RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2007-00876
            INDEX CODE:  110.00
      xxxxxxxxxxxxxx   COUNSEL:  NONE
            HEARING DESIRED:  NO

MANDATORY CASE COMPLETION DATE:  23 SEPTEMBER 2008

____________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

Her character of service be changed to  honorable  and  her  reason  for
separation be changed.

____________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

Her record at basic training and technical school was  impeccable.   She
did not start any duties when she arrived at her duty station.   She  is
applying for a position with the Department  of  Homeland  Security  and
feels that her reason for separation of  “entry  level  performance  and
conduct” is incorrect and may affect her background security check.

In support of her request, applicant provides a copy of her DD Form 214,
Diploma of Bachelor of Arts Degree and a notice  of  tentative  position
selection.

The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A.

____________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

Applicant contracted her enlistment in the  Regular  Air  Force  in  the
grade of airman first class (E-3) on 21 March 1996 for a period of  four
years.

On 21 August 1996, the applicant  received  notification  that  she  was
being recommended for discharge for failure to  adapt  to  the  military
environment.  The reason for this action was due to receipt of a 31 July
1996  medical  narrative  summary  that  found  the  applicant  had   an
Adjustment Disorder  with  Mixed  Anxiety  and  Depressed  Mood,  and  a
supervisor’s  memorandum  dated  5  August  1996,  which  documented   a
chronology  of  events  which  led  to  her  commander-directed   mental
evaluation.   Applicant  acknowledged  receipt  of   the   notification,
consulted with  counsel  and  elected  to  waive  her  right  to  submit
statements on her own behalf.   The  discharge  authority  approved  the
recommendation and directed she be discharged  with  an  uncharacterized
entry-level separation.  She was discharged on  6 September  1996.   She
served 5 months and 16 days on active duty.  She was assigned an RE code
“2C” which denotes “Involuntarily separated with an honorable discharge;
or entry level separation without characterization of service.”

____________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

HQ AFPC/DPPRS  recommends  denial.   DPPRS  states  that  based  on  the
documentation on file in the master personnel records, the discharge was
consistent with the  procedural  and  substantive  requirements  of  the
discharge regulation.  DPPRS also advises that airmen are  given  entry-
level   separation/uncharacterized   service    characterization    when
separation is initiated in the first 180 days continuous active service.
 The DPPRS complete evaluation is at Exhibit C.

____________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

A complete copy of  the  Air  Force  evaluation  was  forwarded  to  the
applicant on 20 April 2007, 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 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  an  injustice  warranting  a  change  in  the  reason  for
separation.  After reviewing the applicant’s submission and the evidence
of record, we are persuaded that some relief is warranted.  We note that
the discharge action taken against the applicant was in accordance  with
applicable  instruction.   However,  after  reviewing  the   applicant’s
request and the evidence of record, we find the narrative reason for her
entry level separation; i.e., entry level performance and conduct, to be
overly harsh.  We believe that the word “conduct” could be  misconstrued
to infer that her separation  for  failure  to  adapt  to  the  military
environment was  also  due  to  misconduct.   While  the  applicant  had
difficulty adapting to a military environment, we have seen no  evidence
of  misconduct.   Therefore,  in  order  to  correct  an  injustice   of
improperly labeling the applicant, we believe the narrative  reason  for
separation should be corrected to accurately reflect  the  circumstances
of  her  separation.   In  view  of  the  foregoing,  we  recommend  the
applicant’s record be corrected to the extent indicated below.

4.  In regard to the applicant’s request for an honorable discharge,  we
are compelled to note that  an  uncharacterized  separation  is  not  an
unfavorable reflection upon the applicant’s military service nor  should
it be confused with other types of separations.  Rather, an  entry-level
separation with uncharacterized service is used in those cases where the
member has  not  yet  completed  six  months  of  service  at  the  time
separation proceedings were, for whatever reason, initiated.  Hence,  an
uncharacterized  separation  merely   connotes   the   brevity   of   an
individual’s membership in the service and may not, in and of itself, be
viewed as a defamation of character.  In instances where a former member
has not completed six months of service, characterization of his or  her
service as honorable is normally appropriate  when  extenuating  factors
exist.  However, after a thorough review of the  applicant's  submission
and the evidence of record,  we  see  no  evidence  of  any  extenuating
circumstances in this case.   Therefore,  in  the  absence  of  evidence
indicating that the applicant was deprived of rights to  which  entitled
or that inappropriate standards were  applied,  we  find  no  compelling
basis to recommend changing  the  characterization  of  her  service  to
honorable.

____________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records  of  the  Department  of  the  Air  Force
relating to APPLICANT, be corrected by deleting the words “and  conduct”
from Block 28 (Narrative Reason for Separation)  on  her  DD  Form  214,
Certificate of Release or  Discharge  from  Active  Duty,  issued  on  6
September 1996.

____________________________________________________________

The following members  of  the  Board  considered  this  application  in
Executive Session on 22 May 2007, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

            Mr. Laurence M. Groner, Panel Chair
            Mr. James A. Wolffe, Member
            Ms. Teri G. Spoutz, Member

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

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 3 Apr 07, w/atchs.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPRS, dated 9 Apr 07.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 20 Apr 07.




                                LAURENCE M.GRONER
                                Panel Chair

AFBCMR BC-2007-00876


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 XXXXXXXXXXXXXX, be corrected by deleting the words
“and conduct” from Block 28 (Narrative Reason for Separation) on her
DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty,
issued on 6 September 1996.






                                                                JOE G.
LINEBERGER

Director
                                                                Air
Force Review Boards Agency