23.4 Addressing Misconduct (AFH-1 Section 20D)
Key Takeaways
- Administrative counseling, admonitions, and reprimands should be used as part of a graduated pattern of discipline based primarily on the nature and seriousness of the incident and the member's previous disciplinary record.
- Counseling may be documented on DAF Form 174 or as a letter of counseling on bond paper or letterhead; a letter of admonishment is more severe than counseling but not serious enough for a reprimand; a letter of reprimand indicates a stronger degree of official censure.
- Commanders may elect to file a letter of reprimand in an Unfavorable Information File for enlisted personnel; letters of reprimand are mandatory for file in the Unfavorable Information File for officer personnel.
- Placement on the control roster is accomplished with DAF Form 1058, is a mandatory Unfavorable Information File entry, is initially instated for six months, and gives the member three duty days to respond.
- Preponderance of the evidence — the greater weight of credible evidence — is the standard used in administrative action proceedings to decide whether misconduct occurred.
What 20D Actually Gives You
Chapter 21 (military justice, nonjudicial punishment, and courts-martial) is not on the 2026 PFE. Section 20D is. Commanders, supervisors, and other persons in authority issue administrative counseling, admonitions, and reprimands to improve, correct, and instruct subordinates who depart from performance, conduct, bearing, and integrity, on- or off-duty, and whose actions degrade the individual and the unit mission.
SSgt tests 20D at ADTC B (Understanding). TSgt tests it at C (Applying) — pick the next rung, document it, and know what only the commander can sign. Do not study Article 15 procedure here.
PIF, UIF, and Control Roster
PIF. Authorized by DAFI 36-2608. If established, AF Form 10A is required. Keep it current and locked. The member may access it at any time (AFI 33-332). Official users include commanders, raters, first sergeants, senior raters, AFOSI, and SJA.
UIF. The commander's official, single file of derogatory data on conduct and duty performance (DAFI 36-2907). Mandatory documents: Article 15 punishment of more than one month (31 days or more); court-martial conviction; civilian conviction with confinement of one year or more, or that could have brought more than one year or death; and control roster actions. Optional documents may remain up to one year. The member has three duty days to acknowledge and respond; if filed, the response is filed too. Commanders review all UIFs within 90 days of assuming command; at promotion, reenlistment, PCS or assignment, and reclassification or retraining; and annually with the SJA.
Control roster. A rehabilitative observation period for substandard duty performance or failure to maintain standards. Consider prior incidents. A single, unlikely-to-repeat breach is not ordinarily enough. Use DAF Form 1058; it is a mandatory UIF entry, lasts six months from finalization (ends 2400 hours six months later), allows three duty days to respond, and is not a substitute for more appropriate action. If not rehabilitated, the commander initiates more severe action.
The 20D Misconduct-Response Ladder
Use counseling, admonitions, and reprimands as a graduated pattern for repeated departures from standards. Decide primarily on nature and seriousness and the previous disciplinary record. Counseling may be verbal or written; written is more meaningful and may be used later. Written actions are covered by the Privacy Act, including copies in a UIF or PIF. The administrative standard is preponderance of the evidence — the greater weight of credible evidence. Without it, the action can be set aside.
| Rung | Tool 20D names | Use | File / form rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counseling / LOC | DAF Form 174 or letter of counseling on bond paper or letterhead | First-line supervisors, first sergeants, and commanders help Airmen use good judgment, assume responsibility, and solve problems | Verbal authorized; written preferred |
| LOA | Letter of Admonishment | More severe than counseling, not serious enough for a reprimand | Officers: if not in the UIF, must go in the PIF |
| LOR | Letter of Reprimand | Stronger official censure than counseling or admonishment | Enlisted: commander may file in the UIF. Officers: mandatory UIF |
| UIF | Official derogatory file | Conduct and performance data plus mandatory documents above | Three duty days to respond |
| Control roster | Observation period | Substandard performance or standards failures after prior history — not a one-off | DAF Form 1058; mandatory UIF; six months; three duty days |
That is the ladder as 20D lists it. Article 15 and court-martial appear here only as mandatory UIF contents, not as Chapter 21 procedures.
TSgt application. You write the DAF Form 174. A first late show may be verbal; a repeat with a record is a written LOC. More than counseling but not yet censure is an LOA. An LOR on an officer goes in the UIF. You recommend a control roster; the commander signs DAF Form 1058. Do not park a hard case on the roster to avoid the next action. Ask: how serious, and what is already in the record? If you cannot say the greater weight of credible evidence shows the misconduct, do not publish the letter.
Demotion, Separation, Characterization, and Boards
Administrative demotion covers reasons such as failing Airmen/NCO/SNCO responsibilities, failure to keep fit, and student status termination. It should not replace UCMJ action. Give an opportunity to overcome deficiencies when appropriate. Process: AFI 36-2502.
Separation at ETS is an entitlement, not automatic — the member remains in the USAF until administratively separated. Identify people headed for early separation and make reasonable efforts to help them meet standards; those without further potential should be discharged. Before involuntary separation, consult the SJA and military personnel flight.
| Type | AFH 1 examples |
|---|---|
| Required | Separate to serve in the Reserve or Guard, or to accept a commission |
| Voluntary | Convenience of the government: officer training, pregnancy, conscientious objection, hardship, early release to school |
| Involuntary | Physical conditions affecting duty or assignment, parental-duty conflict, insufficient retainability for retraining, fraudulent or erroneous enlistment, or cause (unsatisfactory performance, substance abuse, misconduct, national security) |
Characterization under DAFI 36-3211 is honorable, general (under honorable conditions), or under other than honorable conditions, based on the reason and the current-enlistment record.
- Honorable: generally met standards, or service so meritorious that another characterization would be inappropriate.
- General: honest and faithful service, but significant negative aspects outweigh the positive.
- UOTHC: a pattern, or one or more acts, that significantly depart from expected conduct; allowed only if the member is offered an administrative discharge board or unconditionally requests discharge in lieu of trial by court-martial.
If charges are preferred and a punitive discharge is authorized, the Airman may request administrative discharge instead of trial, with no guarantee it will be granted.
Discharge Review Board: review of an administrative discharge (not a BCD, DD, or general court-martial dismissal) within 15 years, considering characterization, reason, and re-enlistment code on propriety or equity. Application: DD Form 293. Personal appearance is a statutory right.
AFBCMR is the highest administrative records forum (DAFI 36-2603, DD Form 149). It may change, void, or create records to correct error or injustice. It recommends; the Secretary or designee decides. Exhaust other remedies first or the application is returned without action. Personal appearance is not a statutory right.
TSgt close-out: write the 174, recommend the LOA or LOR, flag a failing Airman early enough to overcome deficiencies, and consult the SJA and military personnel flight before involuntary separation.
What does AFH 1 say should primarily drive the decision to issue a letter of counseling, admonition, or reprimand, and how should those tools be used?
How is a member placed on the control roster, how long does it last, and what Unfavorable Information File rule applies?
What Unfavorable Information File rule applies to a letter of reprimand for enlisted personnel versus officer personnel?
What standard of proof does AFH 1 require in administrative action proceedings when deciding whether misconduct occurred?