PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:       

	BOARD DATE:            12 September 2000
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2000045780

	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	
	Mr. Jessie B. Strickland		Analyst	

The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Calvin M. Fowler		Chairperson	
	Mr. Fred Eichorn		Member	
	Ms. Carol Jo Suiter		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 records be corrected to show that he was awarded the Special Forces (SF) Tab and Military Free Fall Wings.

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that he is SF qualified, that he spent 13 years in SF units and 2 ½ years in SF units in combat and that the SF tab was never added to his records.  He further states that he was a pioneer in high altitude low opening (HALO) jumping who graduated from military free fall training in November 1966, when there were no wings authorized.  However, since they have now been authorized he believes that he should now receive them.  

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he enlisted on 18 November 1963 for a period of 3 years and training under the airborne enlistment option.  He successfully completed his training as an airborne light weapons infantryman.  

5.  He served three times in Vietnam with SF units, attended HALO training in 1966 for a period of 5 weeks, SF Scuba training for 5 weeks in 1973, the SF intelligence course (Phase I and II) for 16 weeks in 1974, and was awarded the Special Qualification Identifier (SQI) of “S” denoting SF qualification.  He was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) along with other awards in Vietnam and was also awarded the Master Parachutist Badge.  There is no indication in the available records to show that the SF Tab was ever entered in his records nor are there any jump records present in the available records.

6.  On 30 November 1983 he was released from active duty and was placed on the Retired List in the pay grade of E-7 effective 1 December 1983.  He had served 20 years and 13 days of total active service and his records show that he was an SF qualified infantryman at the time of his separation.

7.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 serves as the authority for military decorations and awards.  It states, in pertinent part, that the SF Tab is awarded upon successful completion of the SF qualification course or the then approved program of instruction for special forces qualification in SF units that resulted in the award of the SQI of “S” for enlisted personnel.  The SF Tab may be awarded retroactively to those personnel who served with SF units during wartime and were unable to, or not required to attend a formal program of instruction, but were awarded the SQI of “S”.

8.  Military Personnel Message Number 97-154 announced the authorization for permanent wear of the Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge.  It states, in pertinent part, that the Commander in Chief of the United States Special Operation Command (USSOCOM) is the approval authority for award of the badge and that individuals must have satisfactorily completed a prescribed program of instruction in military free fall approved by the United States Army John F. Kennedy Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWC&S) or have executed a military free fall combat jump.  Special operations forces personnel who qualified in military free fall prior to 1 October 1994 must obtain approval prior to wearing the Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge.  Requests for award of the badge will be submitted in writing to the Commander, USAJFKSWC&S, attn: AFJK-GPD-SA, Fort Bragg, North Carolina 28307-5000.  Applications will include name, rank, Social Security number, military occupational specialty, a copy of Official Jump Record, DA Form 1307 (Individual Jump Record) and any other supporting documents (i.e., graduation or qualifications certificates).

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The Board finds that the applicant meets the established criteria for award of the SF Tab based on his SF training and assignments and that he should have been awarded the SF Tab while on active duty.

2.  Accordingly, it would be in the interest of justice to correct this oversight at this time by showing that he was awarded the SF Tab. 

3.  However, the Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge did not exist at the time the applicant was on active duty and therefore he was not entitled to such an award. Inasmuch as there are procedures established for retroactive award of the badge and the applicant has failed to show that he has applied under those procedures and was unjustly denied the award, there is no basis to award him the badge at this time.

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 that the individual concerned was awarded the SF Tab effective 26 February 1965 (the earliest recorded date he was awarded the SQI of “S”).

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

BOARD VOTE:  

___cmf __  ___fe___  ___cjs  __  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		____Calvin M. Fowler____
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2000045780	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	2000/9/12	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	GRANT	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  170	107.0124/SF TAB	
2.  166	107.0120/HALO BADGE	
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.