DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF NAVAL RECORDS

2 NAVY ANNEX

WASHINGTON DC 20370-5100

TRG
Docket No:
9 August 2001

4916-01

This is in 
naval record pursuant to the provisions of Title 10 of the United
States Code section 1552.

referen:e to your application for correction of your

A three-member panel of the Board for Correction of Naval
Records, sitting in executive session, considered your
application on 7 August 2001.
injustice were reviewed in accordance with administrative
regulations and procedures applicable to the proceedings of this
Board.
your application,
thereof,
and policies.

Documentary material considered by the Board consisted of
together with all material submitted in support

your naval record and applicable statutes, regulations

Your allegations of error and

After careful and conscientious consideration of the entire
record, the Board found that the evidence submitted was
insufficient to establish the existence of probable material
error or injustice.

You enlisted in the Navy on 19 April 1995 at age 18. A
psychiatric evaluation in the record states that you were
referred by the chaplain for depression, frequent crying,
inability to adapt to military life, anger, anxiety, and problems
with your family and girlfriend.
You told the psychologist that
you were afraid you would lose your temper and hurt someone, had
thoughts of suicide, had used marijuana,
vitamins.
started hitting walls and mirrors and cut your hands many times.
You were diagnosed with an unspecified severe personality
disorder, with borderline,
features.
You were considered to present a continuing danger to
yourself or others if you were not discharged, and an expeditious
discharge was recommended.

and tried to overdose on
In addition, you stated that while in high school, you

narcissistic and passive-aggressive

Based on the psychiatric evaluation,
administrative discharge.
you elected to waive your procedural rights.
1996 the discharge authority directed a general discharge by

you were processed for an
In connection with this processing,
On 17 September

reason of the diagnosed personality disorder and you were so
discharged on 9 October 1996.
recommended for reenlistment and were assigned an RR-4
reenlistment code.

At that time you were not

In 1998 the Naval Discharge Review Board determined that an
honorable discharge was appropriate in your case and directed
that your record be so corrected.
to show that you received an honorable discharge on 9 October
1996.

A DD Form 214 has been issued

You are now requesting a change in the reenlistment code so that
In support of your request you have
you can reenter the Navy.
submitted a letter from a psychologist dated 22 July 2001.
psychologist indicated that he conducted an interview with you,
reviewed the psychological evaluation done by the Navy, and
administered psychiatric testing.
follows:

The letter states, in part,  as

The

. He alleges that he chose to present a severe

. 
clinical picture to the examining psychologist in order
He stated that many of the
to get an early discharge.
facts alleged at the time including the alcohol abuse,
breaking mirrors, and general unhappiness were
fictional and designed to create a picture of distress.
. 

. 

. 

. 

.

Since discharge, he attended the American Center
of Technical Arts and Science and completed a 20 month
While he stated
program in cardiovascular technology.
and feels his employer to be
he likes his current work,
fair, he feels it to be limiting and believes he should
have gone into nursing.
His stated reason for wanting
to reenter the military is that
being my own person.
family and not myself."

I was trying to live for my

"1 cheated myself about

The current evaluation provided the following

There is no evidence of current
There is no evidence of

clinical impressions.
drug or alcohol abuse.
psychosis, a mood disorder, paranoia, or problems
controlling aggression or anger.
articulate, intelligent individual who is very  
centered and looks for approval and admiration from
others.
manipulative, to create the impression he wants others
to have.
admiration or acknowledgment he wants, he may feel

He will work hard, and possibility be

Failing to get the desired reaction,

(He) presents as an 

self-

’

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Translating this into issues

He does seem to

discouraged and stressed.
pertinent to reenlistment in the military, I would
state that the aforementioned characteristics represent
tendencies and do not qualify clinically for
designation as a personality disorder.
have learned from his experiences of five years ago. He
appears to have matured, is motivated and able to
acknowledge his mistakes, can better accept
responsibility, and wants to improve his position in
life.
of the rigors of military life.
reenlistment interviewing should stress these factors
and further assess his awareness and willingness to
work his way up through the system.
suggests that (his) stress tolerance and overall
psychological functioning are adequate to allow for
consideration for reenlistment in the military and for
adequate functioning in military life.

He appears have an understanding of the reality

Clinical evidence

However, 

pre-

The Board noted that the diagnosed severe personality disorder
appears to be correct, based on the referral by the chaplain and
the information you presented to the Navy psychologist in 1996.
You are now stating that you deliberately presented a false
picture of your situation in order to be discharged from the
Navy.
who perpetrates a fraud in order to be discharged should not
benefit from that fraud when it is discovered.
the Board could not tell if you were lying then or are lying now.
The Board concluded that in either case, an RE-4 reenlistment
code was appropriate and it should not now be changed.

However, it is well settled in the law that an individual
In this regard

Accordingly, your application has been denied.
votes of the members of the panel will be furnished upon request.

The names and

If you desire to change the name on your Navy service record, you
should submit the enclosed Standard Form 180, with a copy of the
to the custodian of your service
court order changing your name,
record.

It is regretted that the circumstances of your case are such that
You are entitled to have the
favorable action cannot be taken.
Board reconsider its decision upon submission of new and material
evidence or other matter not previously considered by the Board.
In this regard, it is important to keep in mind that a
presumption of regularity attaches to all official records.
Consequently, when applying for a correction of an official naval

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record, the burden is on the applicant to demonstrate the
existence of probable material error or injustice.

Sincerely,

W. DEAN PFEIFFER
Executive Director

Enclosure