RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 22 April 2008 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20080002193 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. Director Analyst The following members, a quorum, were present: M Chairperson M Member M Member 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 reconsideration of his earlier request for award of Sharpshooter Marksmanship Qualification Badge, with Rifle Bar (M-1). 2. The applicant states, in effect, that the badge was not listed on his DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States) due to an administrative oversight. 3. The applicant provides a self-authored letter, dated 26 January 2008; and a copy of the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) letter, dated 29 January 2007, that shows he is entitled to award of the Sharpshooter Marksman Qualification Badge, with Rifle Bar (M-1), in support of his application. CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. Incorporated herein by reference are military records which were summarized in the previous consideration of the applicant's case by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) in Docket Number AR20070011804, on 15 January 2008. 2. The applicant submitted a self-authored letter and a new letter from the NPRC, which were not previously reviewed by the ABCMR; therefore, they are considered new evidence and as such warrant consideration by the Board. 3. The applicant's military records are not available for review. A fire destroyed approximately 18 million service members’ records at the National Personnel Records Center in 1973. It is believed that the applicant's records were lost or destroyed in that fire. However, there were sufficient documents remaining in a reconstructed record to conduct a fair and impartial review of this case. 4. The applicant's record shows that he was inducted into the Army of the United States and entered active duty on 13 September 1950 and was trained in military occupational specialty (MOS) 3290 (Personnel Management Specialist). He was assigned to Battery C, 1st Field Artillery Training Battalion, 4050th "ASU." He was honorably released from active duty on 14 September 1952. 5. Item 27 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Commendations, Citations and Campaign Ribbons awarded or Authorized), of the applicant's DD Form 214, shows the entry, "None." 6. The applicant submitted a copy of an NPRC, St. Louis, Missouri, letter, dated 29 January 2007, showing that, in addition to other awards, he is entitled to award of the Sharpshooter Marksmanship Qualification Badge, with Carbine Bar. 7. In his self-authored letter, dated 26 January 2008, the applicant stated that it seems obvious that since NPRC was able to find evidence in support of awarding him the marksmanship badge, the Army should do the same. He further adds that he is not seeking any monetary benefit; rather, he would like to show these medals and ribbons to his grandson. 8. It was noted that the NPRC verified awards that the applicant was entitled to; however, the NRPC did not provide a copy of the source document they used in arriving at this conclusion. To support the addition of an award or a decoration to a Soldier's separation document, conclusive evidence must be provided. Without such a source document, an individual's request cannot be approved. 9. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) states, in pertinent part, that the purpose of awarding badges is to provide for public recognition by tangible evidence of the attainment of a high degree of skill, proficiency, and excellence in tests and competition, as well as in the performance of duties. Marksmanship badges and tabs are 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 he or she qualified. Each bar will be attached to the basic badge that indicates the qualification last attained with the respective weapon. Basic qualification badges are of three classes: Expert, Sharpshooter, and Marksman. Approval of marksmanship badges may be announced via memorandum, letter, roster, or other locally devised form. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: 1. The National Personnel Records Center is an agency of the National Archives and Records Administration. The Military Personnel Records division of the NPRC is the repository of millions of military personnel, health, and medical records of discharged and deceased veterans of all services. However, NPRC is not empowered to prescribe policy pertaining to Army military awards. As such, an NPRC letter, by itself, is insufficient to establish eligibility for awards, decorations, and badges. 2. There is no evidence and the applicant has provided none to show he qualified with the M-1 Carbine and/or was awarded the Sharpshooter Marksmanship Qualification Badge for this weapon system. Therefore, there is no evidence upon which to base award of the Sharpshooter Marksmanship Qualification Badge, with Rifle Bar (M-1), in this case. BOARD VOTE: ________ ________ ________ GRANT FULL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING __x___ __x___ __x___ DENY APPLICATION BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: The evidence presented does not demonstrate the existence of a probable error or injustice. Therefore, the Board determined that the overall merits of this case are insufficient as a basis to amend the decision of the ABCMR set forth in Docket Number AR20070011804, dated 15 January 2008. RML ______________________ CHAIRPERSON ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20080002193 4 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 1901 SOUTH BELL STREET 2ND FLOOR ARLINGTON, VA 22202-4508