IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 5 September 2018 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20170000158 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: 5 September 2018 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20170000158 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 adding to his DD Form 214 the Armed Forces Expeditionary 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: 5 September 2018 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20170000158 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 show award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal instead of the Armed Forces Service Medal (campaign medal). 2. The applicant states he was deployed to Bosnia from 1 September to 1 October 1996 and was awarded the Armed Forces Service Medal. He is requesting this medal be changed to the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. Service in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, and Hungary (formerly Yugoslavia – Operation Joint Endeavor) also entitled a Soldier to the Armed Forces Service Medal for the same timeframe as a DOD exception to policy. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder by the Washington Veterans Affairs Center. He is submitting documentation for proof of deployment to Bosnia. 3. The applicant provides his Armed Forces Service Medal memorandum and 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 (RA) on 13 August 1996 and he held military occupational specialty 25M (Multi-Media Illustrator). He reenlisted in the RA on 7 April 1997. 3. He provides an Armed Forces Service Medal memorandum, issued by Headquarters, U.S. Army, Europe, and Seventh Army, Warrior Preparation Center on 1 November 1996, which authorized him award of the Armed Forces Service Medal for his deployment to Bosnia during the period from 1 September to 1 October 1966. 4. He was honorably discharged on 6 April 2001. His DD Form 214 shows he completed 8 years, 7 months, and 24 days of active service, which included 2 years, 10 months, and 1 day of foreign service. His DD Form 214 shows he was awarded and authorized the: * Meritorious Service Medal * Army Commendation Medal * Army Achievement Medal (2nd Award) * Air Force Organizational Excellence Award * Army Good Conduct Medal (2nd Award) * National Defense Service Medal * Armed Forces Service Medal * Noncommissioned Officer's Professional Development Ribbon with Numeral 2 * Army Service Ribbon * Overseas Service Ribbon REFERENCES: 1. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) provides policy, criteria, and administrative instructions concerning military awards and decorations. The regulation states the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is authorized for qualifying service after 1 July 1958 in military operations within a specific geographic area during a specified time period. An individual who was not engaged in actual combat or equally hazardous activity must have been a bona fide member of a unit participating in or be engaged in the direct support of the operation for 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days, provided this support involved entering the area of operations. 2. Army Personnel Command Message Number 99-100 (with a date/time group of 121605Z March 1999) authorized award of both the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and Armed Forces Service Medal, as a one-time exception to DOD and Service policy, for qualifying service in support of Operations Joint Endeavor and Joint Guard in the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina. This exception allowed both service medals to be presented to personnel deployed in Bosnia-Herzegovina, aboard naval vessels operating in the Adriatic Sea and their respective air spaces, during the period from 1 June 1992 to 19 December 1996 (Operation Joint Endeavor) and during the period from 20 December 1996 to 20 June 1998 (Operation Joint Guard). The exception also allowed only one award of each service medal for service in either or both Operation Joint Endeavor and Operation Joint Guard. DISCUSSION: 1. The evidence of record shows the applicant served in Bosnia from 1 September to 1 October 1996. As a result of this service, he was awarded the Armed Forces Service Medal, which is currently shown on his DD Form 214. 2. As a one-time exception to policy, DOD allowed award of both the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and Armed Forces Service Medal to personnel deployed in Bosnia during the periods from 1 June 1992 to 19 December 1996 (Operation Joint Endeavor) and from 20 December 1996 to 20 June 1998 (Operation Joint Guard). Therefore, he completed a qualifying period of service for both awards and the addition of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal to his 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) AR20170000158 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20170000158 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 2