ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 3 September 2019 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20170012827 APPLICANT REQUESTS: correction of his DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) to add: * Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with Arrowhead Device * Operation Just Cause - Panama * Expert Infantryman Badge * Army Achievement Medal with 1st oak leaf cluster (1OLC) * Army Good Conduct Medal * Army Sniper Course APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD: * DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record) * Permanent Orders (PO) Number 141-77, dated 24 July 1989 * PO Number 61-87, dated 2 April 1990 * Certificate of Achievement, dated 23 May 1990 * Sniper Course Diploma, dated 22 March 1991 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 wants inclusion on his DD Form 214 of the Expert Infantryman Badge, Army Achievement Medal with 1OLC, Army Good Conduct Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with Arrowhead device. His unit of assignment for the arrowhead was Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, and Operation Just Cause- Panama. A complete check was not completed by the personnel at the Fort Ord Transition Site while he was out-processing that failed to capture all awards and decorations that he had earned and was entitled to wear. He was too busy trying to earn a living and kept putting it off. He was unable to get the records corrected while at Fort Ord. 3. The applicant is eligible for additional awards not reflected on his DD Form 214. As a result these awards will be added to his DD Form 214 as an administrative correction and do not require action by the Board. The Board will only consider the issue of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with Arrowhead Device. 4. The applicant provides: * PO Number 141-77, dated 24 July 1989 shows he earned the Expert Infantryman Badge * PO Number 61-87, dated 2 April 1990 shows he earned the Army Achievement Medal 1OLC for the period of service 28 October 1989 to 19 December 1989 * Certificate of Achievement for Operation Just Cause, dated 23 May 1990 issued by Headquarters (HQ), 7th Infantry Division (Light) and Fort Ord, CA * Certificate of Training which shows he completed the Sniper Course on 22 March 1991 at Fort Benning, GA 5. Review of the applicant’s service records shows: a. The applicant enlisted in the Regular Army on 22 September 1988. He held military occupational specialty (MOS) 11B (Infantryman). b. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 7th Infantry Division (Light), based at Fort Ord, CA. He served in Operation Just Cause – Panama. c. His DA Form 2-1 (Personnel Qualification Record), dated 26 June 1996, shows Item 17 (Civilian Education and Military Schools) Fort Benning, GA Sniper Course 3-weeks duration completed in 1991. On Section VII- Item 35 (Current and Previous Assignments) from 22 September 1988 to 6 August 1992 was on active duty for 47 months and 42 months in the Individual Ready Reserve from 7 August 1992 to 27 February 1996. On Item 9 (Awards, Decorations, & Campaigns): * Army Commendation Medal (2OLC) * Army Achievement Medal (3OLC) * Combat Infantryman Badge * Army Good Conduct Medal * Expert Infantry Badge * Air Assault Badge * Army Service Ribbon * Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal * National Defense Service Medal * Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon d. Headquarters, 7th Infantry Division published the following orders: * PO Number 61-87, dated 2 April 1990, awarded him the Army Achievement Medal (1OLC) for achievement from 28 October 1989 to 19 December 1989 * PO Number 119-112, dated 25 June 190, awarded him the Army Achievement Medal for the period of 30 May 1990 to 11 June 1990 * PO Number 149-303, dated 8 August 1991, awarded him the Army Good Conduct Medal (1st Award) for the period 22 September 1988 through 21 September 1991. * PO Number 103-87, dated 27 April 1992, awarded him the Army Commendation Medal (1OLC) for service from January 1989 to July 1992 e. He was honorably released from active duty on 6 August 1992. His DD Form 214 shows he was awarded or authorized the: * Army Service Ribbon * National Defense Service Medal * Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Rifle Bar * Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Grenade Bar * Sharpshooter Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Dragon Gunner Bar * Air Assault Badge * Combat Infantryman Badge * Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon * Army Commendation Medal 6. By regulation 600-8-22 prescribes Army policy, criteria, and administrative instructions concerning individual and unit military awards. Paragraph 6-12 states the arrowhead device will be worn on the appropriate service medal to denote participation in a combat parachute jump, helicopter assault landing, combat glider landing, or amphibious assault landing while assigned or attached as a member of an organized force carrying out an assigned tactical mission. The criteria is: * the unit must be credited with a combat assault in order for the Soldier to receive credit for a combat assault * the Soldier must physically exit the aircraft or the watercraft as appropriate 7. By regulation 635-5, in effect at the time, prescribed the separation documents prepared for Soldiers upon retirement, discharge, or release from active military service or control of the Army. It established standardized policy for the preparation of the DD Form 214. It stated that installation training courses (qualifications courses), military correspondence courses, and off-duty courses the enlisted person had successfully completed during the period covered by the DD Form 214 would be entered in item 14 (Military Education). However the training courses for combat skills will not be listed. BOARD DISCUSSION: After reviewing the application and all supporting documents, the Board found relief was warranted. The applicant’s contentions were carefully considered. Based upon the documentary evidence provided by the applicant and found within the military service record, the Board agreed his record shows he is authorized to have the requested relief added to his DD Form 214. Prior to closing the case, the Board did note the analyst of record administrative notes below, and recommended the correction is completed to more accurately depict the military service of the applicant. 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 his DD Form 214 for the period ending 6 August 1992 by: a. adding the following awards to block 13: * Army Commendation Medal (2nd Award) * Army Achievement Medal (3rd Award) * Army Good Conduct Medal (1st Award) * Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with Arrowhead * Expert Infantryman Badge b. adding to block 14 the entry “Sniper Course, 3 WKS, 1991” 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. ADMINISTRATIVE NOTE(S): A review of the applicant’s service record shows he is authorized awards and/or training not annotated on his DD Form 214. As a result, amend block 13 of his DD Form 214 to delete the Army Commendation Medal and add: * Expert Infantryman Badge, Army Good Conduct Medal (1st Award), Army Achievement Medal (2 OLC), and Army Commendation Medal (1OLC) 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) 600-8-22 (Military Awards) states the “arrowhead” will be worn on the appropriate service medal to denote participation in a combat parachute jump, helicopter assault landing, combat glider landing, or amphibious assault landing while assigned or attached as a member of an organized force carrying out an assigned tactical mission. Individual assault credit is tied directly to the combat assault credit decision for the unit to which the Soldier is assigned. The unit must be credited with a combat assault in order for the Soldier to receive credit for a combat assault and the Soldier must physically exit the aircraft or the watercraft as appropriate. The arrowhead is authorized for wear on the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the European-African- Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal the Iraq Campaign Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. 3. AR 635-5 (Personnel Separations – Separation Documents) currently in effect prescribes the separation documents prepared for Soldiers upon retirement, discharge, or release from active military service or control of the Army. It establishes standardized policy for the preparation of the DD Form 214. It states that installation training courses (qualifications courses), military correspondence courses, and off-duty courses the enlisted person had successfully completed during the period covered by the DD Form 214 would be entered in item 14 (Military Education), however, the training courses for combat skills will not be listed. //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20170012827 6 1