RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  01-01231
            INDEX CODE:  100.00

            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO


_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

He be reinstated to the Air Force  or  his  reenlistment  eligibility
(RE) code changed so that he can reenter another branch of service.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

He is psychologically sound.  The incident was because of being  away
from  home  at  an  early  age.   He   will   provide   psychological
documentation if needed.

Applicant’s complete submission is attached at Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

On 17 Aug 94, the applicant enlisted in the Regular Air Force (RegAF)
for a period of four years in the grade of airman basic.

On 23 Aug 94, while in basic military  training,  the  applicant  was
evaluated by the Inpatient Psychiatry Service and  he  was  found  to
have  a  Mental  Condition  that  Interfered  with  Military   Duty -
Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Emotional Features,  as  contained  in
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IIIR) for Mental Disorders.

On  1 Sep  94,  applicant  was  notified  that  his   commander   was
recommending that he be discharged from the Air Force for a Condition
that Interfered with Military Service - Mental Disorder.  The  reason
for the commander’s action was that the applicant  was  diagnosed  by
the Department of Mental Health,  Wilford  Hall  Medical  Center,  as
having a Mental Disorder as contained in the DSM.

On 8 Sep 94, the applicant was separated from the Air Force  with  an
entry level separation under the provisions of AFR 39-10 (Personality
Disorder) with an uncharacterized character of service, an RE code of
2C (Involuntarily separated with an  honorable  discharge;  or  entry
level  separation  without  characterization  of  service),   and   a
separation code of JFX (Personality Disorder).  He was credited  with
22 days of active service.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The BCMR Medical Consultant reviewed this application  and  indicated
that while the applicant claims youth and immaturity  as  the  reason
for his behavior that led to his separation, it is noted that he  was
treated as a youth of 10 years for behavioral problems also and  that
further exposure to the rigors of military life may well  not  be  in
his best interest or that of  the  military  service.   However,  the
current Air Force Instruction (AFI) regulating separations for mental
health problems does not allow coding  for  other  than  “Personality
Disorder,” an entirely different DSM-IIIR  code  sequence  from  that
with which the applicant was diagnosed.  It is not proper to apply an
erroneous  label  to  an   individual   because   of   a   recognized
administrative shortfall as occurred in this case.  The BCMR  Medical
Consultant is of the opinion that, in order to correct  an  injustice
of improperly labeling the  applicant’s  disorder,  his  request  for
change of reason for discharge be granted.  Item 28, Narrative Reason
for Separation, of  the  applicant’s  DD  Form  214  (Certificate  of
Release or Discharge From Active Duty) should  be  changed  to  read:
Secretarial   Authority,   the   corresponding   Separation   Program
Designator (SPD) being KFF, in accordance with AFI 36-3208, paragraph
1.2.  His RE code should not be changed.

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

The Assistant Noncommissioned Officer-in-Charge  (NCOIC),  Separation
Procedures  Section,  AFPC/DPPRS,  reviewed  this   application   and
indicated that based on the documentation in the file, the  discharge
was consistent with the procedural and  substantive  requirements  of
the discharge regulation.  Additionally, the discharge was within the
sound discretion of the discharge authority.  DPPRS concurs with  the
BCMR Medical Consultant’s statement that the adjustment disorder  was
incorrectly labeled on the applicant’s discharge form.   Accordingly,
they recommend that his separation  code  and  narrative  reason  for
separation be changed to “JFF - Secretarial Authority.”   Airmen  are
given entry level separation/uncharacterized service characterization
when separation is initiated in the  first  180  days  of  continuous
active service.  The Department of  Defense  (DOD)  determined  if  a
member served less than 180 days of  continuous  active  service,  it
would be unfair to the member and the service to  characterize  their
limited service.  Therefore, applicant’s uncharacterized character of
service  is  correct  and  in  accordance  with  DOD  and  Air  Force
instructions.  An entry level separation  should  not  be  viewed  as
negative or less than honorable and should not be confused with other
types of separation.

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

The Assistant  Chief,  Skills  Management  Branch,  AFPC/DPPAE,  also
reviewed this application and indicated that applicant’s RE  code  of
2C is correct.

A complete copy of their evaluation is attached at Exhibit E.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Copies of the Air Force evaluations were forwarded  to  applicant  on
27 Jul 01 for review and response.  As of this date, no response  has
been received by this office.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT:

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

2.    The application was not timely filed; however,  it  is  in  the
interest of justice to excuse the failure to timely file.

3.    Sufficient relevant evidence has been presented to  demonstrate
the existence of probable error or injustice to warrant granting  the
applicant some form of relief.  We found no evidence that responsible
officials  applied   inappropriate   standards   in   effecting   the
applicant’s discharge, that pertinent regulations  were  violated  or
that the applicant was not afforded all the rights to which  entitled
at the time of discharge.  Therefore, we  do  not  believe  favorable
consideration of the applicant’s stated request would be  appropriate
on the basis of the evidence provided.  Nevertheless, in view of  the
fact that the  applicant  was  diagnosed  as  having  an  “adjustment
disorder” rather than a “personality disorder” as  reflected  in  the
narrative reason for separation, we believe some form  of  relief  is
warranted.  Based  on  careful  consideration  of  the  circumstances
surrounding the applicant’s discharge, we  believe  it  would  be  an
injustice for him to continue to suffer the adverse  effects  of  the
narrative  reason  for  discharge.   Therefore,  we  agree  with  the
recommendation of the BCMR Medical Consultant  that  the  reason  for
separation should be amended to reflect the  correct  diagnosis  that
was made in this case.  However, since the  governing  directives  do
not provide for a  narrative  reason  of  “adjustment  disorder,”  we
recommend that the reason for separation be changed  to  “Secretarial
Authority,” with a corresponding separation code of “JFF.”  While the
BCMR Medical Consultant recommended a separation code  of  “KFF,”  we
note that effective 1 Jun 99, KFF no longer  exists.   Therefore,  we
recommend his records be corrected to reflect the correct  separation
code of “JFF.”

4.    Applicant’s request that he be reinstated in the Air  Force  is
duly noted.   However,  based  on  the  severity  of  his  adjustment
disorder, we find no basis upon which to recommend  favorable  action
on the applicant’s request that he be reinstated.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the Department  of  the  Air  Force
relating to APPLICANT, be corrected to show that on 8 Sep 94, he  was
discharged by reason of “Secretarial Authority,” with SPD code JFF.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board  considered  this  application  in
Executive Session on 30 August 2001, under the provisions of AFI  36-
2603:

                  Mr. Patrick R. Wheeler, Panel Chair
                  Ms. Martha Maust, Member
              Mr. Philip Sheuerman, Member

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

     Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 23 Apr 01.
     Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
     Exhibit C.  Letter, BCMR Medical Consultant, dated 25 Jun
                   01.
     Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPPRS, dated 20 Jul 01.
     Exhibit E.  Letter, AFPC/DPPAE, dated 20 Jul 01.
     Exhibit F.  Letter, AFBCMR, dated 27 Jul 01.




                                   PATRICK R. WHEELER
                                   Panel Chair


AFBCMR 01-01231




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 , be corrected to show that on 8 September 1994, he
was discharged by reason of “Secretarial Authority,” with  Separation
Program Designator (SPD) code JFF.







                                                            JOE    G.
LINEBERGER
                                                         Director
                                                          Air   Force
Review Boards Agency