PART II - APPLICATION DATA

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

1.  Character of Discharge:  Honorable

2.  Date of discharge (or REFRAD):  970131

3.  Authority for separation:

	a.  Regulation:  Chapter 16-8, AR 635-200

	b.  Reason:  Reduction in Force

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:  NIF                   GCMDL(2d Awd)
b.  Entry date:  930201                        NDSM  
c.  Age:  26 Years   DOB:  661009              NCOPDR                      
d.  Educational level:  HS Grad                ASR                              
e.  Aptitude area score:                       OSR(2d Awd)
	    GT:  NIF                               3.  Highest grade achieved:
    f.  Length of Service:                         E4
          4 Year(s)  0 Month(s)  0 Day(s)                                  
                                                           
                                               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:  NONE

	Date 	Offense(s)

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

Other discharge(s):

	Service	From	To	Type Discharge
	RA	890614	930131	Honorable

PART IV - PREHEARING REVIEW

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

	a.  Evidence of record shows that on 16 October 1996, DA, Detachment 1, 203d Personnel Services Battalion, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Orders 290-0202 discharged from the Regular Army, effective 31 January 1997.  The record contains a properly constituted DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) which was authenticated by the applicant.  Her DD Form 214 indicates that she was discharged under the provisions of Chapter 16-8, AR 635-200 by reason of reduction in force, with a characterization of service of honorable.  The specific facts and circumstances pertaining to the applicant’s discharge are not contained in the available records.

	b.  On 31 January 1997, the applicant was discharged.  At the time of discharge, the applicant had completed 4 years of active military service in the period under review and had a total of 7 years, 7 months and 17 days of active military service.

2.  Legal/Regulatory Basis for Separation Action:  Army Regulation 635-200 provides the basic authority for the separation of enlisted personnel.  Paragraph 16-8 of this regulation sets forth the requirements for early separation of enlisted personnel due to reduction in force, strength limitations, or budgetary constraints.  Army policy states that the service of personnel separated under this paragraph will be characterized as honorable.

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 030516, with three (3) 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, DC on 17 December 2003.

	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:
	    (   )	Additional issue(s) identified during review/hearing as follows:

	b.  Request:  (   ) Recharacterization     ( X ) 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.

        (1)  The issue is rejected.  The Board carefully examined the available record of service during the period of enlistment under review.  The applicant’s record is void of facts and circumstances concerning events that led to a discharge from the Regular Army.  The Board noted that the applicant’s record contains a properly constituted DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), which was authenticated by the applicant.  This document identifies the reason and characterization of the discharge.  The Board noted the applicant’s contentions; however, the official record (e.g., DD Form 214) indicates that the applicant was involuntarily discharged from the Regular Army under the provisions of Chapter 16-8, AR 635-200, by reason of a reduction in force, prior to the completion of her enlistment.  She was appropriately assigned a SPD code of “JCC” at the time of her separation.  In the current iteration of AR 635-200, the SPD code for separation by reduction in force remains “JCC.”  It appears that the applicant is requesting a SPD code (“JBK”) to show that she completed her required active service, but in the absence of an available enlistment contract there is no evidence in the official record to favorably support this request.  Further, in the absence of official documentation pertaining to the applicant’s discharge, the Board is unable to determine the specific facts and circumstances leading to her discharge, and is compelled to presume regularity in the discharge process.  The Board, being convinced that the reason for discharge was both proper and equitable, voted to deny relief.
	
	b.  Equity:	The applicant has not submitted an issue of equity and the ADRB has not otherwise relied upon an issue of equity to change the discharge.  The major factors upon which the discharge was based are set forth in Parts III and IV of this decisional document.

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:

	( X )	Proper.
	(   )	Improper as to characterization.  Change characterization to                                     .
	(   )	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       0         5   

	  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	

Ms. McKim-Spilker                                                        
Case Reviewing Official	

PART VIII - DIRECTIVE/CERTIFICATION
SECTION A - DIRECTIVE

NONE

SECTION B - CERTIFICATION

Approval Authority:

SPURGEON A. MOORE
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:  2003090742                    INDEX NUMBERS:  A0143
Date of Review:  031217                                   A0113
Character of Service:  HD                                 A9500
Date of Discharge:  970131                                
Authority:  AR 635-200 C16                         
Reason:  A0500                                            
Results of Board Action/                                  
Vote/Affirmation:  NC 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