IN THE CASE OF:  . 

		BOARD DATE:  21 July 2021

		DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20200001037


APPLICANT REQUESTS:  correction of her DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or 
Discharge from Active Duty) to show in:

*	item 4a (Grade, Rate or Rank):  Specialist (SPC)
*	item 24 (Character of Service):  Honorable

APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD:

*	DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record)
*	DD Form 293 (Application for the Review of Discharge)
*	DD Form 214, for the period ending 16 January 1991
*	Self-Authored Statement, 4 January 2013
*	Death Certificate (Applicant’s Spouse), 17 February 1992
*	Honorable Discharge Certificate, 17 March 1996

FACTS:

1.  The applicant did not file within the three-year time frame provided in Title 10, United 
States Code, section 1552(b); however, the Army Board for Correction of Military 
Records (ABCMR) conducted a substantive review of this case and determined it is in 
the interest of justice to excuse the applicant's failure to timely file.

2.  The applicant states due to the passing of her husband, she was unable to fulfill her 
obligated time in the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR). She was undergoing serious mental 
stress and was misguided by her unit commander on leaving the service. She left 
without fully understanding the consequences of separation. She adds that SPC/E-4 is 
the correct pay grade.

3.  She enlisted in the USAR on 13 March 1990 as a private first class (PFC)/E-3 for a 
period of 8 years.

4.  She entered active duty for training (ADT) on 12 September 1990. She completed 
training and was awarded military occupational specialty 76P (Material Control and 
Accounting Specialist) (Training Only).
5.  She was released from active duty on 16 January 1991. Her DD Form 214 shows 
she completed 4 months and 5 days (125 days) of active service. It also shows in:

*	item 4a (Grade, Rate, or Rank):  PFC and item 4b (E-3
*	item 11 (Primary Specialty):  76P (Material Control and Accounting Specialist) 
(Training Only)
*	item 14 (Military Education):  Material Control and Accounting Specialist, 8 
Weeks, January 1991
*	item 24 (Character of Service):  Uncharacterized

6.  Her record contains a DA Form 4187 (Personnel Action), dated 16 March 1991, 
which shows she was promoted to the rank/grade of SPC/E-4 with an effective date of 
16 March 1991.

7.  The applicant provides a death certificate for her spouse, which shows his date of 
death as 17 February 1992.

8.  She also provides an Honorable Discharge Certificate, which shows she was 
discharged on 17 March 1996.

9.  Orders 96A-094-039, dated 3 April 1996, published by the 88th Regional Support 
Command show she was released from her current assignment for unsatisfactory 
participation.

10.  By regulation (AR 635-200): 

	a.  An uncharacterized separation is an entry-level separation; for Soldiers ordered 
to initial ADT, entry-level status terminates 180 days after beginning training. Soldiers 
are considered to be in an entry-level status when they are within their first 180 days of 
active duty service.  

	b.  Current guidance states Reserve Component Soldiers completing active duty that 
results in the award of an MOS, even when the active duty period was less than 90 
days (for example, completion of the advanced individual training component of Army 
National Guard (ARNG) Alternate Training Program or USAR Split Training Program) 
will receive a character of service of Honorable unless directed otherwise by the 
separation approval authority.

11.  Also by regulation, the DD Form 214 is a summary of the Soldier's most recent 
period of continuous active duty. It provides a brief, clear-cut record of all current active, 
prior active, and prior inactive duty service at the time of release from active duty, 
retirement, or discharge. The information entered thereon reflects the conditions as they 
existed at the time of separation.
BOARD DISCUSSION:

After reviewing the application and all supporting documents, to include the DoD 
guidance on liberal consideration when reviewing discharge upgrade requests, the 
Board determined partial relief was warranted.  Based upon a documentary review of 
the applicant’s military record, the Board concluded that the applicant completed a 
period of active duty while conducting initial entry training (IET).  He was awarded a 
MOS at the completion of IET and was transferred back to the USAR.  Army Regulation 
635-200 provides that when a RC Soldier successfully completes IADT, the character of 
service is Honorable unless directed otherwise by the separation authority.  Based upon 
regulatory guidance, the Board agreed the DD Form 214 should show his character of 
service as Honorable.

The Board, however, found based upon the DA Form 4187 that she was promoted 
outside the service dates covered by the DD Form 214; therefore, the Board concluded 
there was no evidence of an error or injustice related to changing the applicant’s rank to 
SPC.

The Board wished to inform the applicant that only periods of service on active duty 
service greater than 90 days of service are properly annotated on a DD Form 214.  
Events occurring in the USAR are not status, such as promotions, are not captured on 
DD Form 214s.

BOARD VOTE:

Mbr 1	Mbr 2	Mbr 3

:	:	:	GRANT FULL RELIEF

:	:XXX	:XXX	GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF

:	:	:	GRANT FORMAL HEARING

:XXX	:	:	DENY APPLICATION




BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

1.  The Board determined the evidence presented is sufficient to warrant a 
recommendation for partial relief.  As a result, the Board recommends that all 
Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by reissuing 
the applicant a DD Form 214 showing her characterization of service as Honorable.

2.  The Board further determined the evidence presented is insufficient to warrant a 
portion of the requested relief.  As a result, the Board recommends denial of so much of 
the application that pertains to changing the applicant’s rank.
		  
I certify that herein is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the 
Army Board for Correction of Military Records in this case.

REFERENCES:

1.  Title 10, United States 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 also allows the ABCMR to excuse an applicant's 
failure to timely file within the 3 year statute of limitations if the Army Board for 
Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) determines it would be in the interest of justice 
to do so.

2.  Army Regulation (AR) 635-200 (Personnel Separations – Enlisted Separations), in 
effect at the time, prescribed for the separation of enlisted personnel.

	a.  Paragraph 3-7a (Honorable Discharge) states an honorable discharge is a 
separation with honor.  The honorable characterization is appropriate when the quality 
of the member’s service generally has met the standards of acceptable conduct and 
performance of duty for Army personnel, or is otherwise so meritorious that any other 
characterization would be clearly inappropriate.  Only the honorable characterization 
may be awarded a member upon completion of his or her period of enlistment or period 
for which called or ordered to active duty or active duty training or where required under 
specific reasons for separation, unless an entry level status separation 
(uncharacterized) is warranted.

	b.  Paragraph 3-7b (General Discharge) states a general discharge is a separation 
from the Army under honorable conditions.  When authorized, it is issued to a member 
whose military record is satisfactory but not sufficiently meritorious to warrant an 
honorable discharge.

	c.  Paragraph 3-9 (Uncharacterized Separations) states a separation will be 
described as an entry level separation if processing is initiated while a member is in 
entry level status.

3.  AR 635-200 (Active Duty Enlisted Administrative Separations), currently in effect, 
states a separation will be described as entry-level with service uncharacterized if 
processing is initiated while a Soldier is in entry-level status except when the Soldier 
has less than 181 days of continuous active military service, has completed initial entry 
training, has been awarded a military occupational specialty, and has reported for duty 
at a follow-on unit of assignment.

4.  AR 635-8 (Separation Processing and Documents), currently in effect, prescribes 
policy and procedural guidance relating to transition management.  Specifically, it 
references instruction related to the preparation of the DD Form 214. The DD Form 214 
is a summary of a Soldier's most recent period of continuous active duty.  It provides a 
brief, clear-cut record of active duty service at the time of release from active duty, 
retirement, or discharge.

	a.  Paragraph 5-1f states that a DD Form 214 will be prepared for Reserve 
Component (RC) Soldiers completing active duty that results in the award of an MOS, 
even when the active duty period was less than 90 days (for example, completion of the 
advanced individual training component of ARNGUS Alternate Training Program or 
USAR Split Training Program).

	b.  Paragraph 5-6 states:  "When a RC Soldier successfully completes initial active 
duty training the character of service is Honorable unless directed otherwise by the 
separation approval authority."

//NOTHING FOLLOWS//
ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)	 AR20200001037


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ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


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