MEMORANDUM OF CONSIDERATION

	IN THE CASE OF:       

	BOARD DATE:            8 February 2001
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2000048917

	I certify that hereinafter is recorded the record of consideration of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in the case of the above-named individual.

	Mr. Carl W. S. Chun		Director	
	Mr. Joseph A. Adriance		Analyst	

The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Ms. JoAnn H. Langston		Chairperson	
	Mr. George D. Paxson		Member	
	Mr. Donald P. Hupman, Jr.		Member	

	The Board, established pursuant to authority contained in 10 U.S.C. 1552, convened at the call of the Chairperson on the above date.  In accordance with Army Regulation 15-185, the application and the available military records pertinent to the corrective action requested were reviewed to determine whether to authorize a formal hearing, recommend that the records be corrected without a formal hearing, or to deny the application without a formal hearing if it is determined that insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of probable material error or injustice.

	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)

APPLICANT REQUESTS:  In effect, that he be awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB).

APPLICANT STATES:  In effect, that he received the CIB as a rifleman with the 223rd Battalion and then received the Combat Medical Badge (CMB) because he spent four weeks of training as a medical aidman and served with a line unit.  In support of his application he provides a newspaper clipping that indicates he held the CIB.  

EVIDENCE OF RECORD:  The applicant’s military records were not available to the Board for review.  A fire destroyed approximately 18 million service members’ records at the National Personnel Records Center in 1973.  It is believed that the applicant’s records were lost in that fire.  

The available evidence does include a Department of Defense (DD) Form 
214 (Report of Separation From the Armed Forces of the United States), which was authenticated by the applicant with his signature and issued to him on  the date of his separation.  This document verifies that he entered active duty on 
10 November 1952 and served in that status until being honorably separated on 10 September 1954.

The separation document also shows that the applicant was assigned to the Army medical service branch while on active duty and that he served overseas for 1 year, 1 month, and 14 days.  It further indicates that he earned the Korean Service Medal with one bronze service star, CMB, United Nations Service Medal, and National Defense Service Medal.  The separation document contains an entry that indicates he received four weeks of training as a medical aidman in 1953.  However, the DD Form 214 contains no indication that he ever received training in, served in, or held an infantry specialty as a rifleman. 

The applicant provided a newspaper clipping that indicates that was a supply clerk in the 223rd Regiment’s Medical Company and that he held the CIB and CMB.  

Chapter 8, Section-II (Combat and Special Skill Badges) contains guidance on the award of combat badges.  Paragraph 8-6 contains the policy and procedure pertaining to the award of the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB).  Paragraph 8-6c contains the specific eligibility criteria for the CIB and states, in pertinent part, that the basic qualifications for earning the CIB are that a member be an infantryman, assigned to an infantry unit, and that he be personally present and under hostile fire while serving in an assigned infantry primary duty, in a unit actively engaged in ground combat with the enemy.

DISCUSSION:  Considering all the evidence, allegations, and information presented by the applicant, together with the evidence of record, applicable law and regulations, it is concluded:

1.  Notwithstanding the contention of the applicant, the Board finds the newspaper clipping provided by the applicant is an unofficial source and standing alone is not sufficient to confirm his entitlement to the CIB.  After carefully examining the available evidence and the independent evidence submitted by the applicant, the Board finds there is an insufficient evidentiary basis on which to grant the requested relief.  

2.  The available evidence makes clear that the applicant served in the Army medical service branch and was trained in and served as a medical aidman during the Korean Conflict. There is no information in the available evidence that even suggests he was ever trained in, served as, or participated in combat in an infantry specialty as a rifleman.  Therefore, the Board concludes he does not meet this regulatory criteria for entitlement to the CIB.

3.  By regulation, in order to earn a CIB a member must be an infantryman, assigned to an infantry unit, and must have been personally present and under hostile fire while serving in an assigned infantry primary duty, in a unit actively engaged in ground combat with the enemy.  

4.  In view of the foregoing, there is no basis for granting the applicant's request.

DETERMINATION:  The applicant has failed to submit sufficient relevant evidence to demonstrate the existence of probable error or injustice.

BOARD VOTE:

________  ________  ________  GRANT

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

___jhl___  ___gp___  ___dh___  DENY APPLICATION

		    Carl W. S. Chun
		    Director, Army Board for Correction
    of Military Records

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2000048917	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	2001/02/08	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	HD	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	1954/09/10	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR 615-363-5	
DISCHARGE REASON	Overseas Returnee 	
BOARD DECISION	DENY	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
2.  157	107.0111	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.