PART II - APPLICATION DATA

      (Note: Part I deleted under the Privacy Act on Reading Room copy)

1.  Character of Discharge:  General, Under Honorable Conditions

2.  Date of discharge (or REFRAD):  970213

3.  Authority for separation:

      a.  Regulation:  Chapter 14, AR 635-200

      b.  Reason:  Misconduct

4.  Prior review(s):  NONE



                         PART III - SERVICE HISTORY

                 SECTION A - Period of Service Under Review

1.    Service data:                              2.  Awards and
    decorations:
                                           AAM
    a.  Period entered for:  4 Years               NDSM
    b.  Entry date:  930520                        ASR
    c.  Age:  21 Years   DOB:  710723              OSR
    d.  Educational level:  HS Grad
    e.  Aptitude area score:
          GT:  91                                3.  Highest grade
achieved:
    f.  Length of Service:                         E4
          3 Years  8 Months  22 Days

                                               4.  Performance evaluations:

                                                   NONE

                         PART III - SERVICE HISTORY
           SECTION A - Period of Service Under Review - Continued

5.  Periods of unauthorized absence:

    Status       Inclusive dates
      AWOL         960917-960918

      Mil conf

      Civil conf

      Other


6.  Nonjudicial punishment:

      Date  Offense(s)
      951212     Attempted to distribute marijuana (950828); Wrongfully
             possess about one to three grams of marijuana with the intent
             to distribute (950828); Wrongfully use marijuana (between
             950601 – 950907)(Field Grade)


7.  Court-Martial data:  NONE

      a.  SCM:
            Date   Offense(s)


      b.  SPCM:
            Date   Offense(s)


      c.  GCM:
            Date   Offense(s)


8.    Remarks:  Local Bar to Reenlistment approved on 961009.  CID Report
              dated 951003 in file.
              Evidence of record shows that the applicant was charged with
              AWOL from 960917-960918.  However, this period of AWOL is not

              officially recorded on the applicant’s DD Form 214.


                       SECTION B - Prior Service Data
                                    NONE

Other discharge(s):

      Service    From  To    Type Discharge





                         PART IV - PREHEARING REVIEW

                       SECTION A-ANALYST’S ASSESSMENT
l.  Facts and Circumstances:

      a.  Evidence of record shows that on 26 December 1996, the unit
commander notified the applicant of initiation of separation action under
the provisions of Chapter l4, AR 635-200, by reason of misconduct—abuse of
illegal drugs, with a general, under honorable conditions discharge.  He
was advised of his rights.  The applicant waived his rights to consult with
legal counsel and did not submit a statement in his own behalf.  The unit
commander subsequently recommended separation from the service and waiver
of further rehabilitative efforts.  The intermediate commander reviewed the
proposed discharge action and recommended approval of the separation action
with a general, under honorable conditions discharge.  The separation
authority waived further rehabilitative efforts and directed that the
applicant be discharged with a characterization of service of general,
under honorable conditions.

      b.  On 13 February 1997, the applicant was discharged.  At the time
of discharge, the applicant had completed 3 years, 8 months, and 22 days of
active military service and accrued 2 days of lost time in the period under
review.

2.  Legal/Regulatory Basis for Separation Action:  Army Regulation 635-200
sets forth the basic authority for the separation of enlisted personnel.
Chapter l4 establishes policy and prescribes procedures for separating
members for misconduct.  Specific categories include minor disciplinary
infractions, a pattern of misconduct, commission of a serious offense, to
include abuse of illegal drugs, convictions by civil authorities and
desertion or absence without leave.  Action will be taken to separate a
member for misconduct when it is clearly established that rehabilitation is
impractical or unlikely to succeed.  Army policy states that an under other
than honorable conditions discharge is normally considered appropriate, but
a general discharge under honorable conditions or an honorable discharge
may be granted.


                      SECTION B-APPLICANT’S SUBMISSIONS


1.  Issue(s) of propriety and/or equity submitted by applicant or counsel.
    As stated on applicant’s DD Form 293.

2.  Exhibit(s) submitted:

      A-1:  DD Form 293, dated 030814, with no enclosures.
      A-2:  Counsel Issues:  NONE
      B-l:  Other Documents: NONE


                   PART IV - PREHEARING REVIEW (CONTINUED)

              SECTION C - Medical and/or Legal Advisory Opinion


Referred to ( ) Medical Advisor      ( ) Legal Advisor



      a.  Medical prehearing comments (if applicable):


      b.  Legal prehearing comments (if applicable):











                         PART V - SUMMARY OF HEARING

                      SECTION A-Attendees and exhibits

1.  Review/hearing information:


      a. Type requested:
         (   ) Records review             ( X ) Hearing

      b. Type Held:
         (   )Records review              ( X ) Hearing
                                          (   ) Tender Offer

      c. Review/hearing location and date:  Tampa, FL on 17 May 2004.

      d. Appearance by:
         Applicant                 ( X ) Yes   (   ) No
         Counsel                   ( X ) Yes   (   ) No

      e.  Applicant testified:     ( X ) Yes   (   ) No

      f.  Counsel presentation:    ( X ) Yes   (   ) No

      g.  Witness(es) testified:   (   ) Yes   ( X ) No

2.  Exhibit(s) submitted at hearing:
                        PART VI - ISSUES AND FINDINGS

1.  a.  Applicant's issue(s) of propriety and/or equity:

          ( X )  Same as those listed on DD Form 293 and Part IV, Section A
              of this case report and directive.
          (   )  Revised issue(s) furnished in writing by applicant as
              follows:
          ( X )  Additional issue(s) identified during review/hearing as
              follows:

        Board Issue:  (2)  The discharge is inequitable.

      b.  Request:  ( X ) Recharacterization     (   ) Change of Reason

2.  Finding(s), conclusion(s), and reason(s) for the Board's decision(s) on
issues of propriety and/or equity:

      a.  Propriety:   The applicant has not submitted an issue of
                   propriety and the ADRB has not otherwise relied upon an
                   issue of propriety to change the discharge.

      b.  Equity:      The parenthetical number(s) below correspond(s) to
                   the issue number(s) on the DD Form 293, or in Part VI,
                   Paragraph 1, above.

        (2)  The issue is accepted.  The Board carefully examined the
applicant’s record of service during the period of enlistment under review
and heard his testimony.  There was a full consideration of all faithful
and honorable service as well as the infractions of discipline, the extent
thereof, and the seriousness of the offenses.  While the Board does not
condone the applicant’s misconduct, given the time elapsed since the
applicant’s discharge, the personal awards and decorations he received, and
his overall length and quality of service, the Board found that the
discharge is now inequitable.  Accordingly, the Board voted to grant relief
in the form of an upgrade of characterization of service to fully honorable
and to change the reason for discharge to Secretarial Authority.  This
action does not entail a change in RE code.

        (1)  See Paragraph 3, below.

3.  Response(s) to item(s) not addressed as decisional issue(s):

    Inasmuch as the Board voted to grant the full relief requested,
response to the remaining issue is neither required nor rendered.


                           PART VII - BOARD ACTION
                   SECTION A - Conclusions/Decisions/Vote

1.    Board conclusion(s):

      The discharge was:

      ( X ) Proper.
      (   ) Improper as to characterization.  Change characterization to
                                               .
      (   ) Improper as to reason.  Change reason to
                                   under                      .

      (   ) Equitable.
      ( X ) Inequitable as to characterization.  Change characterization to
           Honorable.
      ( X ) Inequitable as to reason.  Change reason to Secretarial
           Authority
            under Chapter 5, AR 635-200.
      (   ) Both proper and equitable, but characterization/reason for
           separation cited was an administrative/clerical error and should
           be changed to                      under
                                   .

2.  Voting record:      Change   No Change
                  Reason       3         2
    Characterization       4         1

        The names and votes of the members of the Board are recorded in
Part IX of this document and can be obtained by writing to the address
below.  The request must contain the CASE NO. located in the upper right
corner of this document.

                  Department of the Army Review Boards Agency
                  ATTN:  Promulgation Team
                  1941 Jefferson Davis Highway, 2nd Floor
                  Arlington, VA  22202-4508



3.  Minority views:  NONE
                           PART VII - BOARD ACTION
                 SECTION B - Verification and Authentication

Case report reviewed and verified

                          
Ms. McKim-Spilker
Case Reviewing Official

                     PART VIII - DIRECTIVE/CERTIFICATION
                            SECTION A - DIRECTIVE

TO: ARBA Support Division-St Louis      Date:  28 May 2004

     The Army Discharge Review Board, established under the provisions of
Section 30, Public Law 346, 78th Congress, 22 June 1944 and codified as
Title 10, United States Code, Section 1553, in the case of the applicant
named in Part I directs that the ARBA Support Division-St Louis issue a new
DD Form 2l4 to the applicant which reflects the following directed
change(s):

           ( X ) Change characterization of discharge to Honorable.
           ( X ) Change reason and authority for discharge to
            Secretarial Authority, AR 635-200.
           ( X ) Other (see remarks below).

Remarks:  This action does not entail a change in RE code.

                          SECTION B - CERTIFICATION

Approval Authority:


ROBERT L. HOUSE
Colonel, U.S. Army
President, Army Discharge
   Review Board

Official:




MARY E. SHAW
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army
Chief, Secretary Recorder

EXHIBITS:
A - Application for review of discharge                  C - Other
B - Material submitted by applicant

INDEX RECORD:

AR Number:  2003094671                    INDEX NUMBERS:  A9406
Date of Review:  040517                                   A9218
Character of Service:  GD                                 A9456
Date of Discharge:  970213                                A1200
Authority:  AR 635-200, C14                               A0100
Reason:  A6770
Results of Board Action/
Vote/Affirmation:  HD 4-1 A




                           PART IX - VOTING RECORD

    Name                                   Reason          Characterization
                                           CHANGE   NC     HON  UHC   NC
UNCHAR

    1.      Mbr          X       X                 

    2.      Mbr    X             X                 

    3.      Mbr          X                 X       

    4.      Mbr    X             X                 

    5.      PO     X             X