ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


	IN THE CASE OF:  . 

	BOARD DATE:  26 September 2019

	DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20190007550


APPLICANT REQUESTS: Correction of his DD Form 214 (Armed Forces of the 
United States Report of Transfer or Discharge) to show Military Occupational 
Specialty (MOS) 61C (Marine Diesel Engineer) instead of MOS 71B (Clerk Typist)

APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD: 

*	DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record)
*	1090th Transportation Company letter, dated 31 July 1967
*	DD Form 214, dated 20 August 1967
*	73rd Floating Craft Maintenance Company letter, dated 19 November 1967
*	Self-authored statement

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 (ABCMR) 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 does not know how the job description got on his                  
DD Form 214.  He was trained by the Army and U.S. Navy for the Army as a boat 
coxswain (61C20).  His tour in Vietnam was as a boatswain mate/coxswain.  The 
designation 71B20 is an error.  He never looked closely at his DD Form 214.  After 
completing basic training, the only advance training given to him was boat 
operations training at the U.S. Navy Base, Little Creek, Virginia

3.  A review of the applicant’s official records shows:

*	17 November 1965 – the applicant was inducted into the Army of the United 
States
*	11 February 1966 – Special Orders (SO) Number 29, issued by the 159th 
Transportation Battalion (Terminal), Fort Eustis, Virginia, awarded the 
applicant MOS 61C20
*	18 August 1966 – SO Number 103, issued by the 159th Transportation 
Battalion (Terminal), Fort Eustis, awarded the applicant MOS 71B20 and 
withdrew MOS 61C20
*	20 August 1967 – the applicant was honorably released from active duty and                                
the DD Form 214 issued at that time shows in item 23a "71B20" and “clerk 
typist”

4.  The applicant provides:

*	1090th Transportation Company (Medium Boat) letter wherein the author 
attests to the applicant serving continuous sea time from 9 February 1967 to 
12 July 1967
*	73rd Floating Craft Maintenance Company letter wherein the author attests to 
the applicant serving as a seaman and also as a mate under combat 
conditions
*	DD Form 214, dated 20 August 1967, shows in item 12 Specialty Number & 
Title 71 B 20 Clerk Typist
*	self-authored statement that states in pertinent part:

*	after graduating from basic training at Fort Gordon, Ga, on                                         
21 January 1966 he was transferred to Fort Eustis Virginia, Transportation 
School for advance training, in Medium Boat Handling, LCM 8 Mike Boats
*	he was sent to U.S. Navy, Amphibious Boat training and completed 
"Assault Boat Coxswain course G-813-6358 and awarded the completion 
certificate, on 20 May 1966"
*	they landed in Quinon, Vietnam, on 20 August 1966, on the troop ship
U.S. Naval Ship General John W Pope, with the 159th, Transportation 
Battalion, and he was assigned to the 1098th Medium Boat Co, where 
they set up a beach head for arriving units and cargo
*	he was sent to Saigon to pick up their tugboats; they activated their 
tugboats; Sergeant First Class M- was the master and he was the 
boatswain, and from the time they arrived in Quinon, Vietnam to his tour 
completion, he stayed as a tugboat boatswain

5.  Army Regulation (AR) 635-5 (Separation Documents), in effect at the time, states 
all available records will be used when preparing DD Form 214, including the                                
DA Form 20 (Enlisted Qualification Record), and orders.  For item 23 a and b enter 
the primary MOS code number and title.

BOARD DISCUSSION:

1.  After reviewing the application and all supporting documents, the Board found the 
requested relief is not warranted.

2.  The record confirms that the applicant initially held MOS 61C20.  The MOS was 
later withdrawn and he was awarded primary MOS 71B20.  The Board agreed that 
this was his primary MOS at the time of his release from active duty, and it is 
properly recorded on his DD Form 214 as required by the governing regulation.  


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 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.  AR 635-5 (Separation Documents) in effect at the time states, all available 
records will be used when preparing DD Form 214, including the DA Form 20 
(Enlisted Qualification Record) and orders.  For item 23 a and b, enter primary MOS 
code number and title.

//NOTHING FOLLOWS//

ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)	 AR20190007550
	
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