RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:                       DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2006-01349
                                             INDEX CODE:  110.00
      XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX                 COUNSEL:  NONE

                                             HEARING DESIRED:  YES


MANDATORY CASE COMPLETION DATE:  24 October 2007


________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

Her Reenlistment Eligibility (RE) code be changed to  one  that  will  allow
her to enlist in the Air National Guard (ANG).

________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

While completing basic and technical training, her 12-year-old  brother  was
diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin’s disease.   Dealing  with  her  brother’s
illness on behalf of her family was hard, and the idea  of  him  being  sick
and dealing with basic training and the new life adjustment was a  difficult
task.  About a year after her discharge, her brother completed  chemotherapy
and  radiation  treatment,  had  fully  recovered,  and  was   in   complete
remission.

What she learned in the service has  helped  her  in  civilian  life.  Since
leaving the service, she has gotten an apartment, a car, a full time job,  a
formal college education, has been certified as  a  nurse’s  aide,  and  has
contributed time volunteering at an animal shelter.

In support of her appeal, she has submitted an undated personal statement

Applicant’s complete submission, with attachment, is at Exhibit A.

________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

Applicant entered active duty on 30 August  2000  and,  upon  completion  of
basic and technical training, served as a dental assistant.

On 19 September 2001, a Clinical Psychologist at  the  Life  Skills  Support
Center noted that applicant had been seen at the  clinic  since  26  January
2001, following referral by her commander and first sergeant.   During  this
time, she had received outpatient therapy, had attended  five  psychotherapy
sessions, and had been in antidepressant therapy since  entering  treatment.
He further noted that she had also been seen  for  outpatient  treatment  of
alcohol dependence and had been referred to ADAPT.  Throughout her  care  at
the clinic, she reported difficulty with intermittent sadness and  exhibited
self-injurious behavior (e.g., burning herself with cigarettes, cutting  her
arm).   She  described  unstable  interpersonal  relationships  with  fellow
service members, and  her  first  sergeant  reported  multiple  disciplinary
actions for  poor  duty  performance.   She  was  seen  after  hours  on  an
emergency basis on 18 September 2001 for another incident of  self-injurious
behavior in which she cut her arm with a piece of broken  glass.   Applicant
reported, and her first sergeant confirmed, that she had been involved in  a
verbal  conflict  with  her  suitemate,  which  escalated  to  yelling   and
profanity and her throwing a glass decoration against her  door.   Applicant
reported that she impulsively cut her arm  in  an  attempt  to  relieve  her
anger, and reported  increasing  stress  over  several  days  prior  to  the
incident, along with increasing irritability and occasional dysphoria.   Her
DSM-IV diagnoses were:  Axis I-Adjustment Disorder with Depressed  Mood  and
Alcohol Dependence, and Axis II-Borderline Personality Disorder.

On 1 October 2001, applicant was  notified  of  her  commander's  intent  to
recommend  her  for  an  honorable  discharge  due  to   Mental   Disorders.
Specifically, applicant had been seen at the Life  Skills  Clinic  since  26
January 2001 following a referral  by  her  commander  and  first  sergeant.
Beginning 2 August 2001, she attended five psychotherapy sessions,  and,  on
18 September 2001, demonstrated self-injurious behavior by cutting  her  arm
with  broken  glass  which  resulted  in  her  being  seen  by  a   Clinical
Psychologist.  She  was  diagnosed  with  maladaptive  personality  disorder
which significantly impaired her ability to function in the Air  Force,  and
it was recommended that she be expeditiously administratively discharged.

Although not used as a basis for discharge,  her  commander  noted  in  a  1
October 2001  memorandum  to  the  ABW/JA  that  applicant’s  mental  health
status, specifically  her  inadaptability  to  military  life,  had  created
tremendous problems for the squadron since her  arrival  approximately  nine
months earlier.  She stated that applicant’s inability to conform  had  been
demonstrated in behavior that resulted in a progression of discipline  which
included placement on the control roster, that she was  not  dependable  and
required constant supervision both on and off-duty, and  that  she  did  not
trust her to work independently and would not  delegate  any  responsibility
to her.

The commander advised applicant of  her  right  to  consult  legal  counsel,
submit statements in her own behalf, and that her failure  to  do  so  would
constitute a waiver of her right to do so.

On 4 October 2001, after  consulting  with  counsel,  applicant  waived  her
right to submit statements in her own behalf.

A legal review was conducted on 11 October 2001, in which  the  staff  judge
advocate recommended applicant be discharged  with  an  honorable  discharge
characterization.

A resume of applicant's performance reports follows:

      PERIOD ENDING                     OVERALL EVALUATION

      25 Sep 2001                       2

Her records indicate she is entitled to wear the Air Force Training Ribbon.

Applicant was discharged on 18 October 2001 in the grade  of  Airman  (E-2),
with an honorable discharge,  in  accordance  with  AFI  36-3208,  paragraph
5.11.1, Personality Disorder.  She was given an RE Code of  4I,  making  her
ineligible to reenlist in the Air Force.  She served a total  of  one  year,
one month, and 19 days.

________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The BCMR Medical Consultant recommends denial, and  advises  that  following
her discharge from the Air Force, applicant sought  continued  treatment  in
November and December 2001, but  discontinued  treatment  due  to  insurance
coverage problems.  She was taken to the emergency room on 24 December  2001
with increased depressed mood, anxiety, and self-injurious  urges  following
conflict with her parents.  A mental health evaluation by the VA on 18  July
2002 confirmed the diagnosis  of  Borderline  Personality  Disorder,  noting
emotional  liability,  self-injurious  urges  and  behaviors,  interpersonal
conflict, diffuse sense of  self  and  sense  of  emotional  neediness,  and
childhood abuse/trauma.

Personality disorders  are  not  diseases,  but  are  enduring  patterns  of
perception,  coping,  emotions,  and  behavior  that   deviates   from   the
expectations of  the  individual’s  culture  (including  occupational),  and
leads to distress or impairment in social and/or  occupational  functioning.
Personality Disorders are frequently exacerbated by stress and  may  present
with symptoms of Adjustment  Disorder,  which  is  characterized  by  marked
psychological distress in response to identifiable stressors  that  overcome
the  individual’s  ability  to  cope,  and  is  frequently  associated  with
significant  impairments  in  social  and  occupational  functioning.    The
emotional and behavioral responses may be in excess of what  would  normally
be expected given the nature of  the  stressors.   Manifestations  (symptoms
and behavior) of personality and adjustment  disorders  wax  and  wane  over
time, depending on the nature and degree of stressors present at  any  given
time.

The fact that applicant reports she is doing well at  this  time  is  not  a
reason  to  change  her  RE  code.   Personality  disorders  are  frequently
exacerbated  by  stress  and  may  not  cause  significant  problems   until
stressful circumstances result in  occupational  or  social  problems.   The
fact that applicant reports  she  is  doing  well  at  this  time  does  not
contradict the diagnosis since  symptoms  wax  and  wane  according  to  the
situation and stress.  Her history of problems that resulted in  significant
impairment of occupational functioning, combined with  the  results  of  the
mental health evaluation,  indicate  that  she  is  at  risk  for  recurrent
problems under similar circumstances of military occupational  and  personal
stress.   A  history  of  personality  disorder  severe  enough  to  warrant
administrative discharge is permanently disqualifying for reenlistment  into
the military.  Action and disposition in this case are proper and  equitable
reflecting compliance with Air Force directives that implement the law.

The BCMR Medical Consultant evaluation is at Exhibit C.

________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

A complete copy of the evaluation was  forwarded  to  the  applicant  on  11
April 2007, for review and comment, within 30 days.   However,  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.  Insufficient relevant evidence has been  presented  to  demonstrate  the
existence of error or injustice to warrant changing her RE  Code.   In  this
respect, we note the applicant’s discharge appears to be in compliance  with
the  governing  Air  Force  Instruction  in  effect  at  the  time  of   her
separation, and that she was afforded all  the  rights  to  which  entitled.
Personality disorders are frequently  exacerbated  by  stress  and  may  not
cause  significant  problems  until  stressful   circumstances   result   in
occupational or social problems.  While she appears to be  functioning  well
at this time at home, it does not predict that she  would  respond  well  to
the stresses of military operations, deployment, or  combat  when  separated
from her familiar surroundings  and  usual  support  system  of  family  and
friends.  In view of the foregoing, and in the absence of  evidence  to  the
contrary, we find no compelling basis to upgrade her RE Code to an  eligible
code for enlistment.

4.  The applicant's case is adequately documented and it has not been  shown
that a personal appearance with or without counsel will  materially  add  to
our understanding of the issue(s) involved.  Therefore, the  request  for  a
hearing is not favorably considered.

________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT:

The applicant be notified that the evidence presented  did  not  demonstrate
the existence of material error  or  injustice;  that  the  application  was
denied without a personal appearance; and that the application will only  be
reconsidered upon the submission of newly discovered relevant  evidence  not
considered with this application.

________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered  Docket  Number  BC-2006-01349
in Executive Session on 13 June 2007, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

                       Mr. Michael V. Barbino, Panel Chair
                       Ms. Renee M. Collier, Member
                       Ms. Barbara R. Murray, Member

The following documentary evidence was considered:

   Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 24 Apr 06, w/atch.
   Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
   Exhibit C.  Letter, BCMR Medical Consultant, dated 10 Apr 07.
   Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 11 Apr 07.




                                   MICHAEL V. BARBINO
                                   Panel Chair