RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:       

	BOARD DATE:            FEBRUARY 3, 2004                 
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2003090238

	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. Luis Almodova		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Samuel A. Crumpler		Chairperson	
	Ms. Regan K. Smith		Member	
	Mr. Curtis L. Greenway		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).

THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE:  

1.  The applicant requests, in effect, that he be awarded the Southwest Asia Service Medal and the Kuwait Liberation Medals and that they be added to his DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.  The applicant also requests that the Air Assault and Airborne courses be added to his DD Form 214.

2.  The applicant states, in effect, that the awards and the requested training courses are not shown on his DD Form 214.

3.  The applicant provides a copy of his DD Form 214, with a separation date of 4 September 1990,  in support of his request.

CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 

1.  The applicant is requesting correction of error, which occurred on 4 September 1990.  The application submitted in this case is dated 9 April 2003.

2.  Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 1552(b), provides that applications for correction of military records must be filed within 3 years after discovery of the alleged error or injustice.  This provision of law allows the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) to excuse failure to file within the 3-year statute of limitation if the ABCMR determines that it would be in the interest of justice to do so.  In this case, the ABCMR will conduct a review of the merits of the case to determine if it would be in the interest of justice to excuse the applicant’s failure to timely file.

3.  The applicant enlisted for 6 years in the US Army Reserve on 3 February 1984.  On 27 June 1984, the applicant enlisted in the Regular Army for a period of 4 years.  He successfully completed one station unit training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.  On completion of his training, he was awarded the military occupational specialty 13B, Cannon Crewman.

4.  Item 5 (Overseas Service) of the applicant's DA Form 2-1, Personnel Qualification Record, Part II, shows that the applicant was assigned in Germany for the period 13 June 1986 through 12 July 1988.  Item 35 (Record of Assignments), of this same form, shows that the applicant was assigned to Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, 1st Infantry Division (Forward), throughout his assignment in Germany. 

5.  The Gulf War Participant Listing was searched for the applicant's name and service number.  There is no record of the applicant having deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

6.  In a letter of inquiry addressed to the US Army Reserve Personnel Center, dated 11 March 1997, the applicant stated that he had spent 37 months in Germany and 2 weeks in Panama.  In his inquiry he stated that he was trying to determine if he was eligible to join a Veterans of Foreign Wars Post.

7.  Item 17 (Civilian Education and Military Schools) and Item 35 are void of entries showing that the applicant attended either the Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, or the Air Assault School at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.  There are no orders awarding the applicant the Parachutist Badge or the Air Assault Badge in his service personnel records or in his official military personnel file (OMPF).

8.  The applicant was awarded the Army Achievement Medal for exceptionally meritorious service for the period 28 May 1985 through 11 May 1986 by Permanent Orders 71-5, published by the Personnel Service Center, Fort Riley, Kansas, dated 9 June 1986.  This award is not shown on the applicant's DD Form 214.

9.  The applicant was released from active duty on 4 September 1990 in the rank and pay grade, Specialist, E-4, under the provisions of Army Regulation 
(AR) 635-200, paragraph 16-8a, and Department of the Army Message 291800Z May 1990, for the convenience of the Government – 1990, Early Transition Program.  On his separation date, the applicant had 6 years, 2 months, and 8 days active military service, with no lost time.

10.  Item 13 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized (all periods of service)), of the applicant's DD Form 214, shows he was awarded the Army Service Ribbon; the Good Conduct Medal; the Overseas Service Ribbon; the Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge, with Automatic Rifle Bar [M-16 Rifle]; the Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Grenade Bar; and the Army Lapel Button.

11.  AR 600-8-22 provides that service in the Persian Gulf War is to be recognized by award of the Southwest Asia Service Medal to Army members who participated in Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm in the designated area on or after 2 August 1990.  A bronze service star is authorized for the Defense of Saudi Arabia (2 August 1990 to 16 January 1991) and the Liberation 

and Defense of Kuwait (17 January to 11 April 1991, and the Cease-fire Campaign (12 April 1991 to 30 October 1995).

12.  The Kuwait Liberation Medal awarded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was approved on 3 January 1992 and is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who participated in the Persian Gulf War between 17 January 1991 and 28 February 1991.

13.  The Kuwait Liberation Medal awarded by the Government of Kuwait was approved on 9 November 1995 and is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who participated in the Persian Gulf War between 2 August 1990 and 31 August 1993.

14.  AR 600-8-22 provides, in pertinent part, that the National Defense Service Medal is awarded for honorable active service for any period between 27 July 1950 through 27 July 1954, 1 January 1961 through 14 August 1974, 2 August 1990 through 30 November 1995, and from 11 September 2001 to a date to be determined.

15.  AR 635-5 prescribes policies and procedures regarding separation documents.  Interim change 1 to the regulation, dated 2 October 1989 provides the following policy regarding entries that are to be made in Item 14 (Military Education) of the DD Form 214, "List formal in-service (full time attendance) training courses successfully completed during the period of service covered by title, length in weeks, and month and year completed; e.g., medical, dental, electronics, supply, administrative, personnel or heavy equipment.  Command and General Staff and Senior Service College, Senior Warrant Officer course, and the SGM [Sergeant Major] Academy Non-resident Course may be included when successfully completed by correspondence.  This information is to assist the soldier after separation in job placement and counseling; therefore, training courses for combat skills will not be listed (emphasis added).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  There is no evidence, and the applicant provided none, to support that he was deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

2.  In the letter to the US Army Reserve Personnel Center in 1997, the applicant made no mention of service in the Persian Gulf or in the Middle East.  The only countries he mentioned in that letter were Germany and Panama.

3.  The applicant is not entitled to award of the Southwest Asia Service Medal, or the Kuwait Liberation Medals awarded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or the Government of Kuwait.

4.  The applicant was awarded the Army Achievement Medal.  This award is not shown on his DD Form 214.  It would be appropriate to add this award to his DD Form 214 at this time.

5.  The applicant was released from active duty on 4 September 1990.  Award of the National Defense Service Medal was authorized for award to soldiers for their honorable active service for the period 2 August 1990 through 30 November 1995.  The applicant qualified for award of the National Defense Service Medal.  This award is not shown on the applicant's DD Form 214.  It would be appropriate to add this award to his separation document at this time.

6.  There is no evidence, and the applicant provided none, to show that he attended or completed the Airborne Course or the Air Assault School.  There is no evidence that he was awarded the Parachutist Badge or the Air Assault Badge.

7.  Notwithstanding the above, even if the applicant had completed these training courses, the applicable regulation prohibits the entering of training courses for combat skills in Item 14 of the DD Form 214.

BOARD VOTE:

sac_____  rks_____  clg_____  GRANT RELIEF 

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

1.  The Board determined that the evidence presented was sufficient to warrant a recommendation for partial relief and to excuse failure to timely file.  As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by

a.  awarding the applicant the National Defense Service Medal and adding it to his separation document; and

b.  adding the already-awarded Army Achievement Medal to the applicant's DD Form 214.

2.  The Board further determined that the evidence presented is insufficient to warrant a portion of the requested relief.  As a result, the Board recommends denial of so much of the application that pertains to award of the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) to the applicant, and denying addition of the Airborne Course and the Air Assault School to the applicant's DD Form 214. 

		___Samuel A. Crumpler___
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2003090238	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20040203	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	GRANT IN PART	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  46	107.0000	
2.  120	107.0074	
3.  135	107.0089	
4.		
5.		
6.