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USMC | DRB | 2009_Marine | MD0900328

Original file (MD0900328.rtf) Auto-classification: Denied

ex-, USMC

Current Discharge and Applicant’s Request

Application Received: 20081201

Characterization of Service Received:

Narrative Reason for Discharge:

Authority for Discharge: MARCORSEPMAN 4102

Applicant’s Request:      Characterization change to:
         Narrative Reason change to:

Summary of Service

Prior Service:
Inactive:         NONE              Active:          19890728 - 19900712 HON

Period of Service Under Review:
Date of Appointment : 19940525    Age at Enlistment:
Period of E nlistment : Indefinite
Date of Discharge: 20040203      H ighest Rank: Captain
Length of Service : Y ea r ( s ) M on th ( s ) 29 D a y ( s )
Education Level:
MOS: 0202/3404
Officer’s Fitness R eports:

Awards and Decorations ( per DD 214):      Rifle (3) Pistol (4)

Periods of UA / CONF :

NJP:
- 20030123 :       Article 133 ( Conduct unbecoming an officer), 3 specifications
         Specification 1: Wrongful contact
         Specification 2: Wrongful contact and attempting to contact
         Specification 3: Wrongfully have sexual intercourse
         Awarded : PUNITIVE LETTER OF Susp ended: Appealed 20030130. Appeal denied 20030207

SCM:

SPCM:

CC:

Retention Warning Counseling :

NDRB Documentary Review Conducted (date):        20071002
NDRB Documentary Review Docket Number:   MD07-00189
NDRB Documentary Review Findings:                 Proper as issued and that no change is warranted.

Types of Documents Submitted/reviewed

Related to Military Service:
                  DD 214:          Service / Medical Record:          Other Records:

Related to Post-Service Period:
         Employment:               Finances:                 Education /Training :
         Health/Medical Records:          Substance Abuse:                  Criminal Records:
         Family/Personal Status:                   Community Service:                References:
         Additional Statements :
                  From Applicant:          From Representat ion :               From Congress member :

         Other Documentation :

Applicant Testified:
Applicant Available for Questions:
Witnesses:
Observers:

Pertinent Regulation/Law

Pending results of hearing.

A. Chapter 4, Paragraph 4102 of the Marine Corps Separation and Retirement Manual, (MCO P1900.16F, effective
1 September 2001 until Present), PROCESSING FOR SEPARATION.

B. Secretary of the Navy Instruction 1920.6B (ADMINISTRATIVE SEPARATION OF OFFICERS) effective 13 December 1999 until 14 December 2005 establishes policies, standards and procedures for the administrative separation of Navy and Marine Corps officers from the naval service in accordance with Title 10, United States Code and DoD Directive 1332.30 of 14 March 97.

C . Secretary of the Navy Instruction 5420.174D of 22 December 2004, Naval Discharge Review Board (NDRB) Procedures and Standards, Part II, Para 211, Regularity of Government Affairs , Part V, Para 502, Propriety and Para 503, Equity .

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
NAVAL DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARD (NDRB)
DISCHARGE REVIEW DECISIONAL DOCUMENT

Applicant’s Issues

1.       Length and quality of pre-misconduct service.
2. Emotional and non-malicious nature of misconduct.
3. Nature and quality of post - misconduct military service.
4. Length and quality of post - service contribution s to U.S. National Security.

Decision

Date: 2009 1123          Location: Washington D.C .         R epresentation :

By a vote of the Characterization shall .
By a vote of the Narrative Reason shall MISCONDUCT .

Discussion

The NDRB, under its responsibility to examine the propriety and equity of an Applicant’s discharge, is authorized to change the character of service and the reason for discharge if such change is warranted. In reviewing discharges, the Board presumes regularity in the conduct of governmental affairs unless there is substantial credible evidence to rebut the presumption, to include evidence submitted by the Applicant. The Applicant’s record of service included for o f the Uniform Code of Mil itary Justice (UCMJ): Article 133 (Conduct unbecoming an officer, 3 specifications). Based on the offenses committed by the Applicant, command administratively processed for separation. When required to show cause for retention , the Applicant consult ed with qualified counsel and submit ted a personal statement to the Secretary of the Navy. T he Applicant voluntarily waived his right to a Board of Inquiry , admitted guilt and acknowledged that he could be separated with an Under Other Than Honorable characterization of service .

: (Decisional) ( ) . The Applicant contends his discharge was inequitable considering the length and quality of his service prior to and following his misconduct . The Applicant also contends that the emotional and non-malicious nature of his offenses offers some mitigat ion for his misconduct. While t he Applicant’s record , both prior to and following his misconduct reflects honorable service , it is clear that the Applicant engaged in willful and repeated misconduct over a period of years —specifically, having sexual relations with a woman he knew to be married, and failure to adhere to “no contact” orders given to him by superiors. The NDRB disagrees with the applicant’s conte ntion that the offenses were not malicious (e.g., affairs of the heart) due to the severity, duration and repeated nature of the misconduct. The record shows that , when charged with the offenses, the Applicant recognized the severity of his offenses and accepted full responsibility for his actions. The NDRB advises the Applicant that d espite a service member’s record of service prior to or following misconduct, certain serious offenses warrant separation from the Marine Corps in order to maintain good order and discipline —the offense s committed by the Applicant met this standard . Additionally, an “Under Other Than Honorable C onditions ” discharge is appropriate when the basis for separation is commission of an act that constitutes a significant departure from the conduct expected from a service member. The Applicant’ s in - service conduct clearly me t this criteri a .

: (Decisional) ( ) . The Applicant wishes for the board to consider the length and quality of his post - service contribution to U.S. national security as a basis to gain a more thorough understanding of the Applicant’s performance and conduct during the period of service under review. The Applicant submitted documentation that supported his claim that since his discharge, he has held steady employme nt serving in a variety of advisory and manage rial billets involving U.S. port security and service as a liaison with foreign government officials regarding national security and nuclear non-proliferation issues. The Applicant holds a Top Secret security clearance with the Department of Energy in order to conduct his non-proliferation verification and enforcement duties. This clearance was verified by the Applicant’s supervisor, who attended the hearing. The Applicant’s supervisor also praised the Applicant’s performance and verified that the clearance was awarded with the Department’s full knowledge of the A pplicant ’s misconduct with on active duty. The Applicant and his supervisor also provided documentation o n the Applicant’s temporary leave of absence from the Department of Energy in order to serv e in Iraq as a civilian senior intelligence analyst in direct support of U.S. Army operations —he served i n this capacity for approximately fifteen months. Due to the considerable documentation provided concerning the Applicant’s post-service accomplishments and professional performance in service to the Nation, t he NDRB determined that the Applicant’s in-service misconduct was an aberration and not indicative of his overall character .

Summary: After a thorough review of the available evidence, to include the Applicant’s summary of service, record entries, discharge process and evidence submitted by the Applicant, the Board found the discharge was proper and equitable at the time of discharge. However, based on a careful review of the Applicant's documented post-service accomplishments , his official service record , testimony, the testimony of witness in attendance, and the facts and circumstances unique to this case, the NDRB determined relief is warranted based on equitable grounds. Therefore, the awarded characterization of service shall and the narrative reason for separation shall remain .

ADDENDUM: Information for the Applicant

Complaint Procedures : If you believe the decision in your case is unclear, not responsive to the issues you raised, or does not otherwise comport with the decisional document requirements of DoD Instruction 1332.28, you may submit a complaint in accordance with Enclosure (5) of that Instruction to the Joint Service Review Activity, OUSD (P&R) PI-LP, The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-4000. You should read Enclosure (5) of the Instruction before submitting such a complaint. The complaint procedure does not permit a challenge of the merits of the decision; it is designed solely to ensure that the decisional documents meet applicable requirements for clarity and responsiveness. You may view DoD Instruction 1332.28 and other Decisional Documents by going online at “ http://Boards.law.af.mil . ”

Additional Reviews : After a document review has been conducted, former members are eligible for a personal appearance hearing, provided the application is received at the NDRB within 15 years of the Applicant’s date of discharge. The Applicant can provide documentation to support any claims of post-service accomplishments or any additional evidence related to this discharge. Representation at a personal appearance hearing is recommended but not required. There are veterans organizations such as the American Legion and the Association of Service Disable Veterans that are willing to provide guidance to former service members in their efforts to obtain a discharge upgrade. If a former member has been discharged for more than 15 years, has already been granted a personal appearance hearing or has otherwise exhausted his opportunities before the NDRB, the Applicant may petition the Board for Correction of Naval Records (BCNR), 2 Navy Annex, Washington, DC 20370-5100 for further review.

Service Benefits: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) determines eligibility for post-service benefits, not the NDRB. There is no requirement or law that grants recharacterization solely on the issue of obtaining veterans benefits and this issue does not serve to provide a foundation upon which the Board can grant relief.

Employment/Educational Opportunities : The NDRB has no authority to upgrade a discharge for the sole purpose of enhancing employment or educational opportunities. Regulations limit the NDRB’s review to a determination of the propriety and equity of the discharge.

Reenlistment/RE-code: Since the NDRB has no jurisdiction over reenlistment, reentry, or reinstatement into the Navy, Marine Corps, or any other of the Armed Forces, the NDRB is not authorized to change a reenlistment code. Only the BCNR can make changes to reenlistment codes. Additionally, the NDRB has no authority to upgrade a discharge for the sole purpose of enhancing reenlistment opportunities. An unfavorable “RE” code is, in itself, not a bar to reenlistment. A request for a waiver can be submitted during the processing of a formal application for reenlistment through a recruiter.

Medical Conditions and Misconduct : DoD disability regulations do not preclude a disciplinary separation. Appropriate regulations stipulate that separations for misconduct take precedence over potential separations for other reasons. Whenever a member is being processed through the Physical Evaluation Board, and is processed subsequently for an administrative involuntary separation or is referred to a court martial for misconduct, the disability evaluation is suspended pending the outcome of the non-disability proceedings. If the action includes either a punitive or administrative discharge for misconduct or for any basis wherein an Other Than Honorable discharge is authorized, the medical board report is filed in the member’s terminated health record. Additionally, the NDRB does not have the authority to change a narrative reason for separation to one indicating a medical disability or other medical related reasons. Only the BCNR can grant this type of narrative reason change.

Automatic Upgrades - There is no law or regulation that provides for an unfavorable discharge to be upgraded based solely on the passage of time or good conduct subsequent to leaving naval service.

Post-Service Conduct : The NDRB is authorized to consider post-service factors in the recharacterization of a discharge. Outstanding post-service conduct, to the extent such matters provide a basis for a more thorough understanding of the Applicant’s performance and conduct during the period of service under review, is considered during Board reviews. Documentation to support a post-service conduct upgrade includes, but is not limited to: a verifiable continuous employment record; marriage and children’s birth certificates (if applicable); character witness statements; documentation of community or church service; certification of non-involvement with civil authorities; evidence of financial stability or letters of good standing from banks, credit card companies, or other financial institutions; attendance at or completion of higher education (official transcripts); and documentation of a drug-free lifestyle. The Applicant is advised that completion of these items alone does not guarantee the upgrade of an unfavorable discharge, as each discharge is reviewed by the Board on a case-by-case basis to determine if post-service accomplishments help demonstrate in-service misconduct was an aberration and not indicative of the member’s overall character.

Issues Concerning Bad-Conduct Discharges (BCD ): Because relevant and material facts stated in a court-martial specification are presumed by the NDRB to be established facts, issues relating to the Applicant’s innocence of charges for which he was found guilty cannot form a basis for relief. With respect to a discharge adjudged by a special court-martial, the action of the NDRB is restricted to upgrades based on clemency. Clemency is an act of leniency that reduces the severity of the punishment imposed. The NDRB does not have the jurisdictional authority to review a discharge or dismissal resulting from a general court-martial.

Board Membership: The names and votes of the members of the NDRB Board are recorded on the original of this document and may be obtained from the service records by writing to:

Secretary of the Navy Council of Review Boards
Attn: Naval Discharge Review Board
720 Kennon Street SE Rm 309
Washington Navy Yard DC 20374-5023

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USMC | DRB | 2009_Marine | MD0900328

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