BOARD DATE: 5 September 2017 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160002577 BOARD VOTE: _________ _______ ________ GRANT FULL RELIEF __x______ __x______ __x___ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING ________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION 2 Enclosures 1. Board Determination/Recommendation 2. Evidence and Consideration BOARD DATE: 5 September 2017 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160002577 BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: 1. The Board determined the evidence presented is sufficient to warrant a recommendation for partial relief. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by: * adding to item 13 of the applicant's DD Form 214 the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal * deleting from item 12f of the applicant's DD Form 214 the entry "00-00-00" and adding the entry "00-01-18" * adding to item 18 of the applicant's DD Form 214 the entry "Service in Grenada 19831025 to 19831212" 2. The Board further determined the evidence presented is insufficient to warrant a portion of the requested relief. As a result, the Board recommends denial of so much of the application that pertains to award of the Combat Infantryman Badge. ___________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. BOARD DATE: 5 September 2017 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160002577 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 add the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) and in effect, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) for service in Grenada. 2. The applicant states, in effect, that he doesn't know what happened but there was another Soldier with the same name in his battalion. The applicant claims that he, along with the rest of the company, were presented the CIB by Captain T who verified the applicant's social security number and checked his name off a list. He claims he first noticed the discrepancy when he requested his medals from the National Personnel Records Center in 2015. 3. The applicant provides no additional evidence. 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 14 July 1981. He completed one-station unit training and was awarded military occupational specialty (MOS) 11B (Infantryman). After successfully completing the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, GA, he was assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 505th Infantry Regiment, Fort Bragg, NC. 3. Item 9 (Awards, Decorations and Campaigns) of his DA Form 2-1 (Personnel Qualification Record) lists the AFEM. It does not list the CIB. 4. Item 27 (Remarks) of his DA Form 2-1 contains the entry "Duty in Imminent Danger Pay Area (Grenada) 831025-831212." 5. On 17 July 1985, the applicant was honorably released from active duty. His DD Form 214 shows in: a. Item 12f (Foreign Service) the entry 00-00-00, and in item 13 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations, and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized), the Army Service Ribbon, Parachutist Badge, Sharpshooter Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Rifle Bar (M-16), Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Grenade Bar, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Commendation Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Jungle Expert Badge, and the Driver Badge. b. Item 18 (Remarks), no entry pertaining to service in a hostile fire/imminent danger pay area 6. There are no orders in his available records, which show he was awarded the CIB. In addition, there is no evidence of record nor did the applicant provide evidence which show that he personally engaged in active ground combat while serving in Grenada. REFERENCES: 1. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) states there are basically three requirements for award of the Combat Infantryman Badge. The Soldier must be an infantryman satisfactorily performing infantry duties, he must be assigned to an infantry unit during such time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat, and he must actively participate in such ground combat. 2. Army Regulation 600-8-22 states the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is awarded for qualifying service after 1 July 1958 in U.S. military operations, U.S. operations in direct support of the United Nations, and U.S. operations of assistance for friendly foreign nations. Qualifying service for this award includes participation in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada during the period 23 October 1983 through 21 November 1983. Qualifying service for non-unit direct support personnel in Grenada is 6 consecutive days or 12 non-consecutive days. 3. Army Regulation 635-5 (Personnel Separations - Separation Documents), then in effect, prescribed the separation documents prepared for Soldiers upon retirement, discharge, or release from active military service. It established standardized policy for the preparation of the DD Form 214. It stated for: * item 12f, enter the total amount of foreign service completed during the period covered by the DD Form 214 * item 13, list all awards and decorations * item 18, for an active duty Soldier deployed to a foreign country with his or her unit during their continuous period of active service, enter the statement "SERVICE IN (NAME OF COUNTRY DEPLOYED) FROM (inclusive dates for example, YYYYMMDD - YYYYMMDD)" DISCUSSION: 1. The available evidence shows the applicant held an infantry MOS and presumably served as an infantryman while serving in Grenada. However, there is no evidence showing he personally engaged in active ground combat while serving with his infantry unit. 2. The applicant's claim of entitlement to the AFEM for service in Grenada was carefully considered and appears to have merit. By regulation, the AFEM was authorized for participation in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada between 23 October and 21 November 1983, dates inclusive. The applicant's DA Form 2-1 shows he was awarded the AFEM presumably for service in Grenada during the period 25 October through 12 December 1983. This service is annotated in item 27 of his DA Form 2-1. However, his DD Form 214 does not list his foreign service in Grenada. //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings AR20150000953 Enclosure 1 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20160002577 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20160002577 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 2