Upgrade.Vet

NAVY | DRB | 2011_Navy | ND1101290

Original file (ND1101290.rtf) Auto-classification: Denied

ex-IT2, USNR

Current Discharge and Applicant’s Request

Application Received: 20110421

Characterization of Service Received:

Narrative Reason for Discharge:
Authority for Discharge: MILPERSMAN

Applicant’s Request:      Characterization change to:
         Narrative Reason change to:       RE-1

Summary of Service
Prior Service:
Inactive:         US MC (DEP)        NFIR - 19870617         Active: USMC 19870618 - 19910226 HON
                                    ANGUS [NFIR] HON
Period of Service Under Review:
Date of Current Enlistment: 20070228     Age at Enlistment:
Period of E nlistment : 8 Years Extension
Date of Discharge: 20081125      Highest Rank/Rate: IT2
Length of Service:
         Inactive:        NFIR      Active   NFIR
Education Level: NFIR    AFQT: 60
Evaluation M arks:         Performance: 3.0 ( 1 )      Behavior: 2.0 (1 )        OTA: 2.83

Awards and Decorations ( per DD 214):      Rifle MM SSDR NDSM

Periods of UA /C ONF :

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

Administrative Corrections to the Applicant’s DD 214

The NDRB note d an administrative error on the original DD Form 214:

         “ GHJ ”

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

Pertinent Regulation/Law
A. The Naval Military Personnel Manual, (NAVPERS 15560C), Change 23, effective 19 May 2008 until 9 November 2009, Article 1910-156, SEPARATION BY REASON OF UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE.

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.       The Applicant seeks a change in his RE Code.
2.       The Applicant contends his discharge was based on missing drills in one y ear out of eleven years of honorable service.
3.       The Applicant contends his discharge was improper , because the Administrative Separation Board (ASB) recommended that the separation be suspended.
4.       The Applicant contends that personal and financial problems were contributing factors in missing drill weekends.
5.       The Applicant contends his post-service conduct warrants consideration for upgrading his discharge.

Decision

Date: 20 1 2 0712             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 no NAVPERS 1070/613 (Page 13) warnings and no misconduct resulting in nonjudicial punishment or court-martial. However, it did reflect that he missed more than nine reserve drills without authorization . Based on his lack of drill participation, his command administratively processed him for separation. When notified of administrative separation processing using the administrative board procedure, the Applicant exercised his rights to submit a written statement and request an ASB but waived his right to consult with qualified counsel . The A SB voted unanimously to recommend the Applicant be separated due to Unsatisfactory Participation . It also voted unanimously to recommend that the separation be suspended. The Separation A uthority did not agree with the ASB’s r e commendation to suspend his separation from the Navy Reserve, and he was discharged with a General (Under Honorable Con ditions) character of service.

: (Non - decisional) The Applicant seeks a change in his RE Code so he can reenlist. Since the NDRB has no jurisdiction over reenlistment, reentry, or reinstatement into the Navy, Marine Corps, or any other of the Armed Forces, it is not authorized to change an RE code. 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. Only the Board for Correction of Naval Records can make changes to RE codes.

: (Decisional) ( ) . The Applicant contends his discharge was based on missing drills in one year out of eleven years of honorable service. Despite a service member’s prior record of service, certain offenses, such as failing to maintain satisfactory drill status, warrant separation from the Navy to maintain proper order and discipline. The Applicant wrongfully missed more than nine drills within a 12-month period. The NDRB found the Applicant ’ s discharge was proper and equitable . Relief denied.

: (Decisional) ( ) . The Applicant contends his discharge was improper , because the ASB recommended that the separation be suspended. According to Navy regulations, the S eparation A uthority is not bound by the ASB’s recommendations. In the Applicant’s case, the S eparation A uthority did not approve the ASB’s recommendation to suspend separation. The NDRB discerned no impropriety in the discharge process. Relief denied.

Issue 4: (Decisional) ( ) . The Applicant contends that personal and financial problems were contributing factors in missing drill weekends. The NDRB recognizes that serving in the military is challenging. Most service members, however, manage to serve honorably and therefore earn their Honorable discharges. In fairness to those service members, commanders and separation authorities are tasked to ensure that undeserving Sailors receive no higher characterization than is due. There is no evidence in the record, nor did the Applicant provide any documentation, to indicate

he attempted to use the numerous services available for service members who experience personal and financial problems during their enlistment s , such as Navy c haplains, medical or mental health professionals, Navy Relief Society, Family Advocacy Programs, or even the Red Cross. The NDRB determined that relief based on this issue was not warranted. Relief denied.

Issue 5: (Decisional) ( ) . The Applicant contends his post-service conduct , as evidenced by his completion of college degree requirements and continuous employment as a police officer , warrants consideration for upgrading his discharge. 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 the passage of time or 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 in question. Besides the Applicant’s statement on the DD Form 293, he failed to provide any documentary evidence on his behalf for post-service consideration. The Applicant could have provided documentation as detailed in the Post-Service Conduct paragraph in the Addendum with the recognition that completion of these items alone does not guarantee an upgrade from an unfavorable discharge as each discharge is reviewed by the Board on a case by case basis to determine if post-service conduct establishes that the in-service misconduct was an aberration. Without post-service documentary evidence, the Board concluded that the characterization awarded upon discharge was equitable. 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 UNSAT PARTICIPATION IN READY RESERVE . The Applicant remains eligible for a personal appearance hearing for a period of fifteen years from the date of his discharge. The Applicant is directed to the Addendum for additional information.

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), 701 South Courthouse Road, Suite 1001, Arlington, VA 22204-2490 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 | 2011_Navy | ND1101290

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