PART II - APPLICATION DATA

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

1.  Character of Discharge:  Under Other Than Honorable Conditions

2.  Date of discharge (or REFRAD):  030624

3.  Authority for separation:

      a.  Regulation:  Chapter 14, AR 635-200

      b.  Reason:  Misconduct

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               ARCOM
    b.  Entry date:  000725                        ASR
    c.  Age:  21 Years   DOB:  781127
    d.  Educational level:  GED
    e.  Aptitude area score:
          GT:  110                               3.  Highest grade
achieved:
    f.  Length of Service:                         E4
          2 Years  6 Months  28 Days

                                               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         021209-030410

      Mil conf

      Civil conf

      Other


6.  Nonjudicial punishment:  NONE

      Date  Offense(s)



7.  Court-Martial data:

      a.  SCM:
            Date       Offense(s)
            030512     AWOL (021209-030410)

      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 28 May 2003, the unit commander
notified the applicant of initiation of separation action under the
provisions of Chapter l4, AR 635-200, by reason of misconduct—commission of
a serious offense, with an under other than honorable conditions discharge.
 The reason for the proposed action was he absented himself from his unit
without authority from 9 December 2002-10 April 2003.  He was advised of
his rights.  On 4 June 2003, 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.  He was also entitled to have his case
considered by an administrative separation board, however, he
unconditionally waived to do so.  The unit commander subsequently
recommended separation from the service and waiver of further
rehabilitative efforts.  The intermediate commanders reviewed the proposed
discharge action and recommended approval of the separation action with an
under other than honorable conditions discharge.  On 19 June 2003, the
separation authority waived further rehabilitative efforts and directed
that the applicant be discharged with a characterization of service of
under other than honorable conditions.

      b.  On 24 June 2003, the applicant was discharged.  At the time of
discharge, the applicant had completed 2 years, 6 months, and 28 days of
active military service and accrued 123 days of lost time in the period
under review.

2.  Legal/Regulatory Basis for Separation Action:  Army Regulation 635-200
sets forth the basic authority for the separation of enlisted personnel.
Chapter l4 establishes policy and prescribes procedures for separating
members for misconduct.  Specific categories include minor disciplinary
infractions, a pattern of misconduct, commission of a serious offense, to
include abuse of illegal drugs, convictions by civil authorities and
desertion or absence without leave.  Action will be taken to separate a
member for misconduct when it is clearly established that rehabilitation is
impractical or unlikely to succeed.  Army policy states that an under other
than honorable conditions discharge is normally considered appropriate, but
a general discharge under honorable conditions or an honorable discharge
may be granted.


                      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 040129, with six (6) 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 29 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.  The Board noted that the sole basis
for the applicant’s separation was a serious offense resulting in a
conviction by summary court-martial that could not impose a punitive
discharge.  In accordance with Chapter 14, Paragraph 14-3b, AR 635-200,
when the sole basis for separation is a serious offense resulting in a
conviction by a court-martial that did not impose a punitive discharge, the
soldier’s service may not be characterized as under other than honorable
conditions unless approved by HQDA (TAPC-PDT-P).  In view of the foregoing,
the Board determined that the characterization of service was and is
improper.  Accordingly, the Board voted to grant partial relief in the form
of an upgrade of characterization of service to general, under honorable
conditions.  Further, the Board noted that blocks 25, 26, and 27 of the
applicant’s DD Form 214 require administrative correction to reflect “AR
635-200, Paragraph 14-12C;” “JKQ;” and “3” respectively.  The Board
determined that the reason for discharge was both 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.  By his misconduct, the applicant
diminished the quality of his service below that meriting a fully honorable
discharge.  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
           General, Under Honorable Conditions.
      (   ) 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:  1 October 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 General, Under
                  Honorable Conditions.
           ( X ) Other (see remarks below).

Remarks:  Blocks 25, 26, and 27 of the applicant’s DD Form 214 require
          administrative correction to reflect “AR 635-200, Paragraph 14-
          12C;” “JKQ;” and “3” respectively.

                          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:  2004103368                    INDEX NUMBERS:  A0102
Date of Review:  040929                                   A0113
Character of Service:  UD                                 A9217
Date of Discharge:  030624
Authority:  AR 635-200 C14
Reason:  A6730
Results of Board Action/
Vote/Affirmation:  GD 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