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):  031120

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:  3 Years               NDSM
    b.  Entry date:  010801                        ASR
    c.  Age:  24 Years   DOB:  761122


    d.  Educational level:  HS Grad


    e.  Aptitude area score:
          GT: 98                                3.  Highest grade achieved:
    f.  Length of Service:                         E4
         2 Year(s)  3 Month(s)  20 Day(s)

                                              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.  Evidence of record shows that on 16 October 2003, the unit
commander notified the applicant of initiation of separation action under
the provisions of Chapter 5-8, AR 635-200, by reason of parenthood, with an
honorable discharge.  The unit commander indicated that he was initiating
separation proceedings because the applicant was unable to provide a short-
term childcare plan.  She was advised of her rights.  The applicant
consulted with legal counsel, was advised of the impact of the discharge
action, and did not submit a statement in her 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.  On 4 December 2000,
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 20 November 2003, the applicant was discharged.  At the time
of discharge, the applicant had completed 2 years, 3 months, and 20 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 040427, with multiple enclosure(s).
      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 8 December
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.

        (1)  See Paragraph 3, below.

        (2)  The issue is accepted.  The Board carefully examined the
applicant’s record of service during the period of enlistment under review.
 The evidence of record shows that the applicant indicated that she could
not provide a short-term family care plan for her children and that she
requested separation under the provisions of Chapter 5, Paragraph 5-8, AR
635-200, by reason of parenthood.  The unit commander indicated that he was
initiating separation action based solely upon the applicant’s inability to
provide an adequate family care plan.  The applicant’s record shows that
she attained the grade of specialist four/E-4, was awarded the Army
Achievement Medal, and did not receive any nonjudicial punishment.  Given
the above, the Board found that the characterization of service granted is
now 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.

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

                          
Ms. McKim-Spilker
Case Reviewing Official

                     PART VIII - DIRECTIVE/CERTIFICATION
                            SECTION A - DIRECTIVE

TO: ARBA Support Division-St Louis      Date:  10 December 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:  20040000659                   INDEX NUMBERS:  A9406
Date of Review:  041208                                   A9218
Character of Service:  GD                                 A0113
Date of Discharge:  031120
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