PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF: 

	BOARD DATE:               13 January 2000              
	DOCKET NUMBER:      AR1999027996

	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.  

	Ms. Beverly A. Young		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Ernest M. Willcher		Chairperson	
	Mr. Ernest W. Lutz, Jr.		Member	
	Ms. Margaret V. Thompson		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 correction of his DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) to show award of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM) and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM).

3.  The applicant states that these awards were omitted from his DD Form 214 for service in the former Yugoslavia during the period 13 January 1997 to 11 April 1997.  The applicant provides a copy of an award certificate for the NATO Medal in support of his application.

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he initially served in the Regular Army from 15 September 1988 to 14 September 1990.  He enlisted again on 28 December 1990 and completed two overseas assignments in Germany.  The applicant was honorably discharged from active duty on 9 December 1997.

5.  The applicant’s DD Form 214 does not show the NATO Medal, the AFSM or the AFEM as authorized awards.

6.  The applicant provided an award certificate for service with NATO on operations in relation to the former Yugoslavia during the period 13 January 1997 to 11 April 1997.

7.  Army Personnel Command Message Number 99-100 (with a Date/Time Group of 121605Z March 1999) authorized award of both the Armed Forces Service Medal and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, as a one-time exception to Department of Defense and Service policy, for qualifying service in support of Operations Joint Endeavor and Joint Guard in the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina.  This exception allowed both service medals to be presented to personnel deployed in Bosnia-Herzegovina, aboard naval vessels operating in the Adriatic Sea and their respective air spaces during the period 1 June 1992 to 19 December 1996 (Operation Joint Endeavor) and during the period 20 December 1996 to 20 June 1998 (Operation Joint Guard).  The exception also allowed only one award of each service medal for service in either or both Operation Joint Endeavor and Operation Joint Guard.

8.  The United Nations Medal was authorized by the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for specific NATO operations.  The Secretary of Defense may approve acceptance and wear by United States service members who meet the criteria specified by the Secretary General of NATO.  Acceptance of the NATO Medal has been approved for U.S. military personnel who serve under NATO command or operational control in direct support of NATO operations in the former Republic of Yugoslavia from 1 July 1992 through a date to be determined.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant was awarded the NATO Medal; therefore, he is entitled to correction of his records to show this award.

2.  Based on the applicant’s service in Bosnia from 13 January 1997 to 11 April 1997, he is entitled to correction of his records to show award of the AFSM and the AFEM.

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 the individual concerned was awarded the NATO Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

BOARD VOTE:  

EMW____  EWL____  MVT____  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		Ernest M. Willcher____
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1999027996	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20000113	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	(HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR)	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	YYYYMMDD	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR . . . . .  	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	GRANT	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	107.00	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.