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USMC | DRB | 2009_Marine | MD0902577
Original file (MD0902577.rtf) Auto-classification: Denied
ex-, USMC
Current Discharge and Applicant’s Request
Application Received: 20090917
Characterization of Service Received:
Narrative Reason for Discharge:
Authority for Discharge: MARCORSEPMAN
Applicant’s Request:      Characterization change to:
         Narrative Reason change to:

Summary of Service
Prior Service:
Inactive:         NONE              Active:  

Period of Service Under Review:
Date of Current Enlistment: 20000329     Age at Enlistment:
Period of E nlistment : Years Months
Date of Discharge: 20030515      H ighest Rank:
Length of Service : Y ea r ( s ) M on th ( s ) 18 D a y ( s )
Education Level:        AFQT: 33
MOS: 0311
Proficiency/Conduct M arks (# of occasions): /   Fitness R eports:
Awards and Decorations ( per DD 214):      Rifle
NJP:     SCM:
SPCM:
- 20020408 :       Art icle 86 (UA 20010103-200 2 030 1 , 422 days )
         Sentence : CONF 90 days (2002030 1 -20020408, 38 days credit for Pre-Trial Confinement )
         Suspended: Confinement in excess of 45 days to be suspended for a period of 12 months, unless sooner vacated .
CC:      Retention Warning Counseling :

Administrative Corrections to the Applicant’s DD 214
The NDRB did note administrative error(s) on the original DD Form 214:
 “ (42 2 ) 20010103-20020 301 ; (3 8 ) 2002030 1 -20020408 ”
The NDRB will recommend to the Commandant of the Marine Corps that the DD 214 be corrected as appropriate.
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:           Rehabilitation/Treatment:                  Criminal Records:       
         Personal Documentation :           Community Service:                References:     
         Department of VA letter:                  Oth er Documentation:    
                  Additional Statements :
         From Applicant:            From /To Representation:            From /To Congress m ember :        

Pertinent Regulation/Law
A. Paragraph 1105, DISCHARGE ADJUDGED BY SENTENCE OF COURT-MARTIAL , of the Marine Corps Separation and Retirement Manual, (MCO P1900.16F), effective 1 September 2001 until Present.
B. Secretary of the Navy Instruction 5420.174D of 22 December 2004, Naval Discharge Review Board (NDRB) Procedures and Standards, Part IV, Para 403m(7)(a), Presumption Concerning Court-Martial Specifications .

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.       Nondecisional issue : Applicant seeks clemency in the form of an upgrade in his discharge characterization of service from Bad Conduct Discharge to General (Under Honorable Conditions) in order to re-enlist in the Marine Corps and prove that he has learned from his mistakes.
2.       Decisional issu e: Applicant contends his ignorance and lack of maturity got the best of him and drove him to unethically abandon his duties to the Marine Corps.

Decision

Date: 20 10 1019            Location: Washington D.C .         R epresentation :

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

 In reviewing discharges, the Board presumes regularity in the conduct of Government affairs unless there is substantial credible evidence to rebut the presumption, to include evidence submitted by the Applicant. With respect to a discharge adjudged by a 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. In response to the Applicant's clemency request, relevant and material facts stated in a court-martial specification are presumed by the NDRB to be established facts. The Applicant's case was considered under the pertinent standards of equity to determine if any factors in this particular case merited clemency. The Applicant’s record of service includes waivers for enlistment into the Marine Corps by the Recruiting Station Commanding Officer for pre-service use of marijuana and by the Commanding General, Western Recruiting Region for pre-service use of cocaine. The Applicant completed his prescribed training and was assigned to his permanent command for duty. Prior to trial by Special Court Martial, the Applicant’s record of service reflects no administrative disciplinary action or formal retention warning counseling.

The Applicant’s record of service contains a conviction from trial by Special Court-Martial for violation of Article 86 ( Absence without leave) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice ; specifically, absenting himself from his unit, which he was required to be at, and remaining absent from his unit for a period of 422 days without authority. After 31 days of unauthorized absence, the Applicant was declared a deserter by the command and was dropped from the rolls of his unit. After 422 days of absence, local law enforcement authorities apprehended the Applicant during an undercover traffic stop. He was taken into custody and surrendered to military authority after his name returned a notification that he was sought by the Armed Forces for being a deserter/absentee. Upon return to his unit, the Applicant was placed in pre-trial confinement, pending trial by Special Court Martial.

The Applicant did not provide any post - service documentation for consideration by the board.

: (Nondecisional) - Applicant seeks clemency in the form of an upgrade in his discharge characterization of service from Bad Conduct Discharge to General (Under Honorable Conditions) in order to re-enlist in the Marine Corps and prove that he has learned from his mistakes. The NDRB has no authority to upgrade a discharge for the sole purpose of enhancing opportunities or improving acceptance with organizations. Regulations limit the NDRB’s review under the pertinent standards of equity to determine if any factors in this particular case merited clemency. This issue is one in which the NDRB cannot form a basis for relief .

: (Decisional) ( ) . Applicant contends his ignorance and lack of maturity got the best of him and drove him to unethically abandon his duties to the Marine Corps. In response to the Applicant’s request for clemency , relevant and material facts stated in a trial by court-martial are presumed by the NDRB to be established facts. With respect to a discharge adjudged by a court-martial case, the action of the NDRB is restricted to upgrades based on clemency - an act of leniency that reduces the severity of the punishment imposed. The Applicant’s case was considered under the pertinent standards of equity to determine if any factors in this particular case merited clemency. The NDRB conducted a detailed review of the Applicant’s discharge, and the discharge process, to ensure the applicant was afforded all his rights and to determine if clemency, under the basis of equity, was warranted.

Based on the individual facts and circumstances regarding a violation of the UCMJ, Commanders may pursue administrative or punitive disciplinary actions to ensure good order and discipline. Based on the circumstances of th is specific case, the Command chose to refer the Applicant to a trial by Special Court-Martial instead of opting for the more lenient administrative disciplinary action and separation process. A Special Court-Martial may adjudicate confinement and a punitive discharge. The Applicant completed and signed a pre-trial agreement with the command; he accepted trial by Military Judge alone and agreed to plead guilty to the specification of unauthorized absence in return for leniency in the adjudged confinement. The Applicant was found guilty ; he was adjudged c onfinement for 90 days and awarded a Bad Conduct Discharge . The trial was approved and was ordered executed by the convening authority. The record of conviction was further reviewed and affirmed by the U.S. Navy–Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals. Additionally, the Naval Clemency and Parole Board reviewed the case and determined that c lemency was not warranted .

 The NDRB conducted a thorough review of the available evidence, to include the Applicant’s pre-service waivers; his Summary of Servic e; Service Record Entries; the v erbatim transcript of the Special Court-Martial proceeding; and the overall discharge process. The narrative reason for discharge, convicted by special court-martial, is appropriate. Additionally, the NDRB found that the evidence of record did not contain sufficient mitigating or extenuating factors to offset the seriousness of the offense for which the discharge was awarded , nor did it meet the high standards required to warrant clemency . Based on this review, t he Board found that clemency was not warranted ; the discharge awarded the Applicant at his court-martial was appropriate and equitable for the offenses committed.
Summary: After a thorough review of the available evidence, to include the Applicant’s summary of service, record entries, the verbatim record of trial, and the discharge process, the Board found Therefore, the awarded characterization of service shall and the narrative reason for separation shall remain .
The Applicant remains eligible for a personal appearance hearing for a period of fifteen years from the date of discharge. The Applicant is directed to the Addendum, specifically the paragraphs titled Additional Reviews , Reenlistment, and Post-Service Conduct .


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 Disable d American 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 their 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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