PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:           20 September 2001
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2001057219

	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. Joseph A. Adriance		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Raymond J. Wagner		Chairperson	
	Mr. Kenneth W. Lapin		Member	
	Ms. Paula Mokulis		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 two foreign service tours and 
9 months of service in Bosnia be added to his separation document (DD Form 214).  In addition, that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Medal he earned and any other medals he may be authorized for his Bosnia service also be added to his record. 

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that his separation document does not reflect his two overseas tours in Germany or his 9 months of service in Bosnia.  In addition, he indicates that the awards listed in his separation document do not include the NATO service medal he earned and that he believes he is also entitled to other awards for his Bosnia service.  In support of his application, he provides copies of the following documents:  a NATO service medal certificate; four certificates of achievement he received during his overseas tours; and an Army Achievement Medal (AAM) certificate he received in 1993 while assigned overseas. 

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he continuously served on active duty in the Regular Army from 25 October 1988 until 14 April 1998, when he was honorably discharged, in the rank of sergeant/E-5, after completing a total of 
9 years, 5 months, and 20 days of active military service. 

5.  The applicant’s Personnel Qualification Record (DA Form 2-1) confirms in block 5 (overseas service) that he completed two overseas tours of duty in Germany, the first from 27 February 1989 to 21 August 1991 and the second from 10 July 1993 to 6 November 1996.  Block 9 (awards, decorations & campaigns) verifies that during his active duty tenure he earned the following awards:  Army Service Ribbon (ASR); 4 Army Achievement Medals (AAM); 
2 Overseas Service Ribbons (OSR); National Defense Service Medal (NDSM); Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (NCOPDR); and 
Army Good Conduct Medal (AGCM).  No other awards or campaign credit is documented in the qualification record. 

6.  Block 12f (foreign service) of the DD Form 214 issued to the applicant on the date of his separation contains no foreign service credit.  In addition, the separation document indicates in block 13 (decorations, medals, badges, citations, and campaign ribbons awarded or authorized) that he earned the following awards during his active duty tenure:  AAM (3rd Award); AGCM; NDSM; NCOPDR; ASR; OSR (2nd Award); and the Sharpshooter Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Rifle Bar.  

7.  The applicant provided a copy of a NATO Certificate, which confirms he was awarded the NATO Medal for his participation in NATO operations in the former Republic of Yugoslavia/Bosnia-Herzegovina from 22 December 1995 to 
12 September 1996.  The actual year listed in the beginning date on the certificate erroneously reads 1996 as opposed to 1995 as it obviously should.  His record confirms that during this period he was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 1st Armored Division.

8.  Information obtained from the Awards and Decorations Branch of The Adjutant General (TAG) Directorate of the Army Personnel Command (PERSCOM) confirms that the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) and the NATO Medal were authorized for service in the former Republic of Yugoslavia during Operations Joint Guard and Joint Endeavor for the period 
20 November 1995 and 20 June 1998.  It also confirms that the applicant’s unit, HHC, 1st Armored Division, earned the Army Superior Unit Award (ASUA) during the applicant’s tenure of assignment for the period 15 October 1995 through 
9 November 1996, which was authorized in Department of the Army General Order (DAGO) 15, published in 1997. 

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The Board notes and finds merit in the applicant’s contentions that he was not properly credited with his foreign service in his separation document and did not receive awards to which he was entitled based on his service in Bosnia.

2.  The evidence of record confirms the applicant completed two overseas tours of service in the FRG that totaled 5 years, 9 months, and 22 days of foreign service and that 9 months and 21 days of this foreign service was performed in Bosnia.  The Board presumes this foreign service credit was erroneously omitted from block 12f of his DD Form 214 as a result of an administrative error and it concludes this should be corrected at this time.  

3.  In addition, the Board also concludes that the applicant is entitled to receive the NATO Medal, AFEM, and ASUA based on his unit of assignment and his service in the former Republic of Yugoslavia.  Thus, the Board finds it would also be appropriate to add these awards to his record at this time. 

4.  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 in block 12f of the DD Form 214 of the individual concerned that he completed a total of 5 years, 9 months, and 22 days of foreign service and by adding the following entry in block 18 (remarks) “Bosnia service 22 December 1995 through 12 September 1996; by showing he earned the Army Superior Unit Award; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; and North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal; and by providing him a corrected separation document that reflects these changes. 

BOARD VOTE:  

__RJW__  __KWL__  ___PM___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		   __Raymond J. Wagner  __
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2001057219	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	2001/09/20	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	HD	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	1998/04/14	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	N/A	
DISCHARGE REASON	N/A	
BOARD DECISION	GRANT	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  251	120.0000	
2.  46	107.0000	
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.