PART II - APPLICATION DATA

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

1.  Character of Discharge:  Uncharacterized

2.  Date of discharge (or REFRAD):  030509

3.  Authority for separation:

      a.  Regulation:  Chapter 6, AR 635-200

      b.  Reason:  Hardship

4.  Prior review(s):  NONE



                         PART III - SERVICE HISTORY

                 SECTION A - Period of Service Under Review

1.    Service data:                              2.  Awards and
    decorations:
                                           ASR
    a.  Period entered for:  3 Years
    b.  Entry date:  021023
    c.  Age:  36 Years   DOB:  660620
    d.  Educational level:  14 Years
    e.  Aptitude area score:
          GT:  118                               3.  Highest grade
achieved:
    f.  Length of Service:                         E3
          0 Years  6 Months  17 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
      RA    860819     880811     Honorable




                         PART IV - PREHEARING REVIEW

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

      a.  Evidence of record shows that on 24 April 2003, the applicant
voluntarily requested discharge under the provisions of Chapter 6, AR 635-
200, for financial hardship reasons.  The unit commander recommended
approval.  On 26 April 2003, the intermediate commander reviewed the
proposed discharge action and recommended approval of the separation action
with a characterization of service of uncharacterized.  On 2 May 2003, the
separation authority directed that the applicant be discharged with a
characterization of service of uncharacterized.

      b.  On 9 May 2003, the applicant was discharged.  At the time of
discharge, the applicant had completed 6 months and 17 days of active
military service in the period under review and had a total of 2 years, 6
months, and 12 days of total military service.

2.  Legal/Regulatory Basis for Separation Action:  Army Regulation 635-200
provides the basic authority for the separation of enlisted personnel.
Paragraph 6-3b provides that a soldier who are hardship exists when
circumstances not involving death or disability for a member of the
soldier’s (or spouse’s) immediate family, separation from the Service will
materially affect the care or support of the family by alleviating undue
and genuine hardship.


                      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 040109, with two (2) 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 15 September
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 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.  Army Regulation 635-200 provides,
except in cases of serious misconduct, that a soldier’s service will be
uncharacterized when his separation is initiated while the soldier is in
entry-level status.  Army Regulation 635-200 also provides, in pertinent
part, that a soldier is in entry-level status for the first 180 days of
continuous active duty service.  The evidence of record shows that the
applicant’s separation was initiated on the 184th day of continuous active
duty service.  In view of the foregoing, the Board determined that the
applicant was not in an entry-level status at time of initiation of his
separation action and his characterization of service is improper.
Accordingly, the Board voted to grant partial relief in the form of an
upgrade of characterization of service to fully honorable.  The Board
determined that the reason for discharge was proper and equitable and voted
not to change it.

      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)  The issue is rejected.  Matters pertaining to military
occupational specialty (MOS) do not fall within the purview of this Board
and can better be addressed by the Army Board for Correction of Military
Records (ABCMR).  Upon finalization of action by this Board, the
applicant’s records will be forwarded to the ABCMR using the DD Form 149
submitted with this request.  See response to issue (2) above.

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:

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

      ( X ) 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       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:  17 September 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:  2004102362                    INDEX NUMBERS:  A0154
Date of Review:  040915                                   A9445
Character of Service:  EL                                 A0113
Date of Discharge:  030509
Authority:  AR 635-200 C6
Reason:  A3500
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