. ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS BOARD DATE: 18 October 2019 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20170007989 APPLICANT REQUESTS: award of the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB). APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD: DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record). FACTS: 1. The applicant did not file within the three year time frame provided in Title 10, United States Code (USC), section 1552 (b); however, the Army Board for Correction of Military Records conducted a substantive review of this case and determined it is in the interest of justice to excuse the applicant's failure to timely file. 2. The applicant states he served in Vietnam from 29 June 1969 to 30 June 1970. He was with the 4th Infantry Division and worked in an ammo depot where he was a sergeant of the guard working from 5am to 6am monitoring the tower guards and was under hostile fire. 3. A review of the applicant’s service record shows: a. He enlisted in the Regular Army on 20 September 1968. He completed advanced individual training at Fort Lee, VA and was awarded military occupational specialty (MOS) 76S (Automotive Repair Parts Specialist). b. The applicant's service record is void of documentation awarding him the CIB. However, his DD Form 20 (Enlisted Qualification Record) shows in: (1) Item 22 (MOS) – 76S2O (Automotive Repair Parts Specialist) (2) Item 31 (Foreign Service) he served in Vietnam from 29 June 1969 to 30 June 1970. (3) Item 38 (Record of Assignments) he was assigned to the following: * 3 March-3 July 1969, CSI Detachment, Atlanta Army Depot, Forest Park, GA (on the job training on depot NICPS operations) * 4 July 1969 to 25 June 1970, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, U.S. Army Support Command, Qui Nhon (QN), Vietnam, (Security Guard) and U.S. Army, Depot QN, Vietnam (Senior Repair Parts Specialist), * 4 August-16 September 1970, 620th Repair Parts Company, Fort Carson, CO, (Senior Repair Parts Specialist), c. On 17 September 1971, he was honorably discharged from active duty and transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) Control Group (Reinforcement), St. Louis, MO to complete his remaining reserve obligation until 19 September 1974. He completed 2 years, 11 months, and 28 days of net active service this period. His DD Form 214 (Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge) shows he was awarded or authorized: * National Defense Service Medal * Vietnam Campaign Medal w/60 device * Vietnam Service Medal w/1 bronze service star 5. By regulation (AR 600-8-22 (Military Awards)), there are basically three requirements for award of the CIB. 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. BOARD DISCUSSION: After reviewing the application and all supporting documents, the Board found relief was not warranted. The applicant’s contentions were carefully considered. Regulatory guidance provides the CIB is awarded only to Infantry and Special Forces personnel; his primary MOS was neither of the two. In addition, based upon the documentary evidence provided by the applicant and found within the military service record, there was insufficient evidence nor mention of a specific incident, on a specific date, in which he would have possibly qualified for the CIB if he were in an eligible MOS. Based upon his MOS, and the absence of information showing he was personally present and actively participated in ground combat with his infantry unit during such time as the unit was engaged in active ground combat on a specific date, the Board agreed there is insufficient evidence to grant relief. BOARD VOTE: Mbr 1 Mbr 2 Mbr 3 : : : GRANT FULL RELIEF : : : GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF : : : GRANT FORMAL HEARING X :X :X DENY APPLICATION BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: The evidence presented does not demonstrate the existence of a probable error or injustice. Therefore, the Board determined the overall merits of this case are insufficient as a basis for correction of the records of the individual concerned. 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. REFERENCES: 1. Title 10, USC, section 1552(b), provides that applications for correction of military records must be filed within three 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 three-year statute of limitations if the ABCMR determines it would be in the interest of justice to do so. 2. Army Regulation (AR) 672-5-1 (Awards), in effect at the time, Combat Action Badge (CIB) eligibility requirements are as follows: An individual must be an infantry officer in the grade of colonel or below, or an enlisted man or a warrant officer with infantry military occupational specialty (MOS), who subsequent to 6 December 1941 has satisfactorily performed duty while assigned or attached as a member of an infantry unit of brigade, regimental or smaller size during any period such unit was engaged in active ground combat. Battle participating credit alone is not sufficient; the unit must have been in active ground combat with the enemy during the period. Awards may be made to assigned members of ranger infantry companies assigned or attached to tactical infantry organizations. 3. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards), currently in effect, states the combat infantryman badge is awarded to infantry officers and to enlisted and warrant officer persons who have an infantry MOS. They must have served in active ground combat while assigned or attached to an infantry unit of brigade, regimental or smaller size. 4. Appendix V of U.S. Army Vietnam (USARV) Regulation 672-1 states that during the Vietnam era the CIB was awarded only to enlisted individuals who held and served in MOS 11B, 11C, 11D, 11F, 11G, or 11H. //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20170007989 4 1