BOARD DATE: 1 December 2009 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20090011696 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 the Army Commendation Medal (ARCOM) be added to his DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), dated 2 June 2009. 2. The applicant states, in effect, the ARCOM he was awarded at the expiration of his term of service (ETS) should be added to item 13 (decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaign ribbons awarded or authorized) of his DD Form 214. 3. The applicant provides a DA Form 638 (Recommendation for Award) and a copy of his ARCOM certificate in support of his application. CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. On 2 June 2009, the applicant was honorably released from active duty under the provisions of chapter 4, Army Regulation 635-200 (Personnel Separations), by reason of completion of required active service and transferred to the United States Army Reserve Control Group (Reinforcement) to complete his military service obligation. The DD Form 214 he was issued at the time confirms he completed a total of 4 years of active military service. 2. Item 13 of the applicant's DD Form 214 shows he earned the following awards during his tenure on active duty: Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, and Sharpshooter Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Rifle Bar. 3. The applicant's Official Military Personnel File contains an ARCOM certificate that shows he was awarded the ARCOM for his exceptional meritorious service as a mental health specialist during the period 23 January 2006 through 2 June 2009, and that this award was authorized and announced in Walter Reed Army Medical Center Permanent Orders 136-01, dated 15 May 2009. 4. The applicant provides a DA Form 638, dated 12 May 2009, which shows he was awarded the ARCOM for his exceptional meritorious service as a mental health specialist on Ward 54, inpatient psychiatry during the period 23 January 2006 through 2 June 2009. This document further confirms the applicant's ARCOM was authorized and announced in Walter Reed Army Medical Center Permanent Orders 136-05, dated 15 May 2009. 5. Army Regulation 635-5 (Separation Documents) prescribes the separation documents that must be prepared for Soldiers on retirement, discharge, release from active duty service, or control of the Active Army. It also establishes standardized policy for preparing and distributing the DD Form 214. Chapter 2 of contains guidance on the preparation of the DD Form 214 and states, in pertinent part, that all awards will be entered in item 13 of the DD Form 214. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The applicant's contention that the ARCOM he received at ETS should be added to item 13 of his DD Form 214 has been carefully considered and found to have merit. The evidence of record confirms that in conjunction with his ETS, the applicant was awarded the ARCOM for meritorious service during the period 23 January 2006 through 2 June 2009 and that this award was authorized and announced in official orders, as evidenced by an ARCOM certificate on file in his OMPF and the DA Form 638 he provides. As a result, it would be appropriate to add the ARCOM to the list of awards contained in item 13 of the applicant's DD Form 214. BOARD VOTE: ___x____ ___x____ ___x____ GRANT FULL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING ________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: The Board determined that the evidence presented was sufficient to warrant a recommendation for relief. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by adding the Army Commendation Medal to the list of awards contained in item 13 of his DD Form 214; and by providing him a correction to the DD Form 214 that includes this change. _______ _ 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) AR20090011696 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20090011696 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1