BOARD DATE: 16 July 2009 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20090002399 THE BOARD CONSIDERED THE FOLLOWING EVIDENCE: 1. Application for correction of military records (with supporting documents provided, if any). 2. Military Personnel Records and advisory opinions (if any). THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant requests, in effect, that her DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) be corrected to reflect award of the Iraq Campaign Medal (ICM), Army Commendation Medal (ARCOM) 4th Award, and Army Achievement Medal (AAM) 4th Award. 2. The applicant states, in effect, that Item 13 of her DD Form 214 does not reflect her award of the ICM, ARCOM (4th Award), or AAM (4th Award). 3. The applicant provides her DD Form 214, DA Form 638 (Recommendation for Award), and ARCOM Certificate in support of her application. CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant's record shows that while serving as a colonel in the United States Army Reserve (USAR), she was ordered to and entered active duty on 3 October 2004. She served in Iraq from 17 October 2004 through 15 October 2005. 2. On 8 February 2007, the applicant was honorably released from active duty (REFRAD) under the provisions of Army Regulation 600-8-24, by reason of completion of required active service after completing 2 years, 4 months, and 6 days of active military service. 3. Item 13 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations, and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized) of the DD Form 214 the applicant was issued on 8 February 2007 shows she earned the following awards: Bronze Star Medal, ARCOM (3rd Award), AAM (3rd Award), Joint Meritorious Unit Award, National Defense Service Medal (2nd Award), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" Device. 4. The applicant's Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) contains ARCOM certificates, dated 11 December 1993, 19 August 2001, and 15 August 2003, which confirm the applicant received three awards of the ARCOM on these dates for meritorious service and achievement and that these awards were announced in official orders. It also contains a DA Form 638 and ARCOM certificate that show she was awarded the ARCOM for meritorious service during the period August 2003 through September 2004, and that this award was announced in official orders on 14 June 2005. 5. The applicant's OMPF also contains AAM certificates, dated 20 August 1994 and 1 August 1997, which show she was awarded AAMs on these dates and that these awards were announced in official orders. 6. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) contains the Army’s awards policy. Paragraph 2-17 contains guidance on the ICM. It states, in pertinent part, that a bronze service star shall be worn on the suspension and campaign ribbon of the ICM for each Iraq campaign they were credited with participating in. During the applicant’s tenure of assignment in Iraq, participation credit was granted for the Iraqi Governance campaign. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: 1. The applicant's contention that her DD Form 214 should reflect four awards of the ARCOM was carefully considered and found to have merit. The evidence of record contains four separate ARCOM certificates, which confirm the applicant received four separate awards of the ARCOM and that these awards were authorized and announced in official orders. As a result, it would now be appropriate to correct the ARCOM entry in Item 13 of the applicant's DD Form 214 to read ARCOM (4th Award). 2. The applicant's request related to adding the ICM to the list of awards contained in Item 13 of her DD Form 214 was also noted. Item 13 of the applicant’s DD Form 214 already lists the ICM as an earned award in item 13. Therefore, no corrective action is necessary to add the ICM. However, by regulation, a bronze service star is authorized with the ICM for each campaign a member is credited with participating in while serving in Iraq. The evidence of record confirms that during her assignment in Iraq participation credit was granted for the Iraqi Governance campaign. Therefore, it would be appropriate to add 1 bronze service star to her ICM and to correct the ICM entry in item 13 of her DD Form 214 accordingly. 3. The applicant’s contention that Item 13 of her DD Form 214 should show four awards of the AAM was also carefully considered. However, the evidence of record and independent evidence submitted by the applicant only confirm two awards of the AAM. The applicant’s OMPF contains AAM certificates confirming she received two awards of the AAM on 20 August 1994 and 1 August 1997, respectively. As a result, there is an insufficient evidentiary basis to support granting this portion of the requested relief. BOARD VOTE: ________ ________ ________ GRANT FULL RELIEF ___x____ __x_____ ___x____ GRANT PARTIAL 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. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by amending item 13 of her 8 February 2007 DD Form 214 as follows: a. delete the current ARCOM entry and replace it with the entry “Army Commendation Medal (4th Award)”; b. amend the Iraq Campaign Medal entry in item 13 by adding 1 bronze service star; and c. provide her a correction to the DD Form 214 that includes these changes. 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 a correction to the Army Achievement Medal entry in item 13 of her DD Form 214. _______ _ _x______ ___ CHAIRPERSON I certify that herein is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in this case. ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20090002399 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20090002399 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1