ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


IN THE CASE OF:
BOARD DATE: 6 September 2019 
DOCKET NUMBER: AR20170011623

APPLICANT REQUESTS: correction of his DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or 
Discharge from Active Duty), block 12f (Foreign Service), to show the 2 years he served 
in Iraq.

APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD:

   *	DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record)
   *	DD Form 214 
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 Iraq for 2 years but his DD Form 214 shows no 
foreign service.

3.	The applicant provides his DD Form 214 on which block 12f shows no foreign 
service.

4.	The applicant's record shows:

   a.	He enlisted in the United States Army Reserve on 4 February 2000.

b.	He enlisted in the Regular Army on 14 April 2004.

   c.	His Enlisted Record Brief dated 23 April 2009 shows in section 1 (Assignment 
Information–Overseas/Deployment Combat Duty) that he deployed to Iraq from
31 January 2005 to 13 January 2006 (11 months and 14 days) and from 29 October
2006 to 23 October 2007 (11 months and 25 days).



   d.	He was discharged on 21 May 2009. Block 12f of his DD Form 214 shows no 
foreign service. Block 18 (Remarks) shows the tours in Iraq recorded in his Enlisted 
Record Brief.

5.	By regulation (AR 635-8 (Separation Processing and Documents)), item 12f (Foreign 
Service) of the DD Form 214 lists all foreign service performed outside the continental 
United States.

BOARD DISCUSSION:

1.	After review of the application and all evidence, the Board determined that there is 
sufficient evidence to grant relief.

2.	The absence of a record of foreign service in block 12f of the applicant's DD Form 
214 is clearly an error, and the record clearly documents his two tours in Iraq. The 
applicant had a total of 1 year, 11 months, and 9 days of service in Iraq, which should 
be reflected in block 12 f of his DD Form 214.
BOARD VOTE:

Mbr 1
Mbr 2
Mbr 3

X
X
X
GRANT FULL RELIEF
:
:
:
GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF
:
:
:
GRANT FORMAL HEARING
:
:
:
DENY APPLICATION



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 amending block 12f of his 
DD Form 214 for the period ending 21 May 2009 to show 1 year, 11 months, and 9 days 
of foreign service.



X 


10/29/2019


 

CHAIRPERSON
Signed by: 
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 635-5 (Separation Documents) established the standardized policy 
for preparing and distributing the DD Form 214. Chapter 2 contains guidance on the 
preparation of the DD Form 214.  It states for:

•	Item 12f enter the total amount of foreign service completed during the period 
covered by the DD Form 214

•	item 18 for an active duty Soldier deployed with his or her unit during their 
continuous period of active service, the statement "Service in (Name of Country 
Deployed) From YYYYMMDD - YYYYMMDD)".