ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 29 November 2020 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20200002816 APPLICANT REQUESTS: Correction of her DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), for the period ending 7 June 1986, to show her service was characterized as honorable. APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD: .DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record Under the Provisionsof Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 1552), dated 6 January 2020 .DD Form 214, for the period ending 7 June 1986 FACTS: 1.The applicant did not file within the three-year time frame provided in Title 10, U.S.Code (USC), Section 1552 (b); however, the Army Board for Correction of MilitaryRecords (ABCMR) conducted a substantive review of this case and determined it is inthe interest of justice to excuse the applicant's failure to timely file. 2.The applicant states she served in the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) for 13 years, fromapproximately 1986 to 1999, in St. Louis. MO. She completed her service as an E-4;however, this information is not on her DD Form 214 or Certification of Military Service. 3.The applicant enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) on 3 December 1985. Sheentered initial active duty for training (IADT) on 1 January 1986, for the purpose ofcompleting her IADT. She completed IADT on 7 June 1986, was awarded militaryoccupational specialty (MOS) 71L (Administration Specialist), and was released fromactive duty (REFRAD). 4.The applicant was REFRAD on 7 June 1986. The DD Form 214 she was issuedupon her REFRAD shows her service was characterized as "Entry Level Status" andthe narrative reason for separation was "EXPIRATION TERM OF SERVICE." 5.The applicant's record is void of her USAR discharge orders. 6.With respect to the applicant's request for correction of the characterization ofservice shown on her DD Form 214: a.Regulatory guidance in effect at the time he was separated stated anuncharacterized separation is an entry-level separation; for Soldiers ordered to initial ADT, entry-level status terminates 180 days after beginning training. However, current guidance states 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 Army National Guard of the U.S. (ARNGUS) Alternate Training Program or USAR Split Training Program) will receive a character of service of honorable unless directed otherwise by the separation approval authority. b.The available evidence shows the applicant was called to active duty for trainingand awarded an MOS. Although her DD Form 214 properly reflects her characterization of service as entry level status in accordance with regulatory guidance in effect at the time, based on current guidance and in the interest of equity the characterization of service should read as honorable. BOARD DISCUSSION: After reviewing the application and all supporting documents, the Board found the relief was warranted. The Board carefully considered the applicants request, supporting documents, evidence in the records and regulatory guidance. Evidence in the record show, 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. However, the Board determined adding the additional period of service is denied as it occurred after the period of active service covered by the DD Form 214 when she was transferred back to the USAR. 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: 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, dated 7 June 1986 to show her characterization of service as Honorable. 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 adding the additional period of service to her DD Form 214. 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. REFERENCES: 1.Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 1552(b), provides that applications for correction ofmilitary records must be filed within 3 years after discovery of the alleged error orinjustice. This provision of law also allows the ABCMR to excuse an applicant's failureto timely file within the 3-year statute of limitations if the ABCMR determines it would bein the interest of justice to do so. 2.Army Regulation 635-5 (Separation Documents), in effect at the time, prescribed theseparation documents that were prepared for individuals upon retirement, discharge, orrelease from active military service or control of the Army. It established standardizedpolicy for preparing and distributing DD Form 214. Paragraph 1-4 provided that a DD Form 214 will be prepared for personnel at the time of their retirement, discharge, orrelease from the Active Army. Personnel included are members of the ARNGUS andUSAR separated after completing 90 days or more of continuous ADT, and thoseseparated after completing IADT that resulted in the award of an MOS, even though theactive duty may have been less than 90 days. 3.Army Regulation 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. a.Paragraph 5-1f states that a DD Form 214 will be prepared for RC Solderscompleting active duty that results in the award of a 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 5-6x(1) states: "When a RC Soldier successfully completes initialactive duty training the character of service is Honorable unless directed otherwise by the separation approval authority." 4.Army Regulation 635-200 (Personnel Separations – Enlisted Personnel), in effect atthe time, set forth the basic authority for the separation of enlisted personnel. Chapter 3 described the different characterizations of service. a.Paragraph 3-7a states that an honorable discharge is a separation with honor.The honorable characterization is appropriate when the quality of the Soldier'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 Soldier upon completion of his/her period of enlistment or period for which called or ordered to active duty or active duty for training, or where required under specific reasons for separation, unless an entry-level status separation (uncharacterized) is warranted. b.Paragraph 3-9, of the regulation in effect at the time of his separation, stated thata separation would be described as an entry-level separation with service uncharacterized if processing is initiated while a Soldier is in an entry-level status, except in the following circumstances: (1) when characterization of under other than honorable conditions is authorized under the reason for separation and is warranted by the circumstances of the case or (2) when the Secretary of the Army, on a case-by-case basis, determines that an honorable characterization of service is clearly warranted by the presence of unusual circumstances involving personal conduct and performance of duty. c. Section II (Terms) of the glossary states that entry-level status for Soldiers in the ARNG and USAR begins upon enlistment in the ARNG or USAR and, for those Soldiers ordered to IADT for one continuous period, terminates 180 days after the commencement of IADT. 5. Army Regulation 635-200 (Personnel Separations – Active Duty Enlisted Administrative Separations), effective 19 January 2004, set forth the basic authority for the separation of enlisted personnel. Chapter 3 describes the different characterizations of service. Paragraph 3-9a (Entry-level-status separation) provides that 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: a. characterization under other than honorable conditions is authorized under the reason for separation and is warranted by the circumstances of the case; b. the Secretary of the Army, on a case-by-case basis, determines that an Honorable characterization of service is clearly warranted by the presence of unusual circumstances involving personal conduct and performance of duty; or c. the Soldier has less than 181 days of continuous active military service, has completed Initial Entry Training, has been awarded an MOS, and has reported for duty at a follow-on unit of assignment. //NOTHING FOLLOWS//