RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

 AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 

IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-04486 

 

 

 COUNSEL: NONE 

 

 HEARING DESIRED: NO 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 

 

Her records be corrected to remove or change her narrative reason 
for separation. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

 

She was wrongfully accused of homosexual acts because of an unjust 
inspection of her living quarters. The inspection found her 
roommate in her bunk instead of the top bunk where her roommate’s 
bed was. By way of an explanation, her roommate was in the 
applicant’s bed because the night before the roommate was too 
inebriated to climb up to her own bunk. Though her roommate was 
found fully clothed, her commander seemed set on labeling her as 
homosexual and pushed for her separation. 

 

The applicant’s complete submission is at Exhibit A. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

 

On 18 Jun 87, the applicant was notified by her commander that he 
was recommending she be discharged for homosexuality. The 
commander recommended a general, under honorable conditions (UHC) 
discharge. The reasons for the discharge action are as follows: 

 

She was discovered sleeping in the same bed with another female 
airman. A subsequent investigation by the Office of Special 
Investigations (OSI) yielded confessions from the applicant and 
another female airman that they had committed homosexual acts 
together. 

 

She acknowledged receipt of the notification; consulted counsel, 
and exercised her right to present her case to a board of 
officers. After considering all the evidence, the board found 
that she did commit homosexual acts and recommended she be 
separated with an honorable discharge. 

 


On 23 Nov 87, she was honorably discharged for homosexuality after 
serving for 3 years, 6 months, and 19 days. 

 

On 20 Sep 11, the law commonly known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” 
(DADT), 10 USC 654 was repealed. The Department of Defense 
subsequently issued guidance indicating that Service Discharge 
Review Boards (DRB) should normally grant requests to change the 
narrative reason for a discharge, requests to re-characterize the 
discharge to honorable, and/or requests to change the reentry code 
when both of the following conditions were met: (1) the original 
discharge was based solely on DADT or a similar policy in place 
prior to enactment of DADT, and (2) there were no aggravating 
factors in the record, such as misconduct. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

AFPC/DPSOS recommends denial. Homosexual conduct was grounds for 
separation from the military service under the terms as set forth 
by Air Force Regulation (AFR) 39-10. Homosexual conduct includes 
homosexual acts, a statement by the member that demonstrates a 
propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts, or a homosexual 
marriage or attempted marriage. 

 

Her discharge from the Air Force was legally sufficient based on 
current policy at the time of her discharge making her narrative 
reason for separation an appropriate reason for discharge. 

 

DPSOS notes she did not submit any evidence or identify any errors 
or injustices that occurred in the processing of her discharge. 
Neither has she provided facts that would warrant a change to her 
narrative reason for separation. Therefore, 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 and was within the 
discretion of the discharge authority. 

 

DPSOS’s complete evaluation is at Exhibit C. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the applicant 
on 13 Jan 12 for review and comment within 30 days. 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 an error or injustice. In light of 
the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) and the applicant’s 
record of performance, the majority of the Board believes it 
would be appropriate to change the narrative reason for 
separation to “Secretarial Authority” and correct her separation 
program designator (SPD) and reentry (RE) codes accordingly. In 
accordance with Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and 
Readiness) guidance memorandum, Correction of Military Records 
Following Repeal of Section 654 of Title 10, United States Code, 
dated 20 September 2011, Discharge Review Boards should normally 
grant requests to change the narrative reason for a discharge 
(the change should be to “Secretarial Authority” (SPD code JFF)), 
requests to re-characterize the discharge to honorable, and/or 
requests to change the RE code to an immediately-eligible-to-
reenter category (the new RE code should be RE code 1J) when both 
of the following conditions are met: (1) the original discharge 
was based solely on DADT or a similar policy in place prior to 
enactment of DADT and (2) there were no aggravating factors in 
the record, such as misconduct. Based on our review of the 
evidence of record, the majority finds the applicant’s discharge 
meets these requirements. Therefore, the Board majority 
recommends the applicant’s record be corrected as indicated 
below. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT: 

 

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force 
relating to the APPLICANT be corrected to show that on 
23 November 1987, she was honorably discharged with a narrative 
reason for separation of "Secretarial Authority" rather than 
"Homosexualuality - Acts," a separation program designator code of 
"KFF" rather than "GRA," and a reentry code of "1J" rather than 
"2C." 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number 
BC-2011-04486 in Executive Session on 3 May 12, under the 
provisions of AFI 36-2603: 

 

 , Panel Chair 

 , Member 

 , Member 

 

 

 

 


A majority of the Board voted to correct the records. voted to 
deny the request, but did not elect to submit a minority report. 
The following documentary evidence pertaining to AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2011-04486 was considered: 

 

 Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 8 Nov 11, w/atchs. 

 Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. 

 Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPSOS, dated 5 Jan 12. 

 Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 13 Jan 12. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Acting Panel Chair