| Mr. | Chairperson | ||
| Mr. | Member | ||
| Mr. | Member |
| Mr. | Loren G. Harrell | Director | |
| Analyst |
APPLICANT REQUESTS: That his undesirable discharge be upgraded to an honorable discharge. He states that discrimination hindered his ability to perform his job.
PURPOSE: To determine whether the application was submitted within the time limit established by law, and if not, whether it is in the interest of justice to excuse the failure to timely file.
EVIDENCE OF RECORD: The applicant's military records show:
He enlisted in the Regular Army on 12 September 1962.
He was convicted by a special court-martial on 9 May 1963 for being AWOL from 10 December 1962 to 2 January 1963 and from 5 January 1963 to 23 January 1963 and for disobeying a lawful order issued by a noncommissioned officer. His sentence consisted of hard labor, and forfeiture of pay for four months.
He also received four Article 15’s for AWOL and other misconduct.
On 10 November 1964 his commander recommended his discharge for unfitness and unsuitability. He stated the applicant is an excessive drinker and a very bad influence on the other men and that he should be given nothing less than an undesirable discharge.
The applicant stated he received counsel and acknowledged he would be discharged under conditions other than honorable, under Army Regulation 635-208, and furnished an Undesirable Discharge Certificate. He also acknowledged he understood as a result of the issuance of such a discharge he would be deprived of many or all Army benefits, ineligible for many or all benefits administered by the VA and may be deprived of his rights and benefits as a veteran under both Federal and State law.
Accordingly, he was discharged under conditions other than honorable on
10 December 1964 under the provisions of Army Regulation 635-208. He was credited with 1 year, 11 months, and 25 days total active service and 95 days lost time due to AWOL.
The appropriate authority approved the recommendation and directed that the applicant be issued an Undesirable Discharge Certificate.
There is no evidence that the applicant applied to the Army Discharge Review Board for upgrade of his discharge within its 15-year statute of limitations.
Army Regulation 635-208, in effect at the time, provided the authority for discharging enlisted personnel for unfitness. Separation action was to be taken when the commander determined that the best interest of the service would be served by eliminating the individual concerned and reasonable attempts to rehabilitate or develop the individual to be a satisfactory soldier were unlikely to succeed; or rehabilitation was impracticable; or disposition under other regulations was inappropriate. Unfitness included frequent incidents of a discreditable nature with military or civil authorities and an established pattern of shirking. An undesirable discharge was normally considered appropriate.
Paragraph 3-7 provides that an honorable discharge is a separation with honor. The honorable characterization is appropriate when the quality of the member's service generally has met the standards of acceptable conduct and performance of duty for Army personnel, or is otherwise so meritorious that any other characterization would be inappropriate.
Title 10, U.S. Code, section 1552(b), provides that applications for correction of military records must be filed within 3 years after discovery of the alleged error or injustice. Failure to file within 3 years may be excused by a correction board if it finds it would be in the interest of justice to do so.
DISCUSSION: The alleged error or injustice was, or with reasonable diligence should have been discovered on 10 December 1964, the date of discharge. The time for the applicant to file a request for correction of any error or injustice expired on 10 December 1967.
The application is dated 2 September 1997 and the applicant has not explained or otherwise satisfactorily demonstrated by competent evidence that it would be in the interest of justice to excuse the failure to apply within the time allotted.
DETERMINATION: The subject application was not submitted within the time required. The applicant has not presented and the records do not contain sufficient justification to conclude that it would be in the interest of justice to grant the relief requested or to excuse the failure to file within the time prescribed by law.
BOARD VOTE:
________ ________ ________ EXCUSE FAILURE TO TIMELY FILE
________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING
________ ________ ________ CONCUR WITH DETERMINATION
Loren G. Harrell
Director
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