PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:           24 October 2002
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2002076974

	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. Hubert S. Shaw, Jr.		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Raymond V. O'Connor, Jr.		Chairperson	
	Ms. Barbara J. Ellis		Member	
	Ms. Karen A. Heinz		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 award of an unspecified military marksmanship qualification badge.

3.  The applicant states that he remembers the M-1 Garand Rifle very well.  He contends that he earned this badge for fighting and he wants it because he earned it.

4.  The applicant's military personnel records available to the Board are contained in a temporary file and essentially consist of his DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States).  Correspondence in this temporary file indicate that his military records were removed from the file area at the National Personnel Records Center and now cannot be located.

5.  The applicant's DD from 214 shows that he enlisted in the Regular Army for two years, entered active duty on 13 January 1949, and completed training as a combat engineer.  He served approximately one year of overseas service during the Korean War; however, the exact dates of his overseas service as a member of Company B, 73rd Engineer Combat Battalion, are not available.  The applicant was honorably discharged on 7 November 1951.

6.  The applicant's DD Form 214 shows only award of the Korean Service Medal with five bronze service stars in item 27 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Commendations, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized)

7.  There is no information in the limited records available to the Board which shows that the applicant qualified on the M-1 Rifle or that he received a marksmanship qualification badge.

8.  Review of the applicant's DD Form 214 reveals that he was eligible for award of the National Defense Service Medal and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation which are not shown on his DD Form 214.

9.  Army Regulation 600-8-22, in pertinent part, sets forth requirements for award of basic marksmanship qualification badges.  The qualification badge is awarded to indicate the degree in which an individual has qualified in a prescribed record course, and an appropriate bar is furnished to denote each weapon with which the individual has qualified.  The qualification badges are in three classes:  Expert, Sharpshooter, and Marksman.

10.  Army Regulation 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 11 September 2001 to a date to be determined.

11.  Department of the Army Pamphlet 672-1 (Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register) lists the unit awards and citations received by units serving in the Korean conflict.  This document shows the unit, to which the applicant was assigned, was cited for award of the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for actions during the period 1 January 1951 to 30 April 1954 by Department of the Army General Orders Number 82-54. 

12.  On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Korean War, the Government of the Republic of Korea issued the Korean War Service Medal to pay tribute to eligible Korean War veterans for their historic endeavors to preserve the freedom of the Republic of Korea and the free world.  On 20 August 1999, the Department of Defense approved acceptance and wear of this foreign award.  The Department of Defense has assigned responsibility to the Department of the Air Force for distribution of the Korean War Service Medal to eligible veterans of all services.  In order to assist the applicant, the Board is furnishing him with a copy of the Department of the Air Force administrative instructions for requesting award of the Korean War Service Medal.  When the Korean War Service Medal is authorized by the Department of the Air Force, the applicant may apply to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records to add this foreign unit award to his DD Form 214.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  There is no evidence of record available to the Board which shows that the applicant qualified on a military weapon or that he was awarded a military marksmanship badge.  As a result, there is insufficient evidence upon which to base correction of the applicant's records to show a marksmanship qualification badge.  

2.  Based on the applicant's military service, he is entitled to award of the National Defense Service Medal.  Therefore, his records will be corrected to award of the National Defense Service Medal.

3.  Orders show the applicant is entitled to award of the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation; therefore, he is entitled to correction of his records to show this foreign unit award.

4.  In view of the foregoing findings and conclusions, it would be appropriate to correct the applicant’s records, but only as recommended below.

RECOMMENDATION:

1.  That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by showing the individual concerned was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.
2.  That so much of the application as is in excess of the foregoing be denied.

BOARD VOTE:  

__BJE__  __KAH__  ___RVO__  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		_Mr. Raymond V. O'Connor, Jr._
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2002076974	
SUFFIX		
RECON	YYYYMMDD	
DATE BOARDED	20021024	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	(HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR)	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	YYYYMMDD	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	AR . . . . .  	
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	GRANT	
REVIEW AUTHORITY	MR SCHNEIDER	
ISSUES         1.	107.0000.0000	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.