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):  020504

3.  Authority for separation:

      a.  Regulation:  Chapter 5, Paragraph 5-8, AR 635-200

      b.  Reason:  Parenthood

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 (Ext 11 Mos)  ASR
    b.  Entry date:  990930
    c.  Age:  18 Years   DOB:  801029
    d.  Educational level:  HS Grad
    e.  Aptitude area score:
          GT:  100                               3.  Highest grade
achieved:
    f.  Length of Service:                         E4
          2 Years  7 Months  5 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
                                    NONE

Other discharge(s):

      Service    From  To    Type Discharge





                         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 in the available records.  The record contains a properly
constituted DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active
Duty), which was authenticated by the applicant’s signature.  His DD Form
214 indicates that he was involuntarily discharged under the provisions of
Chapter 5, paragraph 5-8, AR 635-200 by reason of parenthood, with a
characterization of service of general, under honorable conditions, with a
separation code of JDG, and an RE code of 3.

      b.  On 4 May 2002, the applicant was discharged.  At the time of
discharge, the applicant had completed 2 years, 7 months, and 5 days of
active military service in the period under review.

2.  Legal/Regulatory Basis for Separation Action:  Army Regulation 635-200
provides the basic authority for the separation of enlisted personnel.
Paragraph 5-8 provides that a soldier may be separated when parental
obligations interfere with fulfillment of military responsibilities.
Specific reasons for separation because of parenthood include inability to
perform prescribed duties satisfactorily, repeated absenteeism, late for
work, inability to participate in field training exercises or perform
special duties such as CQ and Staff Duty NCO, and nonavailability for
worldwide assignment or deployment according to the needs of the Army.
Unless reason for separation requires a specific characterization, a
soldier being separated for the convenience of the government will be
awarded a character of service of honorable, under honorable conditions or
an uncharacterized description of service if in entry-level status.


                      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 031017, with three (3) 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:  (2)  The characterization of service is too harsh.

      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
available records for the period of enlistment under review.  There was a
full consideration of all faithful and honorable service.  The available
records shows that the applicant was discharged under the provisions of
Chapter 5, Paragraph 5-8, AR 635-200 by reason of parenthood (i.e., due to
failure to provide an adequate family care plan) with a characterization of
service of general, under honorable conditions.  The evidence further shows
that the applicant attained the rank of Specialist E4, was never reduced,
and was awarded the Army Achievement Medal.  The Board also noted the lack
of any derogatory information in the record.  In view of the foregoing, the
Board determined that the characterization of service granted is
inequitable.  Accordingly, the Board voted to grant relief in the form of
an upgrade of characterization of service to fully honorable.  The Board
determined that the reason for discharge was both proper and equitable and
voted not to change it.

        (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.
      (   ) 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

TO: ARBA Support Division-St Louis      Date:  20 August 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.

                          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:  2003099739                    INDEX NUMBERS:  A9406
Date of Review:  040818                                   A9218
Character of Service:  GD                                 A0113
Date of Discharge:  020504
Authority:  AR 635-200 C5
Reason:  A1500
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