PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:       

	BOARD DATE:           29 May 2003                  
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2002078955

	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	

	Mr. Luther L. Santiful		Chairperson	
	Mr. Lester Echols		Member	
	Mr. Frank C. Jones, II		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 the Joint Service Achievement Medal (JSAM) and Joint Service Commendation Medal (JSCM) he received in 1983 be added to his record.  

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that in 1983, while he was serving on the staff of the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations (DCSOPS), United States Forces Grenada, West Indies, in support of Operation Urgent Fury, he was presented an impact JSAM by the DCSOPS on 5 November 1983, for his performance of duty as an infantry planning and briefing officer.  He also states that on 7 November 1983, he was presented the JSCM by the Commanding General (CG), United States Forces Grenada, for his performance as an action officer supervising a shipment of captured equipment to Andrews Air Force Base for display at a news conference to be held by the President of the United States on 9 November 1983.  In support of his application, he provides statements from the two officials who presented the impact awards in question. 

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he is currently serving on active duty as a Brigadier General (BG), and he is assigned to the Pentagon, Washington D.C.

5.  The applicant provides a statement from a retired colonel, who served as the DCSOPS, United States Forces Grenada.  The statement confirms that the colonel personally presented the JSAM to the applicant for his outstanding achievement while serving as the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Emergency Operations Center during Operation Urgent Fury.  

6.  The applicant also provides a statement from a retired Major General (MG), who served as the Commanding General (CG) of United States Forces Grenada. This statement confirms that he presented the applicant the JSCM for outstanding achievement in organizing the airlift of captured weapons from Grenada to the United States during Operation Urgent Fury.  

7.  In connection with the processing of this case, a member of the Board staff reviewed the Operation Urgent Fury historical records maintained at the Records Holding Center, Suitland, Maryland.  While this review of the historical files did not produce orders authorizing the awards in question, it did confirm that the retired colonel and MG who provided witness statements on the applicant’s behalf did in fact serve as the DCSOPS and CG of United States Forces Grenada respectively.  The historical records also confirm that the applicant served as an operations planning officer, and that he was in fact the action officer responsible for the shipment of captured equipment to Andrews Air Force Base for display at a Presidential news conference held on 9 November 1983.  

8.  Department of Defense (DOD) Instructions Manual 1348.33-M explains DOD policies and procedures on awarding Defense decorations and awards.  Paragraph C3 provides guidance on awarding the JSCM and JSAM.  It states, in pertinent part, that commanders of Unified or Combined Commands have the authority to award the JSCM and JSAM.  It further stipulates that the authority to award the JSAM may be delegated to officers of the Armed Services in the grade of 0-6.  

9.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 provides the Army’s awards policy. The JSCM is awarded in the name of the Secretary of Defense to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who, after 1 January 1963, distinguished themselves by meritorious achievement or service.  The JSAM is awarded in the name of the Secretary of Defense to members of the Armed Forces of the United State below the grade of 0-6 who, after 3 August 1983, distinguished themselves by outstanding performance of duty and meritorious achievement. 

10.  Paragraph 1-18 of the awards regulation provides guidance on the duplication of awards.  It states that only one decoration will be awarded to an individual for the same act, achievement, or period of meritorious service.  However, it specifically stipulates that the award of a decoration in recognition of a single act of heroism or meritorious achievement does not preclude an award for meritorious service at the termination of an assignment.  Therefore, the ultimate receipt of a service award by the applicant would not have prohibited him from receiving the impact achievement awards in question.  

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The Board notes the applicant’s contention that the impact JSAM and JSCM he received while serving in Grenada in support of Operation Urgent Fury were erroneously not included in his military record, and it finds this claim has merit.  

2.  Although the awards in question were not recorded in the applicant’s record, the evidence clearly shows that he received these impact awards from the proper authority for two separate acts of outstanding achievement in support of Operation Urgent Fury.  

3.  In the opinion of the Board, the witness statements provided by the senior officers who presented the applicant the awards in question corroborates his claim that he received these awards, and it has no reason to doubt the validity of these statements.  The Board finds this evidence is more than sufficient to show the applicant did in fact receive these impact achievement awards.  Thus, the Board concludes that it would be appropriate to add these two earned awards to the applicant’s 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 the individual concerned was awarded the Joint Service Achievement Medal on 5 November 1983, for outstanding achievement as the Officer in Charge of the Emergency Operations Center during Operation Urgent Fury, and the Joint Service Commendation Medal on 7 November 1983, for outstanding achievement in organizing the shipment of captured equipment from Grenada to the United States in support of Operation Urgent Fury.   

BOARD VOTE:  

____FCJ__  _LLS____  __LE__  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		_Luther L. Santiful
		  CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2002078955	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	2003/05/29	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	GRANT	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.  65	107.0019	
2.  70	107.0024	
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.