United States v. Van Natta

GLADIS, Judge:

The accused was convicted, contrary to his pleas, of three unauthorized absences totalling a year, in violation of Article 86, Uniform Code of Military Justice, and sentenced to a bad-conduct discharge, confinement at hard labor for 6 months, forfeitures of $279 per month for 6 months, and reduction to pay grade E-1.

We must reverse the findings of guilty of two of the three offenses because the service record entries relied upon by the Government to establish the unit from which the accused allegedly absented himself were not made in accordance with applicable regulations. The…