IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 3 October 2017 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160004133 BOARD VOTE: __x______ ___x___ ___x____ GRANT FULL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING ________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION 2 Enclosures 1. Board Determination/Recommendation 2. Evidence and Consideration IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 3 October 2017 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160004133 BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: The Board determined the evidence presented is 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: a. awarding her the Army Good Conduct Medal (1st Award) for the period 20 August 1958 through 1 August 1961; and b. amending her DD Form 214 for the period ending 1 August 1961 by adding the Army Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. _____________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. IN THE CASE OF BOARD DATE: 3 October 2017 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160004133 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 award of the Army Good Conduct Medal (AGCM) and correction of her DD Form 214 (Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge) to show this award. She requests that she be issued the medal. 2. The applicant states she served 3 years of honorable service in the Army. She was under the impression that she should have received the AGCM. 3. The applicant provides: * DD Form 214 (Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge), for the period ending 1 August 1961 * article from the Information Division, Headquarters, U.S. Army, Europe titled "Helping Hand," with accompanying photo * letter of appreciation, dated 24 July 1961, with allied endorsements from her chain of command * DD Form 256A (Honorable Discharge Certificate), dated 1 August 1961 * photo of herself in military uniform 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 Women's Army Corps on 20 August 1958. 3. The applicant's DA Form 24 (Service Record) shows: a. She was promoted to private first class (PFC)/E-3 on 19 May 1959. a. She received "excellent" conduct and efficiency ratings through most of her active service. She received a conduct rating of "good" for the six day period 26 July – 1 August 1961. b. The entry "Not Recommended for Further Service" in Section 10 (Remarks); however, this entry was lined through and the following statement was entered: "Bar to Reenlistment withdrawn 31 Jul 1961 Ltr Hq USAREUR." 4. The applicant's record contains a memorandum, dated 31 July 1961, stating that the bar to reenlistment placed against her on 22 May 1961 was voided. The memorandum also includes the statement "Subject enlisted woman's conduct and efficiency ratings were such on the above date that approval of the bar was not warranted." 5. The applicant was honorably discharged on 1 August 1961 in the rank/grade of PFC/E-3 after completing 2 years, 11 months, and 12 days of active service. Her DD Form 214 does not show she was awarded the AGCM. 6. The applicant's record does not contain orders that confirm she was awarded the AGCM. 7. The applicant's record does not contain evidence of nonjudicial punishment, adverse counseling, or any other type of derogatory information. 8. The applicant provides: a. An article from the Information Division, Headquarters, USAEUR titled "Helping Hand," with accompanying photo, referencing a field training exercise she participated in. b. A letter of appreciation she received on 24 July 1961 for outstanding service in support of the Department of Defense Dependent School, Mannheim, Germany. c. A photo of herself in a military uniform. REFERENCES: 1. Army Regulation 672-5-1 (Awards), in effect at the time, provided that AGCM was awarded for each 3 years of continuous enlisted active Federal military service completed on or after 27 August 1940 a. For first award only, 1 year served entirely during the period 7 December 1941 to 2 March 1946; and, for the first award only, upon termination of service on or after 27 June 1950 of less than 3 years but more than 1 year. b. The enlisted person must have had all "excellent" conduct and efficiency ratings. There was no right or entitlement to the medal until the immediate commander made a positive recommendation for its award and until the awarding authority announced the award in general orders. 2. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) provided that the National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is awarded for honorable active service for any period between 27 July 1950 and 27 July 1954, 1 January 1961 and 14 August 1974, 2 August 1990 and 30 November 1995, and 11 September 2001 and a date to be determined. DISCUSSION: 1. The applicant's request for award of the AGCM and correction of her DD Form 214 to show this award, was carefully considered. 2. The applicant served honorably during the period 20 August 1958 to 1 August 1961. She received "excellent" conduct and efficiency ratings throughout most of her period of active duty service. Although she received a conduct rating of "good" during a brief six day period of service the week before her date of separation, her record is void of any derogatory information that would have precluded her from being awarded the AGCM. Additionally, it appears that her chain of command was satisfied with her conduct, as evidenced by their withdrawal of her bar to reenlistment, citing it as unnecessary in light of her conduct and efficiency ratings. 3. Her honorable active service during the period after 1 January 1961 qualifies for the NDSM. This award is not shown on her DD Form 214. //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings AR20150000953 Enclosure 1 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20160004133 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20160004133 4 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 2