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):  030828

3.  Authority for separation:

      a.  Regulation:  Chapter 8, NGR 600-200

      b.  Reason:  Unsatisfactory Participant

4.  Prior review(s):  NONE



                         PART III - SERVICE HISTORY

                 SECTION A - Period of Service Under Review

1.    Service data:                              2.  Awards and
    decorations:
                                           NDSM
    a.  Period entered for:  3 Years               ASR
    b.  Entry date:  030514
    c.  Age:  40 Years   DOB:  620715
    d.  Educational level:  HS Grad
    e.  Aptitude area score:
          GT:  NIF                               3.  Highest grade
achieved:
    f.  Length of Service:                         E4
          0 Years  3 Months  15 Days

                                               4.  Performance evaluations:

                                                   NONE

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

5.  Periods of unauthorized absence:  NONE

    Status       Inclusive dates
      AWOL

      Mil conf

      Civil conf

      Other


6.  Nonjudicial punishment:  NONE

      Date  Offense(s)



7.  Court-Martial data:  NONE

      a.  SCM:
            Date   Offense(s)


      b.  SPCM:
            Date   Offense(s)


      c.  GCM:
            Date   Offense(s)


8.    Remarks:  NONE


                       SECTION B - Prior Service Data

Other discharge(s):

      Service    From  To    Type Discharge
      ARNGUS     820123      820307     NA
      ADT   820308     820704     Honorable
      ARNGUS     820705      841130     General
      USAR  841201     880122     Honorable
      ARNGUS     920604      021203     Honorable






                         PART IV - PREHEARING REVIEW

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

      a.  The specific facts and circumstances leading to the applicant’s
discharge are not contained in the available records.  On 16 October 2003,
the State of New Jersey, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs,
Trenton, New Jersey, Orders 289-065 discharged the applicant from the Army
National Guard, effective 28 August 2003 and assigned him to the USAR
Control Group (Reinforcement) Army Reserve Personnel Center, St Louis,
Missouri for the remainder of his obligation.  The record also contains a
properly constituted NGB Form 22 (Report of Separation and Record of
Service).  It indicates that he was discharged under the provisions of
Paragraph 8-26k, Chapter 8, NGR 600-200, by reason of unsatisfactory
participant, with a characterization of service of general, under honorable
conditions and an RE Code of 3.

      b.  On 28 August 2003, the applicant was discharged.  At the time of
discharge, the applicant had completed 3 months and 15 days of military
service in the period under review and had a total of 18 years, 2 months,
and 15 days of total military service.

2.  Legal/Regulatory Basis for Separation Action:  National Guard
Regulation (NGR) 600-200 and Army Regulation 135-91 govern procedures
covering enlisted personnel management of the Army National Guard.  Chapter
8 of NGR 600-200 covers, in pertinent part, reasons for discharge and
separation of enlisted personnel from the State Army Reserve National
Guard.  Paragraph 8-27(f) of that regulation provides in pertinent part
that individuals can be separated for being an unsatisfactory participant.
Army Regulation 135-91 states that a member is an unsatisfactory
participant when nine or more unexcused absences from scheduled drills
occur during a 1 year period.


                      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 031120, 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:
         ( X ) Records review             (   ) Hearing

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

      c. Review/hearing location and date:  Washington, DC on 18 August
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:  (4)  The characterization of service is too harsh.

      b.  Request:  ( X ) Recharacterization     ( X ) 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.

        (1-3)  The issues are rejected.  The specific facts and
circumstances leading to the applicant’s discharge from the State of New
Jersey Army National Guard are not contained in the available records for
review.  Further, the available evidence of record does not support the
applicant’s contentions and the applicant has provided no independent
corroborating evidence in support of his contentions.  See response to
issue (4) below.

      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.

        (4)  The issue is accepted.  The Board carefully examined the
available records for the period of enlistment under review.  The Board
noted that prior to the period of service under review the applicant had
completed over 17 years honorable military service.  The Board also noted
that the period of service under review was for only 3 months and 15 days
of military service.  The evidence of record shows that the applicant was
separated under the provisions of Paragraph 8-26k, NGR (AR) 600-200, by
reason of unsatisfactory participant with a characterization of service of
general, under honorable conditions in the rank of Specialist E4.
Subsequently, the applicant was discharge from the Reserve of the Army with
a characterization of service of Honorable.  In view of the foregoing, the
Board determined that the characterization of service is inequitable.
Accordingly, the Board recommends that The Adjutant General of the State of
New Jersey grant the applicant partial relief and change the
characterization of the his service for the period under review to fully
honorable.  The Board determined that the reason for separation was both
proper and equitable and voted not to change it.

3.  Response(s) to item(s) not addressed as decisional issue(s):  NONE

                           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.
      (   ) 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       0         5
    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

                          
MR. RIVERA
Case Reviewing Official

                     PART VIII - DIRECTIVE/CERTIFICATION
                            SECTION A - DIRECTIVE

Thru: Chief, National Guard Bureau            Date:  20 August 2004.
To:   Adjutant General, State of New Jersey

     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 recommends that the applicant be considered for a change of
his discharge by the Adjutant General, State of New Jersey, with issuance
of a new NGB Form 22, as follows:

           ( X ) Change characterization of discharge to
                  Honorable.

                          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:  2003099355                    INDEX NUMBERS:  A9406
Date of Review:  040818                                   A9218
Character of Service:  GD                                 A0113
Date of Discharge:  030828
Authority:  NGR 600-200 C8
Reason:  A8400
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