PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:   

	BOARD DATE:           7 August 2001
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2000050760

	I certify that hereinafter is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in the case of the above-named individual.  

	Mr. Carl W. S. Chun		Director	
	Ms. Rosa M. Chandler		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Ms. Margaret K. Patterson		Chairperson	
	Mr. Thomas B. Redfern III		Member	
	Ms. Regan K. Smith		Member	

	The applicant and counsel if any, did not appear before the Board.

	The Board considered the following evidence:

	Exhibit A - Application for correction of military 
                records
	Exhibit B - Military Personnel Records (including
	            advisory opinion, if any)

FINDINGS:

1.  The applicant has exhausted or the Board has waived the requirement for exhaustion of all administrative remedies afforded by existing law or regulations.

2.  The applicant requests, in effect, that his DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Service), Item 16 (High School Graduate or Equivalent), be corrected by annotating "Yes" to show he was awarded a General Education Development (GED) Diploma.

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that his request is job related.

4.  On 12 February 1981, he enlisted in the Regular Army (RA).  On 7 October 1983, he was separated under the provisions of Army Regulation 635-200, for Unsatisfactory Performance with a general discharge under honorable conditions.  He had completed 2 years, 7 months and 26 days of active military service on this enlistment and he had served 2 years, 11 months and 28 days of prior active military service. 

5.  Item 16 of his DD Form 214 shows the entry "No".  This clearly indicates that he is not a high school graduate or equivalent.

6.  The applicant's DD Form 966/1 (Application for Enlistment-Armed Forces of the United States), dated 4 January 1978, shows that grade "9" was the highest grade that he had completed.  He served in the US Army Reserve from 
5 January 1978-13 February 1978.  He also had an honorable period of active RA service from 14 February 1978-11 February 1981. 

7.  However, the applicant's DA Form 2-1 (Personnel Qualification Record) shows that he was issued his GED in 1979 by the Department of Education in North Carolina.

8.  Army Regulation 635-5 prescribes the policy for separation documents that are prepared for individuals upon discharge or release from active military service.  The regulation further provides that if the DD Form 214 needs to be corrected after the discharge of the soldier, a DD Form 215 (Correction to the DD Form 214) will be issued to show the correction to the DD Form 214.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The Department of Education in North Carolina issued the applicant a GED in 1979; therefore, he is entitled to have Item 16 on his DD Form 214, issued on 
7 October 1983, corrected to show that he is a high school graduate or equivalent. 

2.  In view of the foregoing, the applicant’s records should be corrected as recommended below.

RECOMMENDATION:

That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by issuing to the individual concerned a DD Form 215 which shows in Item 
16 of the DD Form 214 issued on 7 October 1983 that he is a high school graduate or equivalent.  

BOARD VOTE:  

_MKP___  __TBR_  ___RKS__  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		__Margaret K. Patterson
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2000050760	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20010807	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	(GD)	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	19831007	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR 635-200	
DISCHARGE REASON	A40.00	
BOARD DECISION	GRANT	
REVIEW AUTHORITY	ASA	
ISSUES         1.	A144.40	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.