PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:           

	BOARD DATE:                 9 November 2000
	DOCKET NUMBER:        AR2000043457

	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. Carl W. S. Chun		Director	
	Ms. Joyce A. Wright		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Ms. Jennifer L. Prater		Chairperson	
	Ms. Barbara J. Lutz		Member	
	Mr. Orville W. Troesch		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, in effect, that his honorable discharge be corrected to show that he was awarded the Parachutist Badge and Recondo Badge.

3.  The applicant states that during his tour of duty he was awarded Airborne Wings (correctly known as the Parachutist Badge) upon graduation from jump school.  He also states that he completed several successful jumps from a 
C-141, C-130 and Hughes aircraft while assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  After his tour of duty in Korea, he was assigned to the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell, Kentucky where he attended and successfully completed the Recondo Course and was awarded the Recondo
Badge.  He further states that he has awarded several qualification badges while serving in Vietnam.  He goes on to state that he was discharged ”under honorable conditions” and was informed by his former battalion commander that after a period of time that his discharge would be upgraded to honorable.  He concludes by stating that his honorable discharge should show that he was awarded the Parachutist Badge and Recondo Badge.

4.  The applicant’s military records show he enlisted on 26 March 1964 and continued to serve until he was honorably released from active duty on 23 March 1966 and was transferred to the USAR.  

5.  He reenlisted on 17 December 1970 as a light weapons infantryman and
continued to serve until he was honorably discharged on 28 November 1973 in order to reenlist.  He reenlisted on 29 November 1973 and continued to serve until he was discharged under honorable conditions under the provisions of Army Regulation 635-200, chapter 13, for unfitness-shirking.

6.  He served in Vietnam from 4 October 1965 to 22 March 1966 and in Korea from 19 October 1972 to 10 September 1975.

7.  His discharge document does not show the Parachutist Badge or the Recondo Badge as authorized awards.

8.  Item 19 (Specialized Training) of the applicant’s DA Form 2-1 (Personnel Qualification Record – Part II) shows the entry “BASIC ABN” [Airborne] 710611”
Item 35 (Record of Assignments) shows that the applicant served as a parachutist while assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  

9.  There is no evidence in the applicant’s records which shows he completed the Recondo Course.

10.  There is no evidence that the applicant applied to the Army Discharge Review Board for an upgrade of his discharge within its 15-year statute of limitation. 

11.  Army Regulation 600-8-22, in pertinent part, sets forth requirements for award of the basic Parachutist Badge.  Award of the basic Parachutist Badge requires that an individual must have satisfactorily completed the prescribed proficiency tests while assigned or attached to an airborne unit or the Airborne Department of the Infantry School, or have participated in at least one combat parachute jump.

12.  Recondo, Raider and Jungle Warfare Training Courses are conducted by brigade and division level units throughout the Army as local training courses in combat skills.  The badges awarded upon completion of these courses are awarded in accordance with local policies governing these training courses.   These badges are not governed by the Department of the Army awards regulation and, as a result, they are not annotated on the DD Form 214.  In accordance with Army Regulation 635-5, which governs preparation of separation documents, Recondo, Raider and Jungle Operations Training Courses are not entered under education and training of the DD Form 214 because training courses for combat skills are not listed on the form.

13.  Army Regulation 635-200 sets forth the policy and prescribes the procedure for administrative separation of enlisted personnel.  Chapter 13, in effect at that time, applied to separation for unfitness and unsuitability.  At that time, paragraph 13-5a(4) provided for the separation of individuals for unfitness-shirking.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  Evidence of record shows that he completed the basic airborne course on 11 June 1971 and served at Fort Bragg, North Carolina as a parachutist.  Therefore, he is entitled to award of the Parachutist Badge and correction of his records to show this award.

2.  The Board noted the applicant’s contention that he attended and successfully completed the Recondo Course at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and was awarded the Recondo Badge.  However, there is no evidence of record available, and the applicant has provided no evidence, which shows he completed the Recondo course and was awarded the Recondo Badge.  The Board also noted that in accordance with Army Regulation 635-5, Recondo training courses are not entered under the Remarks column of the DD Form 214 because training courses for combat skills are not listed on the form.

3.  The US Army does not have, nor has it ever had, a policy to automatically upgrade discharges.  Each case is decided on its own merits when an applicant submits a request to change his or her discharge.  Changes may be warranted if the Board determines that the characterization of service or the reason for discharge or both were improper or inequitable.  The Defense Discharge Review Standards specifically state that no factors should be established that require automatic change or denial of a change in discharge.  In view of these facts the Board is not predisposed to upgrade the applicant’s discharge. 

4.  In view of the foregoing findings and conclusions, it would be appropriate to correct the applicant’s records, but only 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 the Parachutist Badge.

BOARD VOTE:  

JLP_____  BJL_____  OWT____  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		_JENNIFER L. PRATER______
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2000043457	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20001109	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	HD	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	19761109	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR 	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	GRANT/DENY	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  166		
2.  46		
3.  		
4.  		
5.		
6.