PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:        

	BOARD DATE:            2 December 1998 
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AC98-11687

	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.	Jessie B. Strickland		Analyst	

	The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr.	Raymond V. O’Connor, Jr.		Chairperson	
	Mr.	George D. Paxson		Member	
	Mr.	John H. Kern		Member	

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

	The applicant requests correction of military records as stated in the application to the Board and as restated herein.

	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 that he be awarded and issued a Southwest Asia Service Medal (SWASM).

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that he served in Southwest Asia but he was never awarded the SWASM nor was it reflected on his report of separation       (DD Form 214). 

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he enlisted on 29 September 1988 and served as a light weapons infantryman until he was honorably released from active duty on 27 May 1992, under the provisions of Army Regulation 635-200, paragraph 16-8, at the convenience of the government under the Fiscal Year 1992 Early Transition Program.  His DD Form 214 shows that he was awarded the Saudi Arabia Kuwait Liberation Medal (SAKULM) and the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB). It also shows that he served 1 year, 11 months, and 26 days of foreign service. 

5.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 serves as the authority for individual decorations and awards.  It states, in pertinent part, that the SAKULM is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who participated in Operation Desert Storm between 17 January and 28 February 1991.  It also states that the SWASM was established by Executive order 12754, 12 March 1991 and was awarded to all members of the Armed Forces of the United States serving in SWA or in contiguous waters or airspace thereover, for one day or more on or after 2 August 1990 to a date to be determined. 

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  By virtue of the fact that the applicant was awarded the SAKULM, he was automatically entitled to award of the SWASM.  However, it appears that through an administrative oversight, he was not awarded the SWASM nor was it annotated on his records. 

2.  Therefore, it would be in the interest of justice to correct this administrative oversight by awarding him the SWASM at this time.

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

RECOMMENDATION:

That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by showing that the individual concerned was awarded and issued a SWASM.
BOARD VOTE:  

___jhk___  __rvo ___  ___gp __  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

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		        CHAIRPERSON