IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 8 December 2015 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20150005225 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 correction of his DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) to reflect his deployment to Macedonia. 2. The applicant states he deployed to Macedonia with the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Brigade, in support of Task Force Able Sentry from August 1997 through March 1998. 3. The applicant provides: * letter from the Atlantic County Veterans Services * Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Form 21-22 (Appointment of Veterans Service Organization as Claimant's Representative) * Task Force Able Sentry Certificate of Appreciation, dated 27 November 1997 * Task Force Able Sentry Certificate of Appreciation, dated 15 February 1998 * photograph of himself in uniform * U.S. Army Europe Form 600-8-101A (Pre-Deployment Processing Individual Soldier Checklist) * U.S. Army Europe Form 600-8-101B (Statement of Deployability) * U.S. Army Europe Form 600-8-101C (Family Support Plan) * DD Form 214 CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. Title 10, U.S. Code, section 1552(b), provides that applications for correction of military records must be filed within 3 years after discovery of the alleged error or injustice. This provision of law also allows the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) to excuse an applicant's failure to timely file within the 3-year statute of limitations if the ABCMR determines it would be in the interest of justice to do so. While it appears the applicant did not file within the time frame provided in the statute of limitations, the ABCMR has elected to conduct a substantive review of this case and, only to the extent relief, if any, is granted, has determined it is in the interest of justice to excuse the applicant's failure to timely file. In all other respects, there are insufficient bases to waive the statute of limitations for timely filing. 2. The applicant enlisted in the Regular Army on 23 May 1996. 3. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) reviewed his Master Military Pay Account and verified he received hostile fire pay/imminent danger pay and combat zone tax exclusion for service in Macedonia from 25 August 1997 through 28 February 1998. 4. His records contain multiple awards corroborating his deployment to Macedonia. a. An Army Achievement Medal Certificate shows Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Brigade, Permanent Orders 336-07, dated 2 December 1997, awarded him the Army Achievement Medal for meritorious achievement while performing as a food service specialist during the Thanksgiving holiday for Task Force Able Sentry in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia from 26 November 1997 through 28 November 1997. b. An Army Achievement Medal Certificate shows Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Brigade, Permanent Orders 032-080, dated 6 February 1998, awarded him the Army Achievement Medal for meritorious achievement while serving in the ninth rotation of the United Nations Preventive Deployment Force in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia from 25 August 1997 through 22 February 1998. 5. He provided two Task Force Able Sentry Certificates of Appreciation, dated 27 November 1997 and 15 February 1998, which likewise corroborate his deployment to Macedonia. 6. He was honorably released from active duty on 2 October 1998 due to hardship. Item 12f (Foreign Service) shows 1 year, 11 months, and 18 days of foreign service. Item 18 (Remarks) of his DD Form 214 shows no deployments. 7. Army Regulation 635-5 (Separation Documents), then in effect, prescribed the preparation of separation documents prepared for Soldiers upon retirement, discharge, or release from active military service or control of the Army. It established standardized policy for preparation of the DD Form 214. The instructions stated for an active duty Soldier deployed with his or her unit during their continuous period of active duty, enter the statement: "SERVICE IN (name of country deployed) FROM (inclusive dates for example, YYYYMMDD-YYYYMMDD)" in item 18. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: 1. The applicant's request for correction of his DD Form 214 to show his deployment to Macedonia was carefully considered. 2. Two Army Achievement Medal Certificates and DFAS records corroborate his deployment to Macedonia from 25 August 1997 through 28 February 1998. BOARD VOTE: ___x____ ___x____ ___x____ GRANT FULL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING ________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: The Board determined 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 entry "SERVICE IN MACEDONIA FROM 19970825-19980222" to item 18 of his 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) AR20150005225 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20150005225 4 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1