Opinion ID: 476632
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Merits of Miller's Application

Text: 41 While we cannot concur in the reasons articulated by the district court for reversing the Secretary's decision, we nevertheless conclude that this case must be remanded to the Department of the Navy for further proceedings. Miller's application for expungement clearly sought review of both the merits of his censure and the procedures used to issue it. Nevertheless, both the Secretary and the BCNR directed their attention exclusively to matters of procedure, and neither reached the question of whether Miller's conduct while in captivity warranted a secretarial censure. Under these circumstances, the Secretary was required upon rejecting the Board's procedural findings to remand the case to the Board for adjudication of Miller's remaining claims. 42 Colonel Miller has waited nearly twelve years for a ruling on whether he deserved to be censured. In order to give him that ruling, we remand this case to the district court with instructions that it be remanded to the BCNR for a merits determination. 43 Reversed and remanded. 44