued a separation  program
designator code  of  “KFF,”  and  that  her  separation  pay  was  not
recouped.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the  Board  considered  this  application  in
Executive Session on 4 January 2001 under the provisions  of  AFI  36-
2603:

                 Mr. David C. Van Gasbeck, Panel Chair
                 Mr. Christopher Carey, Member
                 Mr. Dale O. Jackson, Member

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

   Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 2 Aug 00, w/atchs.
   Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
   Exhibit C. Letter, AFBCMR Medical Consultant, dated 25 Aug 00.
   Exhibit D. Letter, HQ AFPC/DPPD, dated 5 Oct 00.
   Exhibit E. Letter, SAF/MIBR, dated 20 Oct 00.




                                   DAVID C. VAN GASBECK
                                   Panel Chair


AFBCMR 00-01418




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 XXXXXXX, be corrected to show that, on 22 October
1998, she was honorably discharged under the provisions of AFI 36-
3208, paragraph 1.2, Secretarial Authority, was issued a separation
program designator code of “KFF,” and that her separation pay was not
recouped.





JOE G. LINEBERGER

Director

Air Force Review Boards Agency