RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 

 

IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-03444 

 

 COUNSEL: NONE 

 

 HEARING DESIRED: NO 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 

 

His Reentry (RE) Code of 2Q (Personnel Medically Retired or 
Discharged) on his DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or 
Discharge from Active Duty, be changed so he can apply to the 
military. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

 

The reason he received a medical discharge was due to insomnia. 
He had insomnia because the Air Force had him take Percocet for 
two years awaiting shoulder surgery. The insomnia resulted in 
depression. His PEB unjustly focused on the depression instead 
of the insomnia. The Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) even 
believes his discharge is unjust because they denied his claim 
for service connection for his mood disorder. He was also told 
prior to his discharge that he would be able to re-enlist. 

 

In support of his request, the applicant provides copies of his 
DD Form 214 and a copy of the DVA evaluation of his claim for 
disability compensation. 

 

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

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

 

The applicant entered the Air Force on 29 Aug 06. 

 

On 13 May 09, the applicant sought help from the mental health 
clinic. He had a history of several months of depressive 
symptoms, including insomnia, difficulty concentrating, 
homesickness, low energy, fatigue, not enjoying things, and 
visual and auditory hallucinations. He reported that 
hallucinations had been a problem for many years, starting when 
he was about six years old. His hallucinations got worse for 
two or three months prior to his first appointment at the 
medical clinic. He began to fear he might be possessed by 
demons and he became frightened of ghosts. 


On 26 Feb 10, the applicant met an Informal Physical Evaluation 
Board (IPEB) and was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, 
with Psychosis, Single Episode, In Remission, requiring 
continuous medication and Psychotic Disorder, Not Otherwise 
Specified (NOS), Existed Prior to Service (EPTS) without 
Permanent Service Aggravation, Resolved and requiring continuous 
medication. The IPEB found the applicant unfit and recommended 
he be discharged with severance pay with a combined compensable 
disability rating of ten percent. 

 

On 3 Mar 10, the applicant non-concurred with the findings and 
recommendations of the IPEB contending that his condition did 
not make him unfit for duty, and requested a formal hearing of 
the case. 

 

On 3 May 10, a Formal PEB (FPEB) confirmed the diagnosis of the 
IPEB. They noted that his Major Depressive Disorder with 
Psychosis was being treated with anti-depression medication and 
was in remission. His diagnosis of Psychotic Disorder NOS, 
which existed prior to service, is resolved with anti-psychotic 
medication and was not permanently aggravated by military 
service. The FPEB acknowledged the applicant was not currently 
precluded from performing his duties as an Aircraft Structural 
Maintenance Journeyman in-garrison. However, his conditions and 
their treatment limited his availability for world-wide 
deployment and were unsuited to the long-term requirements and 
rigors of military life. The FPEB recommended a medical 
discharge with severance pay with a combined compensable 
disability rating of ten percent. 

 

On 3 May 10, the case was determined to be legally sufficient. 
The applicant was advised of the findings and recommendations of 
the FPEB and his appeal rights; he concurred with the findings. 

 

On 6 May 10, the Air Force Personnel Council, on behalf of the 
Secretary of the Air Force, directed the applicant be separated 
from active service with severance pay for physical disability. 

 

On 23 Aug 10, the applicant was honorably discharged for 
physical disability, received $12,564 in disability severance 
pay, issued an RE Code of 2Q, and was credited with 3 years, 
11 months, and 25 days of active service. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

AFPC/DPSD recommends denial, indicating there is no evidence of 
an error or injustice. Upon examination in Nov 10, the DVA 
examiner noted no evidence of any diagnosable mental disorder. 
Because there was no demonstrated permanent residual or chronic 
disability, the DVA denied service connection for the 
applicant’s condition. The applicant bases the contention in 
his application on the fact that the DVA denied service 
connection for his mental health conditions. However, service 


disability adjudications are a moment in time. The PEB must go 
with the conditions at the time of the case. Therefore, it is 
not unusual to see differences in conditions between the 
Department of Defense Disability Evaluation System and the DVA 
examination. They operate under separate laws. Moreover, the 
DVA rates service connected disabilities in an on-going fashion. 
By contrast, the service PEBs rate only the unfitting disability 
as it exists at the time of the board. 

 

The applicant also stated that he was informed by his MPF prior 
to discharge that he could reenlist. If the applicant was told 
this, it was in error. The 2Q RE code is the correct code for a 
medical discharge and this code precludes future military 
service. 

 

The preponderance of evidence reflects that no error or 
injustice occurred during the disability process. Further, 
while the member’s condition may still be in remission, as it 
was at the time of his DES processing, it is the opinion of this 
office that he remains at risk of recurrence of these mental 
health conditions and the medications for treating these 
conditions are unsuited to military service. 

 

A complete copy of the AFPC/DPSD evaluation is at Exhibit C. 

 

AFPC/DPSOA recommends denial with respect to the applicant’s RE 
Code. The RE code 2Q is required per AFI 36-2606, Reenlistments 
in the USAF, Chapter 3, based on his disability discharge. The 
applicant’s DD Form 214 reflects his RE code at the time of 
separation. 

 

A complete copy of the AFPC/DPSOA evaluation is at Exhibit D. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

His insomnia became worse when he stopped taking Percocet after 
taking it for 2 years. Percocet is a narcotic known to have 
side effects, to include insomnia. Insomnia can cause 
hallucinations and trouble thinking. The Air Force failed to 
provide adequate means to address his shoulder injury for two 
years. His shoulder problems began around November 2006, and 
the Air Force’s approach of using physical therapy and Percocet 
failed to work until he finally had shoulder surgery around 
February 2009. He stopped taking Percocet in Mar 09. The most 
he slept was four hours a night. When he sought help for 
hallucinations, the doctors overlooked the fact that was on a 
narcotic for over two years. There were no sleep studies done 
to verify the fact that he was having problems sleeping. He 
loved his job, but it was unjustly taken away because he could 
not think properly while lacking sleep. 

 

A complete copy of the applicant’s response is at Exhibit E. 

 


________________________________________________________________ 

 

THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT: 

 

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

 

2. The application was timely filed. 

 

3. Insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to 
demonstrate the existence of an error or injustice. We took 
notice of the applicant's complete submission, including his 
response to the Air Force evaluations, in judging the merits of 
the case. However, the preponderance of evidence reflects that 
no error or injustice occurred during the disability process. 
Therefore, we agree with the opinions and recommendations of the 
Air Force offices of primary responsibility (OPRs) and adopt 
their rationale as the basis for our conclusion the applicant 
has not been the victim of an error or injustice. Therefore, in 
the absence of evidence to the contrary, we find no basis to 
recommend granting the relief sought in this application. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT: 

 

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

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2011-03444 in Executive Session on 13 March 12, under the 
provisions of AFI 36-2603: 

 

 , Panel Chair 

 , Member 

 , Member 

 


The following documentary evidence pertaining to AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2011-03444 was considered: 

 

 Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 16 Sep 11, w/atchs. 

 Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. 

 Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPSD, dated 7 Oct 11. 

 Exhibit D. Letter, AFPC/DPSOA, dated 31 Oct 11. 

 Exhibit E. Letter, Applicant, undated. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Panel Chair