(a) A discharge is presumed to be equitable and will not be changed under this section unless the applicant submits evidence sufficient to establish, to the satisfaction of the DRB that:
(1) The 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 that type, provided that current policies or procedures represent a substantial enhancement of the rights afforded a party in such proceedings, and there is substantial doubt that the applicant would have received the same discharge if relevant current policies and procedures had been available to the applicant at the time of the discharge proceedings under consideration; or
(2) At the time of issuance, the discharge was inconsistent with standards of discipline in the Coast Guard; or
(3) The applicant's military record and other evidence presented to the DRB, viewed in conjunction with the factors listed in § 51.8 and the regulations under which the applicant was discharged, do not fairly justify the type of discharge received.
(b) If the applicant was discharged with a characterized discharge before June 15, 1983, a change from the characterized discharge to an uncharacterized discharge will not be considered under the provisions of (a)(1) of this section unless specifically requested by the applicant. A determination that a discharge is inequitable according to the provisions of (a)(2) or (a)(3) of this section shall entitle the applicant to a discharge of a type to which the applicant was entitled at the time the original discharge was issued.