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NAVY | DRB | 2013_Navy | ND1301123

Original file (ND1301123.rtf) Auto-classification: Denied

ex-NDC, USN

Current Discharge and Applicant’s Request

Application Received: 20130430

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)        19810220 - 19810816     Active: 19810817 - 19850816
         USNR     19850817 - 1987 0816
         USNR     19910522 - 19970521
         USNR     19970522 - 19990514
         USNR     19990515 - 20020514

Period of Service Under Review:
Date of Current Enlistment: 20030724     Age at Enlistment: 40
Period of E nlistment : Years Extension
Date of Discharge: 20100725      Highest Rank/Rate: NDC
Length of Service:
         Inactive:        Year(s) Month(s) 02 D ay(s)
         Active   Year(s) Month(s) 29 D ay(s)
Education Level:        AFQT: 28
Evaluation M arks:         Performance: 3.88 ( 8 )     Behavior: 3.75 ( 8 )       OTA: 3.93

Awards and Decorations ( per DD 214):      Rifle Pistol AFRM LoC (2) (3) (2) NRMS (3)

Periods of UA /C ONF :

NJP :     S CM :    SPCM:    C C :      Retention Warning Counseling:

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 26, effective 3 April 2009 until Present, MILPERSMAN Article 1910-158, SEPARATION BY REASON OF UNSATISFACTORY PARTICIPATION IN THE READY RESERVE.

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 contends he received his Notice of Eligibility to retire in January 2010, and his in-service conduct war rants an upgrade to Honorable.
2.       The Applicant contends personal issues complicated his life in early 2010, he did not receive notification of his separation processing, and a PS2 discharged him within a matter of weeks.

Decision

Date: 20 1 3 1204             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. 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 no NAVPERS 1070/613 (Page 13) warnings and no misconduct resulting in nonjudicial punishment or court-martial. Based on the Applicant ’ s unsatisfactory participation in the Navy Reserve, his command processed him for separation. When notified of administrative separation processing using the administrative board procedure, the Applicant did not respond to the mailed notification, which constitutes a waiver of his rights to consult with a qualified counsel, submit a written statement, and request an administrative board.

: (Decisional) ( ) . The Applicant contends he received his Notice of Eligibility to retire in January 2010, and his in-service conduct warrants an upgrade to Honorable. The Applicant received Honorable discharges for five previous enlistments from August 1981 to May 2002. Each period of enlistment is an independent obligation and characterization is determined for that specific period of time. During his sixth enlistment, he failed to attend required Reserve drills and was notified of processing for administrative separation. His failure to respond to the notification of separation proceedings constituted a waiver of his rights to consult with a qualified counsel, submit a written statement, and request an administrative separation board. Despite his previous Honorable enlistments and accomplishments in his current enlistment, he warranted separation for failing to appear for required Reserve drills. Also, receipt of a Notice of Eligibility to retire does not mean a Sailor can miss required drills. The Applicant was under a set of inactive duty pay orders and was required by his contract to appear for Navy Reserve drills. Based on the Applicant’s record of service in his current enlistment , the NDRB determined the Applicant’s service was honest and faithful , but his failure to maintain the required participation in the Navy Reserve outweighed the positive aspects of his service record, and the awarded characteriz ation of service was warranted. Relief denied.

Issue 2: (Decisional) (Propriety/Equity) RELIEF NOT WARRANTED. The Applicant contends personal issues complicated his life in early 2010, he did not receive notification of his separation processing, and a PS2 discharged him within a matter of weeks. Despite challenging personal issues, the Applicant was still required to uphold his duty to attend required drills or make appropriate accommodations with his command to excuse drills. When he amassed nine unexcused drill periods, his Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) mailed him a notification of separation proceedings. The Applicant was required to have his current mailing address on record, and his failure to do so resulted in no response to the notification of separation proceedings. Finally, a PS2 did not discharge the Applicant but only made an administrative entry in his service record after receiving approval from Commander, Navy Personnel Command after his NOSC recommended a General discharge for Unsatisfactory Participation in the Navy Reserve. After a thorough review of the records, the NDRB determined the Applicant was properly processed for administrative discharge after failing to attend required drills, and his discharge was proper and 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 . 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 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 | 2013_Navy | ND1301123

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