PART II - APPLICATION DATA

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

1.  Character of Discharge:  GD

2.  Date of discharge (or REFRAD):  980808

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(2)                     
a.  Period entered for:  6 Years               GCMDL
b.  Entry date:  930108                        NDSM
c.  Age:  19 Years   DOB:  730116              AFEM                        
d.  Educational level:  NIF                    ASR                              
e.  Aptitude area score:                       OSR
	    GT:  NIF                               3.  Highest grade achieved:
    f.  Length of Service:                         E4
        5 Years  7 Months  1 Day                   
                                                   
                                               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:

	Date 	Offense(s)
	(NIF)	Summarized

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
NONE

Other discharge(s):

	Service	From	To	Type Discharge

PART IV - PREHEARING REVIEW

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

	a.  The available records do not contain the specific facts and circumstances surrounding the applicant’s discharge from the Army.  However, it does contain a properly constituted DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) which documents the following:  Character of Service-General, Under Honorable Conditions; Authority for Separation-Paragraph 14-12c, AR 635-200; and Narrative Reason for Separation-Misconduct. 

	b.  The DD Form 214 also shows the applicant was discharged with a GD, on 
8 August 1998.  At the time of discharge, the applicant had completed 5 years, 
7 months, and 1 day of active military service.

	c.  The applicant’s record shows that he completed 5 years and 7 months of a 6 year enlistment; that he attained the rank of specialist/E-4; that he served in Bosnia in support of both Operation Joint Guard and Joint Endeavor; and that he earned two Army Achievement Medals, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the NATO Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.  His disciplinary record, as portrayed in the available records, shows no record of either nonjudicial punishment under the provisions of Article 15, although there is reference in the supporting documentation to a summarized Article 15, no record of conviction by court-martial, and no indication of any reduction in rank.  There are documents in support of the applicant’s retention contained in the file from his NCOIC, his Platoon Sergeant, and his Squad Leader; they all comment on the minor nature of the applicant’s misconduct and recommend that he be retained based on his overall quality of service.  A memorandum from the applicant’s counsel, while concurring that the minimum technical standards for the applicant’s separation had been met; however, expresses the opinion that his minor misconduct did warrant his receiving a GD after 5 and ½ years of good service.

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 980301, with two (2) enclosure(s).
	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 D.C. on 19 May 1999.

	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:  (4)  The characterization of service was too harsh.

	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 applicant has not submitted an issue of propriety and the ADRB has not otherwise relied upon an issue of propriety to change the discharge.

	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.

        (4)  The issue is accepted.  There was a full consideration of the applicant’s record of service for the period of enlistment under review, as portrayed by the available records.  The Board determined that the characterization of service was inequitable because of the honorable quality of the preponderance of the applicant’s service.  The lack of discrediting entries in the available records convinced the Board that a general, under honorable conditions discharge was not warranted.  Accordingly, the Board voted to grant 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.

        (1), (2), and (3)  See Paragraph 3, below.

3.  Response to items not addressed as decisional issues:

    Inasmuch as the Board voted to grant the relief requested by the applicant, responses to remaining issues are neither required nor rendered.

PART VII - BOARD ACTION
SECTION A - Conclusions/Decisions/Vote

1.	Board conclusion(s):

	The discharge was:

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

	(   )	Equitable.
	( X )	Inequitable as to characterization.  Change characterization to Honorable.
	(   )	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
                  1941 Jefferson Davis Highway, 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. ADRIANCE                           
Case Reviewing Official	

PART VIII - DIRECTIVE/CERTIFICATION
SECTION A - DIRECTIVE

TO: ARBA Support Division-St Louis      Date:  21 May 1999

     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 the characterization of the discharge to Honorable.

SECTION B - CERTIFICATION

Approval Authority:

THOMAS J. ALLEN
Colonel, U.S. Army
President, Army Discharge
   Review Board

Official:

SUZANNE WALKER    
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:  1999024301                    INDEX NUMBERS:  A9218
Date of Review:  990519                                   A9406
Character of Service:  GD                                 A0100
Date of Discharge:  980808                                
Authority:  AR 635-200 C14                                
Reason:  A6730                                            
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. 	Mbr          X      X