ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


IN THE CASE OF: 
BOARD DATE: 11 September 2019 
DOCKET NUMBER: AR20170003012

APPLICANT REQUESTS: an upgrade to her character of service from uncharacterized 
to honorable

APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD:

   *	DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record)
   *	DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) 
FACTS:
1.	The applicant did not file within the three year time frame provided in Title 10, United 
States Code (USC), section 1552 (b); however, the Army Board for Correction of 
Military Records 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 her DD Form 214 was supposed to have honorable instead of 
uncharacterized.

3.	A review of the applicant’s service record shows:

   a.	She enlisted in the United States Army Reserves (USAR) on 30 June 1997, and 
reenlisted on 28 March 2006.

b.	Her record contains a DD Form 214 for the period of 12 November 1997 to
6 May 1998, which shows she entered active duty for training to complete the Advanced 
Individual Training (AIT) and was released upon completion. It also contains the 
following:

*	item 23 (Type of Separation) – "RELEASE FROM ACTIVE DUTY TRAINING"
*	item 24 – "UNCHARACTERIZED"
*	item 28 (Narrative Reason for Separation) – "COMPLETION OF REQUIRED 
ACTIVE SERVICE"



   c.	A DD Form 214, for the period ending 21 November 2006, shows she entered 
active duty for admin legal holdover and was discharged upon completion. It also 
contains the following:

*	item 23 (Type of Separation) – "Discharge"
*	item 24 – "Honorable"
*	item 28 (Narrative Reason for Separation) – "Disability, Severance Pay”

   d.	United States Army Reserve Discharge Orders (325-0001) dated 21 November 
2006.  Type of discharge received was Honorable.

4.	Her record is void of any other active duty periods of service.

5.	The applicant's record is void of evidence indicating she applied to the Army 
Discharge Review Board for an upgrade of his discharge within that board’s 15 year 
statute of limitations.

6.	Army Regulation (AR) 635-5 (Separation Documents) states the DD Form 214 is a 
summary of a Soldier's most recent period of continuous active duty of more than 90 
days. A DD Form 214 will be issued to Reserve Component upon the completion of 
IADT resulting in the award of a military occupational specialty, even when the active 
duty period was less than 90 days. This includes completion of advanced individual 
training under Army National Guard of the United States Alternate Training Program or
U. S. Army Reserve Split Training Program.

7.	The Board should consider the applicant's petition and his service record in 
accordance with the published equity, injustice, or clemency determination guidance.

BOARD DISCUSSION:

After reviewing the application and all supporting documents, the Board determined 
relief was warranted. The applicant’s contentions were carefully considered. She 
completed a period of active duty while conducting initial entry training (IET). She 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 her 
character of service as Honorable.



BOARD VOTE:


Mbr 1
Mbr 2
Mbr 3

X
X
X:
GRANT FULL RELIEF
:
:
:
GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF
:
:
:
GRANT FORMAL HEARING
:
:
:
DENY APPLICATION


BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

The Board determined the evidence presented is sufficient to warrant a 
recommendation for relief. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of 
the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by reissuing him a DD Form 
214 for the period ending 25 May 1998 showing her character of service as Honorable.
    Revoked certificate

X 

CHAIRPERSON
Signed  by:  X
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, USC, section 1552(b), provides that applications for correction of military 
records must be filed within three years after discovery of the alleged error or injustice. 
This provision of law also allows the Army Board for Correction of Military Records 
(ABCMR) to excuse an applicant's failure to timely file within the three-year statute of 
limitations if the ABCMR determines it would be in the interest of justice to do so.

2.	Army Regulation 635-200 (Personnel Separations Active Duty Enlisted 
Administrative Separations) prescribes policies, standards, and procedures providing for 
the orderly administrative separation of active duty enlisted Soldiers.

      a.	Chapter 3 states a separation will be described as entry level with 
uncharacterized service if the Soldier has less than 180 days of continuous active duty
      


or inactive duty training or no more than 90 days of Phase II under a split or alternate 
training option at the time separation action is initiated.

      b.	An honorable discharge is a separation with honor and entitles the recipient to 
benefits provided by law.  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.

      c.	A general discharge is a separation from the Army under honorable 
conditions. When authorized, it is issued to a Soldier whose military record is 
satisfactory but not sufficiently meritorious to warrant an honorable discharge.

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