ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 17 April 2019 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20170010301 APPLICANT REQUESTS: a correction to his DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) issued 5 October 1994 to add: * foreign service for Saudi Arabia and Honduras * two Army Achievement Medals * job title Assistant Armorer APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD: * DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record) * Self-authored statement * Army Achievement Certificate, Permanent Order number 57-1 * Unit Certificate * Army Achievement Certificate, Permanent Order Number 13-3 * Small Arms Maintenance Course Completion Certificate 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 his DD Form 214 is different from the one he received when leaving the Army. The DD Form 214 does not show his time in Saudi Arabia or Honduras. He enclosed certificates to prove he was there. The DD Form 214 does not show his achievement medals or his job as the unit Armor of 1st Signal Battalion, and 410th Military Police Battalion. He provided documents to verify his requests. 3. The applicant provides a self-authored statement dated April 10 2017. He stated his diplomas were placed on the wall when he left service on 5 October 1994. His home was damaged by a flood on 17 October 1994 and destroyed all of his records that were not laminated. He also provides: * Receipt, dated 4 June 1991, with an address, location in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia * Army Achievement Medal Certificate, issued on 20 October 1992, with Permanent Order Number 57-1 listed as the publishing authority * Unit/organizational certificate given to the applicant for participation in a North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercise * Army Achievement Medal Certificate, for meritorious service as assistant armorer, issued on 3 February 1993, by Headquarters 1st Signal Battalion with Permanent Order (PO) Number 13-3 listed as the publishing authority * Course completion certificate for the small arms maintenance course dated 13 February 1992 4. A review of the applicant’s service record shows: a. He enlisted in the Regular Army on 9 January 1991. He completed training and held the military occupational specialty (MOS) 31M (Multichannel Transmission Systems Operator). b. He served in Germany from 8 July 1991 to 2 May 1993. * PO Number 57-1, dated 20 October 1992, awarded him the Army Achievement Medal for achievement as the battalion executive officer driver of the 1st Signal Battalion * PO Number 13-3, dated 3 February 1993, awarded him the Army Achievement Medal for service as the assistant armorer of the 1st Signal Battalion c. The applicant’s service record is void of assignments to Saudi Arabia and Honduras. d. On 5 October 1994, the applicant was honorably released from active duty. His DD Form 214 shows he completed 3 years, 8 months, and 27 days of active service and 1 year, 9 months, 25 days foreign service. His Primary Specialty was 31M10, (Multichannel Transmission Systems Operator). It shows he was authorized or awarded: * Good Conduct Medal * National Defense Service Medal * Army Service Ribbon * Oversea Service Ribbon * Driver and Mechanic Badge (Driver-W) * Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge e. A DD Form 215 (Correction to DD Form 214), issued on 3 October 2018, added the Army Achievement Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster (two awards). 5. By regulation, 635-5, (Separation Documents) the DD Form 214 is a summary of the Soldier's most recent period of continuous active duty. It provides a brief, clear-cut record of all current active, prior active, and prior inactive duty service at the time of release from active duty, retirement, or discharge. The information entered thereon reflects the conditions, as they existed at the time of separation: a. Item 11 (Primary Specialty) – Enter the primary MOS or area of concentration (AOC), and all additional MOS/AOC served for a period of one year or more, during soldier's continuous active military service; for each MOS/AOC, list the title with the years and months served – His record show she held MOS 31M b. Item 12f (Foreign Service) – Enter the total amount of foreign service completed during the period covered in block 12c; Obtain the foreign service listed in Item 5, DA Form 2-1 (Enlisted Qualification Record) for enlisted Soldiers to compute this entry. His DA Form 2-1 does not show he served in Saudi Arabia or Honduras. c. Item 13 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized) - List awards and decorations for all periods of service. He was awarded two awards of the Army Achievement Medal. His DD Form 215 recorded two awards. d. Item 18 (Remarks) - Use this block for HQDA mandatory requirements when a separate block is not available, as a continuation for entries in blocks 11, 13, and 14, and "SERVICE IN (NAME OF COUNTRY DEPLOYED) FROM (inclusive dates for example, YYYYMMDD - YYYYMMDD).'' No deployments are reflected anywhere in his service record. BOARD DISCUSSION: After reviewing the application and all supporting documents, the Board determined relief was not warranted. Board members saw the applicant had previously received two awards of the Army Achievement Medal, but that issue was resolved by the applicant receiving a DD Form 215 reflecting the correction. Board members found nothing in the record to show he was in Saudi Arabia or Honduras such as a deployment orders, temporary change of station order, a manifest, or an entry on his DA Form 2-1. The applicant may request his LES’s for that period from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, and if the applicant can provide LES’s reflecting hostile fire pay, he may reapply to this Board for consideration. Finally, Board members noticed that although he may have performed duties as assistant armorer, he held MOS 31M at the time he was separated. Therefore, the Board concluded there was insufficient evidence of an error or injustice which would warrant making a change to the applicant’s military service record. 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. 10/3/2019 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 600-8-22 (Military Awards) in effect at the time, states the Army Achievement Medal is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States, who while serving in a noncombat area on or after 1 August 1981, distinguished themselves by meritorious service or achievement. As with all personal decorations, formal recommendations, approval through the chain of command, and announcement in orders are required. 3. Army Regulation 635-5 (Separation Documents), in effect at the time, provided for the preparation of the DD Form 214. The DD Form 214 is a summary of the Soldier's most recent period of continuous active duty. It provides a brief, clear-cut record of all current active, prior active, and prior inactive duty service at the time of release from active duty, retirement, or discharge. Source documents, the Military Personnel Records Jacket, US Army (MPRJ), Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), DA Forms 2 and 2-1 (Personnel Qualification Record) are the basic source documents for preparing DD Form 214. Personnel officers should also review all available documents such as the DD Form 4 (Enlistment or Reenlistment Agreement-Armed Forces of the United States), DA Form 3716 (Personal Financial Record, US Army), reassignment orders, enlistment records, and any DD Form 214 for prior service: * Item 11 (Primary Specialty) – Enter the primary MOS or area of concentration (AOC), and all additional MOS/AOC served for a period of one year or more, during soldier's continuous active military service; for each MOS/AOC, list the title with the years and months served * Item 12f (Foreign Service) – Enter the total amount of foreign service completed during the period covered in block 12c; Obtain the foreign service listed in section 1, DA Form 4037 Officer Record Brief (ORB) for officers or Item 5, DA Form 2-1 (Enlisted Qualification Record) for enlisted soldiers to compute this entry * Item 13 Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized: List awards and decorations for all periods of service in the priority sequence specified in AR 600-8-22. Each entry will be verified by the soldier's records. Do not use abbreviations. Item 18 Remarks: Use this block for HQDA mandatory requirements when a separate block is not available, and as a continuation for entries in blocks 11, 13, and 14, and SERVICE IN (NAME OF COUNTRY DEPLOYED) FROM (inclusive dates for example, YYYYMMDD - YYYYMMDD).''