IN THE CASE OF:  

		BOARD DATE:  8 September 2021

		DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20200009349


APPLICANT REQUESTS: change his 1986 uncharacterized discharge 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)
*	Proposed Civilian Retirement Worksheet 

FACTS:

1.  The applicant did not file within the three-year time frame provided in Title 10, United 
States Code, section 1552(b); 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 he is a Federal Technician who would like to buy back his 
military time and is unable to buy it back unless it is categorized as honorable. He 
provides his proposed civilian retirement worksheet.

3.  Review of the applicant's service records shows:  

	a.  He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve on 2 May 1986. 

	b.  He entered active duty for training (ADT) on 15 May 1986. He completed basic 
combat and advanced individual training and he was awarded military occupational 
specialty (MOS) 63B (Light Wheel Vehicle Mechanic). 

	c.  He was released from ADT on 24 October 1986 in accordance with chapter 4 of 
Army Regulation (AR) 635-200 (Active Duty Enlisted Administrative Separations) due to 
completion of his required active service. His DD Form 214 shows he completed 5 
months and 10 days of active service and he received an uncharacterized discharge. 

	d.  Following his release from ADT, he returned to his USAR unit. He then served 
through multiple reenlistment. 
	e.  On 25 May 1995, he enlisted in the Delaware Army National Guard. He served 
through multiple extension in a variety of assignments, including periods of active duty 
mobilizations, with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. 

	f.  On 1 June 2006, he was issued a Notification of Eligibility for Retirement at Age 
60 (20-Year Letter). 

	g.  He is currently serving in the ARNG. He has completed 35 years of qualifying 
service toward non-regular retirement.

4.  By regulation (AR 635-200): 

	a.  An uncharacterized separation is an entry-level separation; for Soldiers ordered 
to initial ADT, entry-level status terminates 180 days after beginning training. Soldiers 
are considered to be in an entry-level status when they are within their first 180 days of 
active duty service.  

	b.  Current guidance states Reserve Component 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 ARNG 
Alternate Training Program or USAR Split Training Program) will receive a character of 
service of Honorable unless directed otherwise by the separation approval authority.

BOARD DISCUSSION:

After reviewing the application, all supporting documents, and the evidence found within 
the military record, the Board found that relief is warranted. The applicant’s contentions 
were carefully considered.  He completed a period of active duty while conducting initial 
entry training (IET).  He 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 his character of service as Honorable.



BOARD VOTE:

Mbr 1	Mbr 2	Mbr 3

:XXX	XX:	XX:	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 24 October 1986 showing his character of service as 
Honorable.

		  
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 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 Army Board for Correction of 
Military Records (ABCMR) determines it would be in the interest of justice to do so.

2.  Army Regulation 635-200 (Active Duty Enlisted Administrative Separations), 
currently in effect, prescribes for the separation of enlisted personnel.

	a.  Paragraph 3-7a (Honorable Discharge) states an honorable discharge is a 
separation with honor. 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. Only the honorable characterization 
may be awarded a member upon completion of his or her period of enlistment or period 
for which called or ordered to active duty or active duty training or where required under 
specific reasons for separation, unless an entry level status separation 
(uncharacterized) is warranted.

	b.  Paragraph 3-7b (General Discharge) states a general discharge is a separation 
from the Army under honorable conditions. When authorized, it is issued to a member 
whose military record is satisfactory but not sufficiently meritorious to warrant an 
honorable discharge.

	c.  Paragraph 3-9 (Uncharacterized Separations) states a separation will be 
described as an entry level separation if processing is initiated while a member is in 
entry level status.

	d.  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 the Soldier 
has less than 181 days of continuous active military service, has completed initial entry 
training, has been awarded a military occupational specialty, and has reported for duty 
at a follow-on unit of assignment. 

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. The 
DD Form 214 is a summary of a Soldier's most recent period of continuous active duty.  
It provides a brief, clear-cut record of active duty service at the time of release from 
active duty, retirement, or discharge.
	a.  Paragraph 5-1f states that a DD Form 214 will be prepared for 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 ARNGUS Alternate Training Program or 
USAR Split Training Program).

	b.  Paragraph 5-6 states:  "When a RC Soldier successfully completes initial active 
duty training the character of service is Honorable unless directed otherwise by the 
separation approval authority."

//NOTHING FOLLOWS//
ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)	 AR20200009349


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ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


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