Upgrade.Vet

NAVY | DRB | 2010_Navy | ND1000775

Original file (ND1000775.rtf) Auto-classification: Denied

ex-BU3, USN

Current Discharge and Applicant’s Request

Application Received: 20100126

Characterization of Service Received:

Narrative Reason for Discharge:
Authority for Discharge: MILPERSMAN

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

Summary of Service

Prior Service:
Inactive:         US N R (DEP)        19990212 - 19990228     Active: USN 19990301 - 20020930 (HON)

Period of Service Under Review:
Date of Current Enlistment: 2002 1 001     Age at Enlistment:
Period of E nlistment : Years Extension
Date of Discharge: 20041222      Highest Rank/Rate: BU3
Length of Service : Y ear ( s ) M onth ( s ) 22 D a y ( s )
Education Level:        AFQT: 52
Evaluation M arks:         Performance: 3.0 ( 1 )      Behavior: 3.0 ( 1 )        OTA: 3.00 (1)

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

Periods of UA /C ONF : IHCA (2 days)

NJP :

S CM :

SPCM:

C C :

- 20040312 :       Offense: ( Driving Under the Influence), 20031025.
         Sentence : 365 days County Jail, alcohol treatment, standard fines. Suspended: 363 days County Jail

Retention Warning Counseling :

- 19990302 :       For your fraudulent induction as evidenced by your failure to disclose required basic enlistment eligibility information. This decision is based on the information you provided the recruit quality assurance interviewer and if it is found that additional information has not been disclosed you could be subject to other judicial or administrative proceedings. (negligent driving, improper lane of travel, failure to provide proof of insurance, 4/98, Oak Harbor, WA, paid $505; speeding, 1/98, Oak Harbor, WA, paid $44; no insurance, 11/97, Oak Harbor, WA, paid $50; no insurance, 3/97, Oak Harbor, WA, paid $50.

- 20040803 :       For your civilian conviction for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in violation of Washington State law, as evidenced by your guilty plea, and acceptance of that plea in the Everett Division of the Snohomish County District Court on 12 Mar 2004.

Administrative Corrections to the Applicant’s DD 214

The NDRB did note administrative error(s) on the original DD Form 214:

         Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations, and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized, should read: “ RIFLE EXPERT PISTOL SHARPSHOOTER NAVY “E” GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL SEA SERVICE DEPLOYMENT RIBBON(3) SEABEE COMBAT WARFARE SPECIALIST INSIGNIA ”
         “ CONTINUOUS HONORABLE ACTIVE SERVICE FROM 19990301 UNTIL 20020930 ”
         “ MILPERSMAN 1910-152 ”

The NDRB will recommend to the Commander, Navy Personnel Command, 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. Navy Military Personnel Manual, (NAVPERS 15560C), re-issued October 2002, effective 22 August 2002 until 28 April 2005, Article 1910-152, SEPARATION BY REASON OF ALCOHOL REHABILITATION.

B. 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. Applicant seeks an upgrade to obtain G.I. Bill benefits to attend college.

Decision

Date: 20 1 1 02 24 Location: Washington D.C . R epresentation :

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

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 discharg e if such change is warranted. In reviewing discharges, the Board presumes regularity in the conduct of g overnment al affairs unless there is substantial credible evidence to rebut the presumption, to include evidence submitted by the Applicant. T he Board did complete a thorough review of the circumstances that led to discharge and the discharge process to ensure discharge met the pertinent standards of equity and propriety. The Applicant’s record of service included NAVPERS 1070/613 (Page 13) retention warnings for fraudulent induction (2 Mar 1999) and a civilian conviction for DUI (3 Aug 2004). The record did not contain any record of commanding officer’s nonjudicial punishment or trial by courts-martial during this enlistment. Documentation within the record stated the Applicant had been diagnosed as alcohol dependent on 26 Jul 2004 and referred to Level III in-patient alcohol rehabilitation , which he completed on 17 Sep 2004. One month later, on 15 Oct 2004, the Applicant was UA for morning muster. When the command tracked him down, his uniform was unkempt, he was unshaven, his eyes were bloodshot, and his breath smelled of alcohol. He was sent to medical for a fitness for duty examination where it was discovered that the Applicant had continued to drink after his completion of in-patient rehabilitation (Level III). Based on the se facts, command administratively processed for separation due to pattern of misconduct and alcohol rehabilitation failure ; p rocessing for administrative separation is mandatory for alcohol rehabilitation failure. When notified of administrative separation processing using the procedure on 21 Oct 2004 , the Applicant waived rights to consult with a qualified counsel, submit a written statement, and request a n administrative separation board .

: (Nondecisional) The Applicant seeks an upgrade to obtain G.I. Bill benefits to attend college. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) determines eligibility for post-service benefits, not the NDRB . The NDRB has no authority to upgrade a discharge for the sole purpose of enhancing employment or educational opportunities , as r egulations limit the NDRB’s review to a determination of the propriety and equity of the discharge . Therefore, this issue does not serve to provide a foundation upon which the Board can grant relief.

Summary: After a thorough review of the available evidence, to include the Applicant’s s ummary of s ervice, r ecord e ntries and administrative separation p rocess, 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, Automatic Upgrades, 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 Disabled 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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NAVY | DRB | 2010_Navy | ND1000775

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