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NAVY | DRB | 2010_Navy | ND1001462
Original file (ND1001462.rtf) Auto-classification: Denied

ex-GSEFN, USN
Current Discharge and Applicant’s Request
Application Received: 20100512
Characterization of Service Received:
Narrative Reason for Discharge:
Authority for Discharge: MILPERSMAN 3630600 [seRious offense]

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

Summary of Service

Prior Service:
 Inactive:         US N R (DEP)        19910425 - 19910923     Active:  

Period of Service Under Review:
 Date of Current Enlistment: 19910924     Age at Enlistment:
Period of E nlistment : Years Extension
Date of Discharge: 19950901      Highest Rank/Rate: GSE3
Length of Service : Y ear s M onth s 08 D a ys
Education Level:        AFQT: 53
Evaluation M arks:         Performance: 3.8 ( 3 )      Behavior: 3.8 ( 3 )        OTA: 3.00

Awards and Decorations ( per DD 214):      Rifle BATTLE “E ”

Periods of UA /C ONF :

NJP :

- 19950717 :      Article 86 (Absence without leave, UA 0720 – 0930 , 19950628)
         Article 123a (Making, drawing, or uttering check without sufficient funds, wrote dishonorable checks)
         Article 132 (Fraud against the United States, failing to notify p ersonnel of divorce and continuing to receive entitlements after divorce was finalized)
          Awarded: Suspended:

S CM : NONE       SPCM:    C C :      Retention Warning Counseling: NONE

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:                  Other Documentation:    
                  Additional Statements:
         From Applicant:           From/To Representation:           From/To Congress member:        






Pertinent Regulation/Law

 A. Naval Military Personnel Manual, (NAVPERS 15560C), Change 9, effective 22 July 1994 until 2 October 1996, Article 3630600, SEPARATION OF ENLISTED PERSONNEL BY REASON OF MISCONDUCT - COMMISSION OF A SERIOUS OFFENSE.
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 .

C. The Manual for Courts-Martial authorizes the award of a punitive discharge if adjudged as part of the sentence upon conviction by a special or general court-martial for violation of the UCMJ, Article 132 , Fraud against the United States .



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

Applicant’s Issues

 1.       Applicant states that he lives in a military town and wants his discharge upgraded so he can enjoy the benefits associated with the t ime he served in the military.
2.       Applicant contends that he has been an exemplary model citizen, has had no major involvement with law enforcement, and volunteers his time toward charity event s .
 3 .       Applicant contends his d ischarge was inequitable , because it was based on one isolated incident in 47 months of service with no other adverse action.
4 .       Applicant states he was an outstanding sailor , as proven by his decorations, medals, and citations he received while in the Navy .
Decision

Date: 20 1 1 0707             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 discharge 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. The Applicant’s record of service included non-judicial punishment for violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) : Article 86 (Unauthorized a bsence), Article 123a (Making, drawing, or uttering checks without sufficient funds - wrote dishonorable checks), and Article 132 (Fraud against the United States) . Based on the offenses committed by the Applicant, command administratively processed for separation. When notified of administrative separation processing using the procedure, the Applicant waived rights to consult with a qualified counsel, submit a written statement, and request an administrative board .

: (Non-decisional) The Applicant states that he lives in a military town and would like to enjoy the benefits associated with the time he served in the military. There is no requirement, or law, that grants re-characterization of a discharge solely on the issue of making a former service member eligible to receive benefits . T his issue does not serve to provide a foundation upon which the Board can grant relief. Regulations limit the Board’s review to a determination of the propriety and equity of the discharge.

: (Decisional) ( ) . The Applicant contends that he has been an exemplary model citizen, has had no major involvement with law enforcement, and volunteers his time toward charity events. The NDRB is authorized to consider post-service factors in the re-characterization of a discharge. However, there is no law, or regulation, that provides that an unfavorable discharge may be upgraded based solely on good conduct in civilian life subsequent to leaving the service. Normally, to permit relief, a procedural impropriety or inequity must have been found to exist during the period of enlistment under review. The Applicant did not submit any documentation along with the DD Form 293 to allow the NDRB to evaluate his post-service character and conduct. His efforts needed to have been more encompassing. Examples of post-service efforts include : verifiable continuous employment record, certification of criminal history, character witness statements, documentation of community or church service, official transcripts reflecting attendance at or completion of higher education, and evidence of financial stability. 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. Relief denied.
Issues 3-4 : (Decisional) ( ) . The Applicant contends his discharge was inequitable , because it was based on one isolated incident in 47 months of service with no other adverse action . He also states that he was an outstanding sailor , as proven by his decorations, medals, and citations he received while in the Navy. Despite a service member’s prior record of service, certain serious offenses, even though isolated, warrant separation from the Navy to maintain

proper order and discipline . Violation of Article 132 of the UCMJ is one such offense that can result in an unfavorable characterization of service , or at a maximum, a punitive discharge and possible confinement if adjudicated and awarded as part of a sentence by a special or general court-martial. The Applicant was found guilty (at NJP proceedings) of committing these offenses. His command, however, did not pursue a punitive discharge but opted instead for the more lenient administrative discharge. The NDRB found the characterization of the Applicant ’ s discharge was equitable and consistent with the characterization of discharge given others in similar circumstances. Relief denied.
Summary: After a thorough review of the available evidence, to include the Applicant’s s ummary of s ervice, r ecord e ntries, and d ischarge p rocess, the Board found Therefore, the awarded characterization of service shall and the narrative reason for separation shall remain . Since fifteen years ha ve passed since the Applicant was discharged, he is no longer eligible for a personal appearance hearing before the NDRB. The Applicant may petition the Board for Correction of Naval Records, 2 Navy Annex, Washington, DC 20370-5100 for further review using DD Form 149.


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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