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):  970606

3.  Authority for separation:

      a.  Regulation:  Chapter 13, AR 635-200

      b.  Reason:  Unsatisfactory Performance

4.  Prior review(s):  NONE



                         PART III - SERVICE HISTORY

                 SECTION A - Period of Service Under Review

1.    Service data:                              2.  Awards and
    decorations:
                                           AAM(3rd Awd)
    a.  Period entered for:  4 Years               SWASMw/1BSS
    b.  Entry date:  960924                        ASR
    c.  Age:  21 Years   DOB:  721201              OSR


    d.  Educational level:  HS Grad


    e.  Aptitude area score:
          GT:  95                                3.  Highest grade
achieved:
    f.  Length of Service:                         E4
          0 Year(s)  8 Month(s)  13 Day(s)


                                               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         970124-970129;


      Mil conf

      Civil conf

      Other


6.  Nonjudicial punishment:

      Date  Offense(s)
      970224     Absent from unit (970124-970129) (Company Grade);
      970116     Fail to go to appointed place of duty on (970108) (Company
                 Grade);
      961018     Fail to go to appointed place of duty on (961016)
                 (Summarized);

7.  Court-Martial data:  NONE

      a.  SCM:
            Date   Offense(s)


      b.  SPCM:
            Date   Offense(s)


      c.  GCM:
            Date   Offense(s)


8.    Remarks:  The official record contains a Bar to Reenlistment dated
                 970108.  The applicant was barred from reenlistment for
                 failing the APFT.

                 Applicant’s personal awards (AAM, SWASM) are not shown
                 on his DD Form 214.  Six days lost time is also not
                 shown on DD Form 214.


                       SECTION B - Prior Service Data


Other discharge(s):

      Service    From  To    Type Discharge
      ARNGUS     900212      910626     NA
      ADT   910627     910810     Uncharacterized
      ARNGUS     910811      920928     Honorable
      USAR  920929     940106     NA
      RA    940107     960923     Honorable




                         PART IV - PREHEARING REVIEW

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

      a.  Evidence of record shows that on 18 April 1997, the unit
commander notified the applicant of initiation of separation action under
the provisions of Chapter l3, AR 635-200, by reason of unsatisfactory
performance, with a general, under honorable conditions discharge.  The
unit commander indicated that his reasons for initiating separation action
were:  numerous FTRs, lack of motivation, AWOL, failure of the APFT, and
substandard duty performance.  He was advised of his rights.  The applicant
consulted with legal counsel, was advised of the impact of the discharge
action, 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.  On 19 May 1997, 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 6 June 1997, the applicant was discharged.  At the time of
discharge, the applicant had completed 8 months and 13 days of active
military service and accrued 6 days of lost time in the period under review
due to AWOL and had a total of 7 years, 3 months and 25 days of active
military service.

2.  Legal/Regulatory Basis for Separation Action:  Army Regulation 635-200
sets forth the basic authority for the separation of enlisted personnel.
Chapter 13 contains the policy and outlines the procedures for separating
individuals for unsatisfactory performance, to include separation for those
individuals who fail to maintain Army physical standards.  Initiation of
separation proceedings is required for individuals without medical
limitations who have two consecutive failures of the Army physical fitness
test or who are eliminated for cause from Noncommissioned Officer Education
System courses unless the responsible commander chooses to impose a bar to
reenlistment per AR 601-280.  Service of individuals separated because of
unsatisfactory performance will be characterized as honorable or under
honorable conditions as warranted by their military records.





                      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 031007.
      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:
         ( X ) Records review             (   ) Hearing

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

      c. Review/hearing location and date:  Washington, D.C. on 30 June
2004.

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

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

      f.  Counsel presentation:    (   ) Yes   ( X ) 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 was improper.

      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 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.
 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.  The evidence of record shows that at the time
of initiation of discharge proceedings, the applicant had completed over
seven (7) years of total active and/or reserve military service and had a
right to an appearance before an administrative separation board.  However,
the applicant’s unit commander failed to properly notify him of this right
and failed to provide him the opportunity to present his case before an
administrative separation board.  Based on the above, the Board found that
the discharge was improper.  Accordingly, the Board voted to grant relief
by changing the characterization of service to fully honorable and changing
the reason for discharge to Secretarial Authority.  This action entails a
change of RE Code to 1.

      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.

        (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:

      (   ) Proper.
      ( X ) Improper as to characterization.  Change characterization to
           Honorable.
      ( X ) Improper as to reason.  Change reason to Secretarial Authority
           under Chapter 5, AR 635-200.

      (   ) Equitable.
      (   ) Inequitable as to characterization.  Change characterization to
                                         .
      (   ) Inequitable as to reason.  Change reason to
                                 
            under                                 .
      (   ) 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       5         0
    Characterization       5         0

        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
                  1901 South Bell Street, 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:  2 July 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:  Change RE code to 1.

                          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:  2003097137                    INDEX NUMBERS:  A0142
Date of Review:  040630                                   A0154
Character of Service:  GD                                 A1200
Date of Discharge:  970606                                A9500
Authority:  AR 635-200 C13
Reason:  A4900
Results of Board Action/
Vote/Affirmation:  HD 5-0 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