RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF

	BOARD DATE:           10 February 2004                   
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2003088741

	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	
	Mr. Klaus P. Schumann		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. John N. Slone		Chairperson	
	Mr. Richard T. Dunbar		Member	
	Ms. Linda M. Barker		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).

THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE:  

1.  The applicant requests, in effect, correction of his separation document
(DD Form 214) to show his rank and pay grade as Specialist Four (SP4/E4) instead of Private First Class/E-3 (PFC/E3).

2.  The applicant states, in effect, that the nonjudicial punishment (NJP) he received for being the "lookout", while someone else let the air out of a tire on the car of another soldier was too harsh.  He further states that the commander that imposed his NJP was unauthorized to reduce him because he was a permanent E-4 with over 24 months time in grade and had just been recommended for promotion to E-5 by a promotion board.  He claims that it required a field grade officer to reduce him.  Further, he claims to have had a good record and the officer that reduced him “had it in for anyone from Vietnam".

3.  The applicant provides his 18 April 1969 separation document 
(DD Form 214) in support of his application.  

CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 

1.  The applicant is requesting correction of a perceived injustice that occurred during his active duty service, which ended on 18 April 1969.  The application submitted in this case is dated 20 March 2003.  

2.  Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 1552(b), provides that applications for correction of military records must be filed within 3 years after discovery of the alleged error or injustice.  This provision of law allows the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) to excuse failure to file within the 3-year statute of limitation if the ABCMR determines that it would be in the interest of justice to do so.  In this case, the ABCMR will conduct a review of the merits of the case to determine if it would be in the interest of justice to excuse the applicant’s failure to timely file.

3.  The applicant's military records show that he entered active duty on 21 April 1966 and was trained and served in military occupational specialty (MOS) 
72B (Communication Center Specialist).  

4.  On 8 August 1965, upon completion of training, he was assigned to Germany. On 15 June 1966 he was reassigned to the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), where he completed 18 months of service. 

5.  On 18 January 1968, he returned to the continental United States (CONUS) and was assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, where he served until being honorably separated on 18 April 1969.  

6.  The applicant's separation document shows, in Item 24 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Commendations, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized), that he earned the following awards during his tenure on active duty: Vietnam Service Medal with three bronze service stars; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Meritorious Unit Citation; Good Conduct Medal; and the Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Rifle Bar.

7.  The applicant’s disciplinary history includes his acceptance of NJP under the provisions of Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) on 
23 December 1968, for conspiring to commit vandalism against another soldier's car.  

8.  The NJP proceedings indicated that he acted as a guard while another soldier deflated the tires, removed the rotor cap, pulled the coil wire loose, and removed the air filter.  As punishment for this offense, the applicant was reduced from E-4 to E-3 and he was required to perform extra duty for two hours per day for a period of 14 days.

9.  The Record of Proceedings Under Article 15, UCMJ (DA Form 2627-1) on file, dated 23 December 1968, confirms that the applicant, after being advised of his commander’s intent to administer NJP, elected not to demand a trial by 
court-martial.  

10.  The DA Form 2627-1 also shows that the applicant appealed the NJP imposed by his unit commander to the appellate authority, his battalion commander, claiming the punishment was too harsh.  

11.  On 13 January 1969, a Judge Advocate General representative opined that 23 December 1968 NJP proceedings were conducted in accordance with law and regulations and that the punishments imposed were not unjust or disproportionate to the offense committed.  

12.  On 15 January 1969, the NJP appellate authority denied the applicant's appeal and the applicant acknowledged this action.  

13.  The applicant's military records contain a copy of Headquarters, 2nd Armored Division Special Orders Number 16, dated 16 January 1969, which reduced the applicant from the grade of SP4/E-4 to PFC/E-3 for misconduct, effective 23 December 1968.

14.  Army Regulation 27-10 (Military Justice), in pertinent part, states the applicable policies for nonjudicial punishment.  The regulation states that nonjudicial punishment may be imposed to correct, educate, and reform offenders who the imposing commander determines cannot benefit from less stringent measures; preserve a soldier’s record of service from unnecessary stigma by record of court-martial conviction; or further military efficiency by disposing of minor offenses in a manner requiring less time and personnel than trial by court-martial.  

15.  This same regulation also states that all Article 15 actions, including notification, acknowledgment, imposition, filing determinations, appeal, action on appeal, or any other action taken prior to action being taken on an appeal, except summarized proceedings will be recorded on DA Form 2627.  The regulation also states that absent compelling evidence, a properly completed, valid DA Form 2627 will not be removed from a soldier’s record.

16.  Paragraph 3-19b(5)(a) of Army Regulation 27-10 states, in pertinent part, that the grade from which reduced must be within the promotion authority of the commander imposing nonjudicial punishment (NJP).  The commander imposing NJP has "promotion authority" if he or she has the general authority to appoint to the grade from which reduced or to any higher grade.

17.  Army Regulation 600-8-19 (Enlisted Promotions and Reductions) states, in pertinent part, that the company troop, battery, and separate detachment commanders of provisional units in the grade of first lieutenant (1LT) or above are authorized to promote soldiers in the grade of PFC/E-3 and SP4/E-4.  Battalion and brigade commanders of provisional units in the grade of lieutenant colonel (LTC) or above have promotion authority to the grades of SGT and SSG.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant contends that the commander who imposed his NJP was not authorized to reduce him from SP4/E-4 to PFC/E-3.  However, the commander who imposed the applicant's NJP also served as his promotion authority.  Thus, this commander did have the authority to reduce the applicant to PFC/E-3.  Therefore, there was no error or injustice related to the applicant’s reduction.

2.  The applicant's contention that he appeared before the E-5 promotion board and that this board recommended him for promotion prior to his NJP is irrelevant given his promotion status had no impact on the unit commander’s authority to reduce him through NJP action.  

3.  The evidence of record confirms that the applicant’s NJP was processed in accordance with the applicable regulation in this case.  All requirements of law and regulation were met and the rights of the applicant were fully protected throughout the NJP process.

4.  Further, the applicant was given the opportunity to appeal his punishment to the appellate authority, who determined that his NJP was both proper and equitable given the circumstances surrounding this incident of vandalism.  As a result, lacking evidence to the contrary, it would be inappropriate to grant the requested relief at this time.

5.  The applicant also contends that the commander who imposed his NJP "had it in for anyone from Vietnam."  However, the applicant has failed to submit any evidence to substantiate this assertion.  

6.  In order to justify correction of a military record the applicant must show to the satisfaction of the Board, or it must otherwise satisfactorily appear, that the record is in error or unjust.  The applicant has failed to submit evidence that would satisfy this requirement.

7.  Records show the applicant should have discovered the alleged error or injustice now under consideration on 18 April 1969, the date of his separation from active duty.  Therefore, the time for him to file a request for correction of any error or injustice expired on 17 April 1972.  However, he did not file within the 
3-year statute of limitations and has not provided a compelling explanation or evidence to show that it would be in the interest of justice to excuse failure to file in this case.

BOARD VOTE:

________  ________  ________  GRANT RELIEF 

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

_RTD___  __JS___  __LB  ___    DENY APPLICATION

BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

1.  The Board determined that the evidence presented does not demonstrate the existence of a probable error or injustice.  Therefore, the Board determined that the overall merits of this case are insufficient as a basis for correction of the records of the individual concerned.

2.  As a result, the Board further determined that there is no evidence provided which shows that it would be in the interest of justice to excuse the applicant's failure to timely file this application within the 3-year statute of limitations prescribed by law.  Therefore, there is insufficient basis to waive the statute of limitations for timely filing or for correction of the records of the individual concerned.

		John N. Slone
	                                              CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2003088741	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	2004/02/10	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	UOTHC	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	1969/04/18	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR635-200	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(DENY)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.Grade	102.0200.0000	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.