PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:           17 October 2000                   
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2000044123

	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	
	Mrs. Nancy Amos		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Raymond V. O’Connor, Jr.		Chairperson	
	Ms. Linda D. Simmons		Member	
	Ms. Barbara J. Ellis		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 that his Report of Transfer or Discharge, DD Form 214, be corrected to add the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB), the Army Commendation Medal (ARCOM) with “V” device, the Air Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation and the Vietnam Unit Citation.

3.  The applicant makes no additional statements and provides no supporting evidence.

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he enlisted in the Regular Army on 14 February 1966.  He completed basic combat training and advanced individual training and was awarded military occupational specialty (MOS) 36A/36K (Field Wireman).  He completed basic airborne training and was awarded MOS 36K1P.

5.  The applicant arrived in Vietnam on or about 24 October 1966 and was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry where he performed duties as a 36K2P, wireman.  General Orders 727, Headquarters, 173d Airborne Brigade dated 25 April 1967 awarded him the ARCOM with “V” device for action on 6 February 1967.  On 11 February 1967, he was assigned to the U. S. Army Vietnam Patient Casual Company.  He was assigned to Korea on 28 April 1967.  He was released from active duty on         13 February 1969 after completing 3 years of creditable active service with no lost time.  His Personnel Qualification Record, DA Form 20, shows that his conduct and efficiency were rated as “excellent” during his entire enlistment.

6.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 prescribes Army policy and criteria concerning individual military awards.  In pertinent part, it states that the CIB was established during World War II to provide special recognition of the unique role of the Army infantryman, the only soldier whose daily mission is to close with and destroy the enemy and to seize and hold terrain.  The badge was intended as an inducement for individuals to join the infantry while serving as a morale booster for infantrymen.  In developing the CIB, the War Department did not dismiss or ignore the contributions of other branches.  Their vital contributions to the overall war effort were noted, but it was decided that other awards and decorations were sufficient to recognize their contributions.  From the beginning, Army leadership have taken care to retain the badge for the unique purpose for which it was established.  There are basically three requirements for award of the CIB.  The soldier must be an infantryman satisfactorily performing infantry duties, must be assigned to an infantry unit during such time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat, and must actively participate in such ground combat.  

7.  Army Regulation 600-8-2 provides for the award of the Air Medal to any person who will have distinguished himself while participating in aerial flight.  It is primarily intended to recognize those personnel who are on current crewmember or noncrewmember flying status which requires them to participate in aerial flight on a regular and frequent basis in the performance of their primary duties.  However, it may also be awarded to personnel whose combat duties require them to fly in the attack elements of units involved in airland assaults against an armed enemy.  Involvement in such activities serves only to establish eligibility for award of the Air Medal; the degree of heroism, meritorious achievement or exemplary service determines who should receive the award.

8.  At the time, U.S. Army Vietnam Regulation 672-1 provided that individuals who traveled by aircraft from point to point for the purpose of participating in combat assaults were eligible for the award of the Air Medal for achievement after completion of 25 assault missions.  For personnel transported by aircraft, a combat assault mission was defined as a mission where friendly troops conducted the initial landings into a hostile area for the purpose of conducting combat or combat support operations.  A passenger may have received credit for one mission for each assault landing completed.

9.  Combat missions were divided into three categories.  A category I mission was defined as a mission performed in an assault role in which a hostile force was engaged and was characterized by delivery of ordnance against the hostile force, or delivery of friendly troops or supplies into the immediate combat operations area.  A category II mission was characterized by support rendered a friendly force immediately before, during or immediately following a combat operation.  A category III mission was characterized by support of friendly forces not connected with an immediate combat operation but which must have been accomplished at altitudes which made the aircraft at times vulnerable to small arms fire, or under hazardous weather or terrain conditions.

10.  To be recommended for award of the Air Medal, an individual must have completed a minimum of 25 category I missions, 50 category II missions or     100 category III missions.  Since various types of missions would have been completed in accumulating flight time toward award of an Air Medal for sustained operations, different computations would have had to be made to combine category I, II and III flight time and adjust it to a common denominator.  Normally, missions flown by personnel assigned to nonaviation units would have been recorded on USARV Form 131 by the individual and signed by the certifying officer.

11.  Army Regulation 672-5-1, in effect at the time, provided policy and criteria concerning individual military decorations.  It stated that the Army Good Conduct Medal was awarded for each 3 years of continuous enlisted active Federal military service completed on or after 27 August 1940 and, for the first award only, upon termination of service on or after 27 June 1950 of less than 3 years but more than 1 year.  At the time, a soldier’s conduct and efficiency ratings must have been rated as “excellent” for the entire period of qualifying service.

12.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-3 shows that the 2d Battalion, 503d Infantry was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation for the period 5 May 1965 through 4 May 1967 and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm for the period 5 May 1965 through 26 September 1970.  It was also awarded the Presidential Unit Citation twice – for action on 16 March 1966 and for the period 6 through 23 November 1967.

13.  Replacement of medals or service ribbons for individuals not on active duty may be made at cost price.  Requests for medals should be directed to National Personnel Records Center, National Archives Records Administration, Army Medals Section, 9700 Page Avenue, St. Louis, MO  63132-5100.  No money should be mailed until instructions are received.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The evidence of record shows the applicant was awarded the ARCOM with “V” device.  It also shows that he was eligible for award of the Army Good Conduct Medal and that he is entitled to wear the Meritorious Unit Citation and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.  

2.  The evidence of record shows that the applicant’s unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation but not during a period of time he was assigned to the unit.  He was authorized to wear the decoration only during the period of time he was assigned to the unit and is not entitled to wear it as a permanent decoration; therefore, it is not an authorized entry on his DD Form 214.

3.  The evidence of record shows that while the applicant served in an infantry unit he did not hold an infantry MOS.  While he certainly performed combat duties and even received an award for heroism while accompanying his unit on those combat duties, he is not qualified for award of the CIB.  The Board does not belittle the valuable services he performed.  It is recognized however that, as a 36K, he could have been reassigned to a noncombat unit.  An infantryman would have had no such option.  Many individuals are probably not aware of the strict requirements for award of the CIB.

4.  There is no evidence of record to show the applicant was awarded the Air Medal.  The Board presumes that he was involved in at least several combat assault missions.  However, there is a specific requirement to have completed at least 25 Category 1 missions.  Since there is no USARV Form 131 available and the individual provides no other corroborating evidence, and given the relatively short time the applicant was assigned to Vietnam, the Board will make no presumption as to how many combat assault missions he may have been on.

5.  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 awarding to the applicant the Army Good Conduct Medal for the period 14 February 1966 through 13 February 1969.

2.  By correcting the applicant’s DD Form 214 by adding the Army Commendation Medal with “V” device, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Meritorious Unit Citation and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.

3.  That the applicant be advised to contact the National Archives Records Administration at the address shown in paragraph 13 above to obtain an issue/reissue of any medals he requires.  He should be advised that that agency may not be able to provide any foreign awards, such as the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.

4.  That so much of the application as is in excess of the foregoing be denied.

BOARD VOTE:  

__rvo___  __lds___  __bje___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		Raymond V. O’Connor, Jr.
		______________________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2000044123	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20001017	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(GRANT)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	110.04	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.