PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:       

	BOARD DATE:            3 October 2002
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2002072800

	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:

	Ms. Irene N. Wheelwright		Chairperson	
	Mr. Walter T. Morrison		Member	
	Mr. Charles Gainor		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 separation (DD Form 214) be corrected to reflect his service in Southwest Asia (SWA) and that he be awarded all appropriate decorations for that service.

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that he was stationed in Germany when his unit was deactivated and he was deployed to SWA in support of Operation Desert Storm.  However, when his DD Form 214 was prepared, it did not reflect the period he served in combat and he was not awarded the ground combat campaign ribbon. 

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he enlisted on 19 January 1988.  He successfully completed his training and was transferred to Germany for duty as a combat engineer.  He was advanced to the pay grade of E-4 on 1 December 1989.

5.  On 18 June 1989, he was honorably released from active duty due to the expiration of his term of service (ETS).  He had served 3 years and 5 months of total active service and was awarded the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the SWA Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Drivers Badge with Wheel bar, and the French Commando Badge.  His DD Form 214 makes no mention of the dates he served in SWA. 

6.  A review of information obtained from Defense Finance and Accounting (DFAS) records indicate that the applicant was paid hostile fire pay during the period of 1 March 1991 through 30 April 1991.

7.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides the criteria for award of the National Defense Service Medal (NDSM).  It provides, in pertinent part, that the NDSM is awarded for honorable active service for the period of 2 August 1990 to 30 November 1995.  It also provides that the Kuwait Liberation Medal awarded by the Government of Kuwait (KLM-K) is authorized to military personnel who participated in the Persian Gulf War between 2 August 1990 and 31 August 1993.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The available evidence of record confirms that the applicant did in fact serve in SWA.  Inasmuch as the exact dates cannot be determined based on the evidence contained in his personnel records, it is reasonable to use the dates that he was paid hostile fire pay.  Accordingly, his records should be corrected to reflect that he served in SWA from 1 March 1991 through 30 April 1991. 

2.  The evidence of record also reveals that he is entitled to be awarded the NDSM and the KLM-K for his service.  Therefore, it would be in the interest of justice to do so at this time.

3.  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 awarding the individual concerned the NDSM and the KLM-K and that his records be corrected to reflect that he served in SWA from 1 March 1991 to 30 April 1991.

BOARD VOTE:  

__wtm___  __inw___  __cg____  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		___Irene N. Wheelwright____
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2002072800	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	2002/10/03	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	GRANT PLUS	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  189	110.0000/CORR 214	
2.  115	107.0069/NDSM	
3.  135	107.0089/KLM-K	
4.		
5.		
6.