The Naval Discharge Review Board, established pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 1553, is a component of the Secretary of the Navy Council of Review Boards. On December 6, 2004, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) approved the change in name from Naval Council of Personnel Boards to Secretary of the Navy Council of Review Boards. By SECNAVINST 5730.7 series, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) is authorized and directed to act for the Secretary of the Navy within his/her assigned area of responsibility and exercises oversight over the Secretary of the Naval Council of Review Boards. SECNAVINST 5420.135 series states the organization, mission, duties and responsibilities of the Secretary of the Naval Council of Review Boards to include the Naval Discharge Review Board. The Chief of Naval Operations established the Office of Naval Disability Evaluation and the Navy Council of Personnel Boards on 1 October 1976 (OPNAVNOTE 5450 Ser 09b26/535376 of 9 Sep 1976 (Canc frp: Apr 77)). The Chief of Naval Operations approved the change in name of the Office of Naval Disability Evaluation and Navy Council of Personnel Boards to Naval Council of Personnel Boards on 1 February 1977 (OPNAVNOTE 5450 Ser 099b26/32648 of 24 Jan 1977 (Canc frp: Jul 77)) with the following mission Statement:

The NDRB, in its conduct of discharge review, shall be guided by the applicable statutes, regulations, and manuals and directives of the Department of the Navy, and other written public expressions of policy by competent authority:

(a) 10 U.S.C. 1553, Review of discharge or dismissal:

(1) “The Secretary concerned shall, after consulting the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, establish a board of review, consisting of five members, to review the discharge or dismissal (other than a discharge or dismissal by sentence of a general court-martial) of any former member of an armed force under the jurisdiction of his/her department upon its own motion or upon the request of the former member or, if he/she is dead, his/her surviving spouse, next of kin, or legal representative. A motion or request for review must be made within 15 years after the date of the discharge or dismissal.”

(2) A board established under this section may, subject to review by the Secretary concerned, change a discharge or dismissal, or issue a new discharge, to reflect its findings.

(3) A review by the board established under this section shall be based on the records of the armed forces concerned and such other evidence as may be presented to the board. A witness may present evidence to the board in person or by affidavit. A person who requests a review under this section may appear before the board in person or by counsel or an accredited representative or an organization recognized by the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs under title 38 U.S.C. 3401 et seq.”.

(b) Pub. L. 95-126. See appendix D.

(c) 32 CFR part 70. This provides for uniform standards and procedures for review of discharges from the military services of the Department of Defense. The provisions of 32 CFR part 70 are incorporated in this Manual.

(d) The Secretary of Defense memoranda dated August 13, 1971 and April 28, 1972 (NOTAL). These directed a review for recharacterization of (1) administrative discharges under other than honorable conditions issued solely on the basis of personal use of drugs or possession of drugs for the purpose of such use, and (2) punitive discharges and dismissals issued solely for conviction of personal use of drugs and possession for the purpose of such use for those discharges executed as a result of a case completed or in process on or before July 7, 1971. (See appendix B).

(e) 32 CFR part 41. This prescribes policy, standards and procedures which govern the administrative separation of enlisted persons from the Armed Forces.

Naval discharge review shall have as its broad objectives:

(a) The furtherance of good order and discipline.

(b) The correction of injustice or inequity in the discharge issued.

(c) The correction of administrative or clerical errors.

Any former member of the Naval Service, eligible for review under reference (a) or surviving spouse, next of kin or legal representative, shall upon submission of an application be afforded a review of the member's discharge from the Naval Service as provided in §§ 724.205 and 724.206. Discharge review may also be initiated on the motion of the NDRB (See § 724.220).

(a) The Board shall have no authority to:

(1) Review a discharge or dismissal resulting from a general court-martial;

(2) Alter the judgment of a court-martial, except the discharge or dismissal awarded may be changed for purposes of clemency;

(3) Revoke any discharge or dismissal;

(4) Reinstate a person in the naval service;

(5) Recall a former member to active duty;

(6) Change a reenlistment code;

(7) Make recommendations for reenlistment to permit entry in the naval service or any other branch of the Armed Forces;

(8) Cancel or void enlistment contracts; or

(9) Change the reason for discharge from or to a physical disability

(b) Review of naval discharges shall not be undertaken in instances where the elapsed time between the date of discharge and the date of receipt of application for review exceeds fifteen years.

The determination as to whether the NDRB has jurisdiction in any case shall be predicated on the policy stated in § 724.205. Decisions shall be made by administrative action without referral to the NDRB. Normally, they shall be made by the Executive Secretary of the NDRB, or they may be referred to the President, NDRB.

One of three dispositions will be made of an application for review of a discharge:

(a) The application may be rejected for reason of:

(1) Absence of jurisdiction;

(2) Previous review on the same evidence; or

(b) The application may be withdrawn by the applicant; or

(c) The application may be accepted and the discharge reviewed by the NDRB, resulting in,

(1) Change to the discharge, or

(2) No change.

The Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Chief of Naval Operations are responsible for implementing Naval Discharge Review Board decisions within their respective services. The Commandant of the Marine Corps shall be notified of decisions in each discharge review case and shall implement the decisions within the Marine Corps. The Commander, Naval Military Personnel Command, acting for the Chief of Naval Operations and Chief of Naval Personnel, shall be notified of decisions in each discharge review case and shall implement the decisions within the Navy.

In the absence of law, evidence or policy to the contrary, naval discharges shall be considered just, equitable and proper as issued. When hearings are scheduled, applicants must be prepared to present their case at the scheduled time. In the absence of any other evidence, naval discharge review shall be undertaken by examination of available service and health records of the applicant. Normally, the responsibility for presenting evidence from outside available service and health records shall rest with the applicant. Applications in which elements of relevant information are obviously omitted will be returned for completion and resubmission.

(a) In the event that Department of the Navy personnel or health records associated with a requested review of discharge are not located at the custodial activity, the following action shall be taken by the NDRB prior to consideration of the request for discharge review.

(1) A certification that the records are unavailable shall be obtained from the custodial activity.

(2) The applicant shall be notified of the situation and requested to provide such information and documents as may be desired in support of the request for discharge review. A period of not less than 60 days shall be allowed for such documents to be submitted. At the expiration of this time period, the review may be conducted with information available to the NDRB.

(3) The presumption of regularity in the conduct of government affairs may be applicable in instances of unavailable records depending on the circumstances of the case. (See § 724.211)

(b) [Reserved]

There is a presumption of regularity in the conduct of governmental affairs. This presumption can be applied in any review unless there is substantial credible evidence to rebut the presumption.

(a) Before applying for discharge review, potential applicants or their designated representatives may obtain copies of their military personnel records by submitting a General Services Administration Standard Form 180, “Request Pertaining to Military Records,” to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132. Once the application for discharge review (DD Form 293) is submitted, an applicant's military records are forwarded to the NDRB where they cannot be reproduced. Submission of a request for an applicant's military records, including a request under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) or Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) after the DD Form 293 has been submitted, shall result automatically in the temporary suspension of processing of the application for discharge review until the requested records are sent to an appropriate location for copying, are copied, and are returned to the headquarters of the NDRB. Processing of the application shall then be resumed at whatever stage of the discharge review process is practicable. Applicants are encouraged to submit any request for their military records before applying for discharge review rather than after submitting DD Form 293 to avoid delays in processing of applications and scheduling of reviews. Applicants and their counsel may also examine their military personnel records at the site of their scheduled review before the hearing. The NDRB shall notify applicants of the dates the records are available for examination in their standard scheduling information.

(b) If the NDRB is not authorized to provide copies of documents that are under the cognizance of another government department, office, or activity, applications for such information must be made by the applicant to the cognizant authority. The NDRB shall advise the applicant of the mailing address of the government department, office, or activity to which the request should be submitted.

(c) [Reserved]

(d) The NDRB may take steps to obtain additional evidence that is relevant to the discharge under consideration beyond that found in the official military records or submitted by the applicant, if a review of available evidence suggests that it would be incomplete without the additional information, or when the applicant presents testimony or documents that require additional information to evaluate properly. Such information shall be made available to the applicant, upon request, with appropriate modifications regarding classified material.

(1) In any case heard on request of an applicant, the NDRB shall provide the applicant and counsel or representative, if any, at a reasonable time before initiating the decision process, a notice of the availability of all regulations and documents to be considered in the discharge review, except for documents in the official personnel or medical records and any documents submitted by the applicant. The NDRB shall also notify the applicant or counsel or representative: (a) of the right to examine such documents or to be provided with copies of the documents upon request; (b) of the date by which such requests must be received; and (c) of the opportunity to respond within a reasonable period of time to be set by the NDRB.

(2) When necessary to acquaint the applicant with the substance of a classified document, the classifying authority, on the request of the NDRB, shall prepare a summary of or an extract from the document, deleting all references to sources of information and other matters, the disclosure of which, in the opinion of the classifying authority, would be detrimental to the national security interests of the United States. Should preparation of such summary be deemed impracticable by the classifying authority, information from the classified source shall not be considered by the NDRB in its review of the case.

(e) Regulations of a military department may be obtained at many installations under the jurisdiction of the Military Department concerned or by writing to the following address: DA Military Review Boards Agency, Attention: SFBA (Reading Room), Room 1E520, The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20310.

Arrangement for attendance of witnesses testifying in behalf of the applicant at discharge review hearings is the responsibility of the applicant. The NDRB is not authorized to subpoena or otherwise require their presence.

Unless otherwise specified by law or regulation, expenses incurred by the applicant, witnesses, or counsel/representative will not be paid by the Department of Defense. The NDRB is not authorized to issue orders or other process to enable the applicant to appear in person.

Military officers, except those acting pursuant to specific detailing by appropriate authorities desiring to act for or on behalf of an applicant in the presentation of a case before an NDRB Panel are advised to consult legal counsel before undertaking such representation. Such representation may be prohibited by 18 U.S.C. 205.

(a) Except as otherwise authorized by the Secretary concerned, further opportunity for a hearing shall not be made available in the following circumstances to an applicant who has requested a hearing:

(1) When the applicant has been sent a letter containing the month and location of a proposed hearing and fails to make a timely response; or

(2) When the applicant, after being notified by letter of the time and place of the hearing, fails to appear at the appointed time, either in person or by representative, without having made a prior, timely request for a continuation, postponement, or withdrawal.

(b) In such cases, the applicant shall be deemed to have waived the right to a hearing, and the NDRB shall complete its review of the discharge. Further request for a hearing shall not be granted unless the applicant can demonstrate that the failure to appear or respond was due to circumstances beyond the applicant's control.

A discharge review shall not be subject to reconsideration except:

(a) When the only previous consideration of the case was on the motion of the NDRB;

(b) When the original discharge review did not involve a personal hearing and a hearing is now desired, and the provisions of § 724.216 do not apply;

(c) When changes in discharge policy are announced after an earlier review of an applicant's discharge, and the new policy is made expressly retroactive;

(d) When the NDRB determines that policies and procedures under which the applicant was discharged differ in material respects from policies and procedures currently applicable on a service-wide basis to discharges of the type under consideration, provided that such changes in policies or procedures represent a substantial enhancement of the rights afforded an applicant in such proceedings;

(e) When an individual is to be represented by counsel or representative, and was not so represented in any previous consideration of the case by the NDRB;

(f) When the case was not previously considered under uniform standards published pursuant to Pub. L. 95-126 and such application is made within 15 years after the date of discharge; or

(g) On the basis of presentation of new, substantial, relevant evidence not available to the applicant at the time of the original review. The decision whether evidence offered by an applicant in support of a request for reconsideration is in fact new, substantial, relevant, and was not available to the applicant at the time of the original review will be based on a comparison of such evidence with the evidence considered in the previous discharge review. If this comparison shows that the evidence submitted would have had a probable effect on matters concerning the propriety or equity of the discharge, the request for reconsideration shall be granted.

(a) A continuance of a discharge review hearing may be authorized by the President of the NDRB or presiding officer of the panel concerned, provided that such continuance is of reasonable duration and is essential to achieving a full and fair hearing. When a proposal for continuance is indefinite, the pending application shall be returned to the applicant with the option to resubmit when the case is fully ready for review.

(b) Postponements of scheduled reviews normally shall not be permitted other than for demonstrated good and sufficient reason set forth by the applicant in a timely manner or for the convenience of the government.

An applicant shall be permitted to withdraw an application without prejudice at any time before the scheduled review, except that failure to appear for a scheduled hearing shall not be construed or accepted as a withdrawal.

Reviews of Naval discharges may be initiated by the NDRB on its own motion (10 U.S.C. 1553) which includes reviews requested by the Veterans Administration under 38 U.S.C. 101, 3103 as amended by Pub. L. 95-126 of October 8, 1977 (See Pub. L. 98-209).

(a) If an applicant requests a personal appearance discharge review, or to be represented in absentia, the NDRB shall provide a hearing in the NCR or at another site within the forty-eight contiguous states.

(b) The NDRB shall subsequently notify the applicant and representative (if any) in writing of the proposed personal appearance hearing time and place. This notice shall normally be mailed thirty to sixty days prior to the date of the hearing. If the applicant elects, this time limit may be waived and an earlier date set.

(c) When an applicant requests a documentary review, the NDRB shall undertake the review as soon as practicable. Normally, documentary reviews shall be conducted in the order in which they are received.

(a) The NDRB shall be permanently located, together with its administrative staff, in the NCR. The NDRB shall routinely conduct personal appearance discharge reviews and documentary reviews at this, its permanent office.

(b) In addition, as permitted by available resources, NDRB Panels shall travel to other selected sites within the contiguous 48 states for the purpose of conducting reviews. The selection of sites and frequency of visits shall be predicated on the number of requests pending within a region and the availability of resources.

(a) When an NDRB Panel travels for the purpose of conducting hearings, it shall normally select Navy or Marine Corps installations in the area visited as review sites.

(b) The NDRB Traveling Board shall normally consist of members from the NCPB and augmentees from regular and reserve Navy and Marine Corps sources, as required.

(c) Navy and Marine Corps activities in the geographical vicinity of selected review sites shall provide administrative support and augmentation to an NDRB Panel during its visit where such assistance can be undertaken without interference with mission accomplishment. The NDRB shall coordinate requests for augmentees and administrative support through Commandant of the Marine Corps or the Chief of Naval Reserve, as appropriate.

(d) The administrative staff of the NDRB shall undertake all arrangements for NDRB Traveling Panel visits and shall process associated review documents.

(a) Relevant and material facts stated in a court-martial specification, shall be presumed by the NDRB Panel as established facts. With respect to a discharge or dismissal adjudged by a court-martial case tried under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the action may extend only to change in the discharge or dismissal for purposes of clemency. This policy only applies to cases filed with the discharge review board after December 6, 1983.

(b) Relevant and material facts stated in a court-martial specification, in the face of which the applicant requested a discharge for the good of the service to avoid trial by court-martial, shall be considered in accordance with the following:

(1) If the applicant/accused was required to admit the facts contained in the charge sheet, or if the discharge authority was required to find that the stated facts were true, then the NDRB can presume the truth of such facts, unless there is a substantial credible evidence to rebut this presumption; or

(2) If the discharge in lieu of court-martial only required a valid preferral, the NDRB may presume that the signer either had personal knowledge of, or had investigated the matters set forth, and that the charges were true in fact to the best of the signer's knowledge and belief. 1 The weight to be given this presumption in determining whether the facts stated in the charge sheet are true is a matter to be determined by the NDRB. To the extent that the discharge proceeding reflects an official determination that the facts stated in the charge sheet are true; that the applicant/accused admitted the facts stated in the charge sheet; or that the applicant/accused admitted guilt of the offense(s), then the presumption is strengthened. In accordance with paragraph B12f of enclosure (3) to 32 CFR part 70 the presumption may be rebutted by “substantial credible evidence.”