PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF: 

	BOARD DATE:               10 November 1998
	DOCKET NUMBER:      AC98-06822

	I certify that hereinafter is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in the case of the above-named individual.  

	Mr. Loren G. Harrell		Director	
	Mr. Hubert S. Shaw, Jr.		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Calvin M. Fowler		Chairperson	
	Ms. Irene E. Wheelwright		Member	
	Ms. Margaret K. Patterson		Member	

	The applicant and counsel if any, did not appear before the Board.

	The Board considered the following evidence:

	Exhibit A - Application for correction of military 
                records
	Exhibit B - Military Personnel Records (including
	            advisory opinion, if any)

FINDINGS:

1.  The applicant has exhausted or the Board has waived the requirement for exhaustion of all administrative remedies afforded by existing law or regulations.

2.  The applicant requests the issuance of a permanent order for his award of the Army Achievement Medal.

3.  The applicant states he will be going before a promotion board soon and points will not be granted for this award unless he can produce an order number. He also states the unit to which he was assigned when he received the award has been deactivated.

4.  The applicant’s military records show he entered active duty on 24 September 1987.  He served as an ammunition control specialist and a nuclear weapons specialist.  The applicant was separated from active duty on 16 September 1993 and transferred to the 304th Corps Support Command in the Army Reserve.

5.  The applicant’s DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) shows in item 12 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations Awarded or Authorized) shows that he received the Army Achievement Medal.  

6.  There are no orders for award of the Army Achievement Medal in the applicant’s personnel records.  However, he provided a copy of an award certificate for the Army Achievement Medal awarded to him for service during the period 8 May 1988 to 23 March 1989.

7.  Army Regulation 600-8-104 (Military Personnel Information Management/Records) prescribes the policies governing the Official Military Personnel File, the Military Personnel Records Jacket, the Career Management Individual File, and Army Personnel Qualification Records.  In pertinent part, this regulation states that for U.S. military decorations the only acceptable source documentation is the order, letter, or memorandum which awards the decoration. Award certificates, citations, or separation certificates alone will not be the basis for entry of a decoration.  DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge) alone should not be the sole basis for recording a decoration.  This document may be used to initially enter a decoration; however, if the validity of the award on the DD 214 is questioned or challenged, the only acceptable proof of award of the decorations will be the order, letter, or memorandum which awarded the decoration.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant’s DD Form 214 shows award of the Army Achievement Medal and the applicant provided a copy of the award certificate for this award.  In view of these facts, the Board has determined that the award is valid and should be credited toward promotion points for all promotions after 13 March 1989 and all future promotion considerations, as appropriate.

2.  Based on the foregoing, all Promotion Point Worksheets (DA Form 3355) pertaining to the applicant will be amended to show the allowable number of points for award of the Army Achievement Medal (awarded for the period 8 May 1988 to 23 March 1989) effective from 13 March 1989 which is the date of the award.

3.  As a matter of equity, if the addition of the points for this award make the applicant eligible for promotion earlier than any past promotion date, then his date of promotion, date of rank and time in grade will be adjusted accordingly and he will be tendered all back pay and allowances based on a new promotion date.

4.  In view of the foregoing, the applicant’s records should be corrected as recommended below.

RECOMMENDATION:

1.  That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by showing on all Promotion Point Worksheets, effective 13 March 1989,  of the individual concerned the appropriate points for the award of the Army Achievement Medal covering the period 8 May 1988 to 23 March 1989.

2.  That in the event the addition of points for the cited award make him eligible for promotion earlier than any previous promotion date, that he be promoted on the earlier date and afforded a new date of rank, adjustment of his time in grade and all appropriate pay and allowances.

BOARD VOTE:  

CMF____  IEW_____  MKP____  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		______________________
		        CHAIRPERSON