BOARD DATE: 12 December 2017 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160003566 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: 12 December 2017 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160003566 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 award of the Bronze Star Medal to his DD Form 214. 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 deletion of the Anesthesia Nursing Course from his Officer Record Brief. _____________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: 12 December 2017 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160003566 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: a. correction of his DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) to show award of the Bronze Star Medal for service in Iraq and completion of the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Cadre Course, and b.  removal of the Anesthesia Nursing Course from his Officer Record Brief (ORB). 2. The applicant states: a.  He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for service in Iraq. This award is noted in his records, but it is not included on his DD Form 214. b.  His records incorrectly show he completed the Nurses Anesthesia Course. His records should show he completed the MLRS Cadre Course immediately following completion of the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course. c.  He earned the Bronze Star Medal for service to his country. He was embarrassed when challenged about the award only to find out his DD Form 214 was incorrect. 3. The applicant provides: * ORB, dated February 1992 * Headquarters, 1st Cavalry Division (Forward), Permanent Orders 090-625, dated 31 March 1991 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's completion of the MLRS Cadre Course is shown on his DD Form 214. This issue will not be discussed further in this Record of Proceedings. 3. The applicant was appointed as a second lieutenant in the Regular Army on 24 May 1989. 4. Headquarters, 1st Cavalry Division (Forward), Permanent Orders 090-625, dated 31 March 1991, awarded him the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service for the period 1 October 1990 to 30 April 1991. 5. On 29 April 1991, he was promoted to first lieutenant. 6. He provided a copy of his ORB, dated February 1992, which shows in: * Section I (Assignment Information), he completed a 6-month short tour in Southwest Asia and his return date to the United States was 18 April 1991 * Section VI (Military Education), he completed the Anesthesia Nursing Course in 1990 * Section VIII (Awards and Decorations), he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal 7. On 23 February 1992, he submitted a request for an unqualified resignation under the Officer Voluntary Early Release/Retirement Program. 8. On 6 May 1992, his unqualified resignation request was approved. 9. On 30 June 1992, he was honorably released from active duty and transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve Control Group (Reinforcement). His DD Form 214 shows he completed 3 years, 1 month, and 7 days of creditable active military service. His DD Form 214 does not show award of the Bronze Star Medal. 10. On 1 July 1992, he was appointed as a Reserve commissioned officer in the rank of first lieutenant. 11. On 17 December 1999, he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army Reserve. 12. Eligibility or prerequisites for nurse anesthetist training programs require a Master of Science degree in Nursing and many require students to have a bachelor's degree in nursing and a current registered nursing license. The evidence of record does not show the applicant possessed a degree in nursing. REFERENCES: Army Regulation 600-8-104 (Military Personnel Information Management/ Records), in effect at the time, prescribed Army policy for the creation, utilization, administration, maintenance, and disposition of the Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). a.  The purpose of the OMPF is to preserve permanent documents pertaining to enlistment, appointment, duty stations, assignments, training, qualifications, performance, awards, medals, disciplinary actions, insurance, emergency data, separation, retirement, casualty, and any other personnel actions. b.  The regulation in effect at the time stated the ORB was used primarily by personnel managers at Headquarters, Department of the Army/Personnel Command (now known as U.S. Army Human Resources Command) and produced automatically from information contained in the OMPF from, in part, transactions received from worldwide data processing activities. c.  Tri-annually, keyed to the individual officer's birth month, an audit is performed of the ORB. The ORB will be reviewed and corrections submitted as soon as possible during the audit month. Officers were instructed to contact their Military Personnel Division/Personnel Service Company to correct a significant error or excessive errors on their ORBs. d.  The ORB is destroyed or no longer updated when an officer is separated. DISCUSSION: 1. Orders awarded him the Bronze Star Medal and this award is not listed on his DD Form 214. 2. He contends his ORB inaccurately shows he completed the Anesthesia Nursing Course and his records are void of evidence showing he met the prerequisite for attending this course. It appears this course was erroneously entered on his ORB; however, there are no provisions for updating the ORB after an officer separates. //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings AR20150000953 Enclosure 1 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20160003566 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20160003566 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 2