ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 3 June 2019 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20190003664 APPLICANT REQUESTS: Correction of her DD form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) to show her foreign service in October 1990 during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD: * DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record) * DD Form 214, for the period ending 13 October 1993 * letter, X____ X____, dated 15 September 2015 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 stated she was attached to the 293rd Military Police Company, 519th Military Police Battalion, and was deployed from Fort Meade, MD, to Saudi Arabia. She has a notarized statement from her battle buddy in which her battle buddy describes their shared experiences during their deployment to Saudi Arabia. 3. She enlisted in the Regular Army on 14 September 1989. 4. Item 35 (Section VII – Current and Previous Assignments) of the DA Form 2-1 (Personnel Qualification Record – Part II) shows she was: a. assigned to 293rd Military Police Company, Fort Meade, MD, from 16 February 1990 through 14 July 1992; b. assigned to U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Meade, MD, from 15 July 1992 through 13 October 1993; and c. released from active duty and transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve on 14 October 1993. 5. There is no record of deployment to Saudi Arabia in support of Operations Desert Shield or Desert Storm contained in her records. 6. On 13 October 1993, she was released from active duty and transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve Control Group (Reinforcement). Item 12f (Foreign Service) of the DD Form 214 shows no foreign service. 7. The Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) compiled the Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm database. The primary Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm file contains one record for each active duty member who participated in theater between 2 August 1990 and 31 July 1991. The database compiled by DMDC shows she served in Southwest Asia from 1 May 1991 through 15 May 1991. 8. She provided a buddy letter from X____ X____, dated 15 September 2015, describing combat experiences they shared in Saudi Arabia: a. "[Applicant] and I were friends and Soldiers in the U.S. Army together from October 1989 to October 1993. We served together for four years until our units separated and were sent to different states in 1993." b. We were sent to Saudi Arabia together for Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield. [Applicant's] unit left first and my unit left two days later in October of 1990." 9. Army Regulation 635-5 (Separation Documents), then in effect, established standardized policy for preparing and distributing the DD Form 214. It stated to enter the total amount of foreign service completed during the period covered in item 12c (Net Active Service This Period) in item 12f. Later versions of the regulation also required an entry in item 18 (Remarks) documenting Soldiers' deployments overseas with their units (e.g., "Service in Southwest Asia [inclusive dates]." BOARD DISCUSSION: 1. After reviewing the application and all supporting documents, the Board found insufficient evidence to grant relief. While the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm database shows the applicant was in Southwest Asia from 1 May 1991 through 15 May 1991, the applicant’s official record is void of evidence of such foreign service. Temporary Duty is not included in foreign service computations and it is unclear from the evidence presented whether the applicant was in a temporary duty status and thus ineligible to receive foreign service credit. Therefore, the Board determined the overall merits of this case are insufficient as a basis for correction of the records of the individual concerned. 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. ADMINISTRATIVE NOTE(S): Not applicable 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) prescribed the separation documents that must be prepared for Soldiers on retirement, discharge, or release from active duty service or control of the Active Army. It established standardized policy for preparing and distributing the DD Form 214. It stated to enter the total amount of foreign service completed during the period covered in item 12c (Net Active Service This Period) in item 12f. Later versions of the regulation also required an entry in item 18 (Remarks) documenting Soldiers' deployments overseas with their units (e.g., "Service in Southwest Asia [inclusive dates]." //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20190003664 4 1