ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 11 July 2019 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20170018659 APPLICANT REQUESTS: in effect, correction of his foreign service in Grenada, and eligibility for wear of 3 overseas service bars for overseas combat service in Grenada and other places APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD: * DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record) * Army Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), period covered 1-31 October 1983 * DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), period ending 10 October 1986 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, in effect: a. He was assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 505th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division in March 1983. His company was attached to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry on a deployment in support of Operation Urgent Fury, Grenada from 25 October to 3 November 1983. Upon 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry’s return back to Fort Bragg on 3 November 1983, those who were attached, were returned back to their parent company (Company B, 2nd Battalion, 505th Infantry Regiment) that remained deployed at Carricou Island, Grenada. b. His unit returned to Fort Bragg on 12 December 1983. He believes he should have earned credit for three months of overseas combat time for this deployment, but his records reflect only two months of overseas combat time because he was associated with 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry instead of being realigned to 2nd Battalion, 505th Infantry. c. He did not notice the discrepancy until his more recent deployments overseas, when he was calculating qualifying service for eligibility for the overseas service bar in accordance with Army Regulation (AR) 670-1 (Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia), paragraph 21-29a(17). d. He had a 7-month deployment in 2003 and an 8-month deployment in 2011. He believes the three months he served in Grenada would give him a cumulative total of 18 months for three overseas combat service bars, a combination of a 6 month period for serving in areas of combat operations. e. He states, the record keeping in 1983 was not like it is today. He believes it was assumed by the administrative clerks that all of 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry, including those who were attached, returned back to Fort Bragg, NC on the same day (3 November 1983). He states the clerks may not have realized that his unit, once released from attachment, remained in Grenada for an additional month. 3. The applicant provides: * LES for 1 – 31 October 1983 showing in Item 6 (Entitlements), the applicant was in a “Jump Pay” status during the period * DD Form 214 which shows: 11 months and 29 days in Item 12f (Foreign Service) and award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Grenada) 4. A review of the applicant’s service record shows: a. He enlisted in the Regular Army on 14 October 1982. b. Item 35 (Record of Assignments) of his DA Form 2-1 (Personnel Qualification Record) shows he was assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 505th Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, on or about 10 March 1983 until on or about 18 March 1984. c. Permanent Orders 3-186, issued by Headquarters, 82nd Airborne Division on 6 January 1984, awarded him the Army Commendation Medal for service from 25 October 1983 to 12 November 1983 during Grenada Operation. No other documents exist on file to confirm his exact dates of service in Grenada. d. He was honorably released from active duty on 10 October 1986. His DD Form 214 for this period shows he completed 3 years, 11 months, and 27 days of active service. It also shows in: * Item 12f (Foreign Service) he completed 11 months and 29 days * Item 13 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized), he was awarded or authorized: * Army Commendation Medal (2nd Award) * Army Achievement Medal (3rd Award) * Army Good Conduct Medal * Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Grenada) * Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon * Army Service Ribbon * Overseas Service Ribbon * Parachutist Badge * Recondo Badge * Sharpshooter Qualification Badge with Rifle Bar * Marksman Qualification Badge with Grenade Bar * Army Lapel Button * Item 18 (Remarks) is void of an entry listing the name(s) and dates of the applicant’s deployment or the contingency operation in Grenada. e. On 11 October 1986, the applicant was transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) Control Group (Reinforcement) and continued serving in the USAR. f. He reentered active duty for full time training on 29 August 1988 and was honorably released from active duty on 5 March 1989. g. He was discharged from the USAR and was subsequently appointed as a Reserve warrant officer of the Army and executed an oath of office on 1 October 1992. h. He transferred to the Ohio Army National Guard (OHARNG) on 5 October 1994. He was honorably discharged from the OHARNG on 27 June 1995. i. He was appointed as warrant officer of the MIARNG and executed an oath of office on 1 March 1996. He entered active duty on 16 April1998 and he was honorably released from active duty on 31 December 2000. j. He was appointed in the ILARNG on 1 June 2001. He entered active duty on 27 January 2003 and subsequently served in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was honorably released from active duty on 17 January 2004. His DD Form 214 for this period of service credited him with 5 months and 11 days of foreign service. k. He again entered active duty on 30 June 2006 to 18 May 2007 and on 26 January 2011 to 11 Jan 2012. He was issued two separate DD Forms 214, the second of which credited him with 6 months and 26 days of foreign service. l. He continues to serve in MIARNG today. 5. By regulation (AR 670-1), an overseas service bar is authorized for wear for each period of active Federal service as a member of the U.S. Army outside of the continental limits of the United States for the specific time frames and areas of operation cited in AR 670-1 or appropriate Department of the Army message. Overseas service bars are items of clothing and are not entered on the DD Form 214. 6. By regulation (AR 635-8 (Separation Processing and Documents)), currently in effect, states item 12f of the DD Form 214 lists all foreign service performed outside continental United States. Only when active duty Soldiers are deployed with their unit during their continuous period of active service, the entry “SERVICE IN (NAME OF COUNTRY DEPLOYED) FROM (inclusive dates)” is entered in Item 18 of the application’s DD Form 214. BOARD DISCUSSION: After reviewing the application and all supporting documents, the Board determined that relief was not warranted. Based upon the documentary evidence provided by the applicant and found within the military service record, the Board concluded there was insufficient evidence to show an error in the information currently depicted on the applicant’s DD Form 214. The Board found that based upon Permanent Orders 3-186 showing the applicant only served two months in Grenada, all foreign service supported by documentary evidence was accurately depicted on the DD Form 214. 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 670-1 (Uniforms and Insignia) governs the requirements for the Overseas Service Bar. a. Paragraph 21-29a, provides a bar is authorized for wear for each period of active Federal service as a member of the U.S. Army outside of the continental limits of the United States for the specific time frames and areas of operation cited in Army Regulation 670-1 or appropriate Department of the Army message. There are special provisions regarding authorization for the Overseas Service Bar for service in a hostile fire zone and for combining service to calculate award of the bars. b. Paragraph 21-29a(17), provides periods of overseas service of less than 6 months duration, which otherwise meet the requirements for the award of overseas service bars, may be combined by adding the number of months, to determine creditable service toward the total number of overseas service bars authorized for the following: World War II, Korea, Vietnam, The Dominican Republic, Laos, Cambodia, Lebanon, Operation Earnest Will, Grenada, Operation Just Cause, Operation Desert Storm, El Salvador, Somalia, and Operation Enduring Freedom. 3. Army Regulation 635-8, provides item 12f of the DD Form 214 lists all foreign service performed outside continental United States. Only when active duty Soldiers are deployed with their unit during their continuous period of active service, the entry “SERVICE IN (NAME OF COUNTRY DEPLOYED) FROM (inclusive dates).” is entered in Item 18 of the application’s DD Form 214. The regulation did not authorize the entry of the name(s) of all overseas assignments other than for reasons of deployment or contingency operations in Item 18. ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20170018659 4 1