Army Board for Correction of Military Records
Record of Proceedings


IN THE CASE OF: 
BOARD DATE: 13 December 2019 
DOCKET NUMBER: AR20180005395

APPLICANT REQUESTS: The applicant requests, in effect, correction of his DD Form 
214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) by amending item 24 
(Character of Service) from uncharacterized to honorable, and changing item 28 
(Narrative Reason for Separation) to reflect honorable service.

APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD:
   *	DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record) 
FACTS:
1.	The applicant did not file within the 3-year time frame provided in Title 10 (Armed 
Forces), United States Code (USC), section 1552 (b) (Correction of Military Records: 
Claims Incident Thereto). 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 his chain of command never initiated any disciplinary actions 
against him, and he fulfilled his U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) enlistment contract. He 
believes his DD Form 214 should reflect his service as honorable. His main motivation 
for doing this is, when his kids look up his military records, they will see he served his 
country honorably. In addition, he has recently found having an uncharacterized 
character of service is a hindrance to gaining membership in organizations that offer 
services to Veterans; he asserts he is being blocked due to inaccurate information on 
his DD Form 214.

3.	On 23 January 1988, the applicant enlisted into the USAR for 8 years. His service 
record provides evidence he entered active duty to complete initial entry training (IET), 
serving from 8 March through 18 June 1988, and he was awarded military occupational 
specialty (MOS) 88W (Railway Movement Coordinator). On his release from active 
duty, he was transferred to his USAR unit.  His DD Form 214 further reflects:

*	Item 23 (Type of Separation) – Relief from active duty for training (ADT)
*	Item 24 (Character of Service) – Uncharacterized




*	Item 25 (Separation Authority) – Army Regulation (AR) 635-200 (Personnel 
Separations – Enlisted Personnel), Chapter 4 (Separation for Expiration of 
Service Obligation)
*	Item 26 (Separation Code) – LBK (Expiration Term of Service)
*	Item 28 (Narrative Reason for Separation) – Expiration Term of Service

4.	In regard to his DD Form 214, issued upon completion of IET:

   a.	At the time the applicant separated, regulatory guidance stated an 
uncharacterized character of service was given to separating Soldiers in an entry-level 
status; Soldiers remained in an entry-level status until they had completed more than 
180 days of continuous active duty. The regulation was subsequently revised, however, 
and currently states Reserve Component (RC) Soldiers will receive an honorable 
character of service (unless directed otherwise by the separation approval authority) 
after they have completed IET, been awarded an MOS, and the RC Soldier then reports 
for duty at a follow-on unit of assignment.

   b.	The available evidence shows the applicant was ordered to IADT/IET and 
awarded an MOS; following his separation, he returned to his USAR unit. Although, 
based on then-current regulatory guidance, his DD Form 214 properly reflects a 
characterization of "uncharacterized," it would be appropriate to revise his character of 
service to honorable, given current guidance, and in the interest of equity.

5.	Regarding the amendment of item 28 of the applicant's DD Form 214:

*	According to the item's governing regulation (AR 635-5-1 (Separation Program 
Designators (SPD)), the narrative reason for separation was linked to the 
discharge authority
*	Soldiers separated under chapter 4, AR 635-200 receive the SPD "LBK"; the 
SPD's associated narrative reason for separation is "Expiration Term of Service"
*	"Expiration Term of Service" simply reflects the Soldier completed his/her 
contractual period of active duty and is consistent with honorable service

BOARD DISCUSSION:

1.	The Board carefully considered the applicant’s request, supporting documents, 
evidence in the records and policy for completion of DD Forms 214 for Reserve 
Component Soldiers. The Board considered the applicant’s statement, his record of 
service, his completion of training and award of an MOS (88W) and that upon 
completion of training he was separated from active duty to return to his Reserve unit. 
Based upon a preponderance of evidence, the Board determined that the character of 
service the applicant received upon separation should be corrected as a matter of 
equity.





2.	After reviewing the application and all supporting documentation, the Board found 
that relief was warranted.

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 amending his DD Form 
214 for the period of service ending 18 June 1988 to reflect in item 24 (Character of 
Service) – “Honorable” vice “Uncharacterized.”



 X	
CHAIRPERSON

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.


ADMINISTRATIVE NOTE(S):

Not Applicable 
REFERENCES:




1.	Title 10, USC, 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 ABCMR determines it would be in the 
interest of justice to do so.

2.	Army Regulation 635-200 states a separation will be described as an entry level 
separation with service uncharacterized if processing is initiated while a Soldier is in 
entry level status, except under specific circumstances. For Army National Guard 
(ARNG) and USAR Soldiers, entry level status begins upon enlistment in the Army 
National Guard or U.S. Army Reserve and terminates for Soldiers ordered to IADT for 
one continuous period-180 days after beginning training or Soldiers ordered to IADT for 
the split or alternate training option-90 days after beginning Phase II (advanced 
individual training). (Soldiers completing Phase I (basic training or basic combat 
training) remain in entry level status until 90 days after beginning Phase II.

3.	Army Regulation 635-8 (Separation Processing and Documents), currently in effect, 
prescribes the transition processing function of the military personnel system. It states 
a DD Form 214 will be prepared for Reserve Component (RC) Soldiers awarded an 
MOS even if active duty is less than 90 days. RC Soldiers completing active duty that 
results in the award of a military occupational specialty (MOS), even when the active 
duty period was less than 90 days (for example, completion of the advanced individual 
training component of the Army National Guard of the United States (ARNGUS) 
Alternate Training Program or USAR Split Training Program). When a RC Soldier 
successfully completes initial active duty training the character of service is Honorable 
unless directed otherwise by the separation approval authority.

4.	AR 635-5-1, in effect at the time, provided guidance for listing separation authorities, 
as well as their associated SPD codes and narrative reasons for separation. Soldiers 
separated under chapter 4, AR 635-200 receive the SPD "LBK"; the SPD's associated 
narrative reason for separation is "Expiration Term of Service."

//NOTHING FOLLOWS//