IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 12 October 2023 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20230005569 APPLICANT REQUESTS: correction of his DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) to show: * award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) * award of the Army Good Conduct Medal (AGCM) * foreign service in Bosnia APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENT(S) CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD: * DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record) * Permanent Order 320-119 (AGCM) * My HealtheVet Information sheet * AFEM Operations information sheet. FACTS: 1. The applicant did not file within the 3-year time frame provided in Title 10, U.S. Code, 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 is requesting his foreign service in Bosnia be added to his DD Form 214 in addition to his the AFEM he earned and was awarded for service in Operation Joint Force in Bosnia. Additionally, he requests that his already awarded AGCM also be added to his DD Form 214. He served honorably and the errors on his DD Form 214 are due to no fault of his own. 3. The applicant provides: a. A Department of Veterans Affairs, “MY HEALTHEVET PERSONAL INFORMATION REPORT” shows receipt of Combat Zone Tax Exclusion and Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger for the period 1 March 1999 to 20 September 1999 in Bosnia. b. A table listing the authorized operations for which the AFEM was authorized includes in Bosnia-Herzegovina & Croatia during Operation JOINT FORGE, 21 June 1998 – 2 December 2004. 4. The applicant enlisted in the Regular Army on 15 September 1998 and completed training with award the military occupational specialty 19K (M1 Armor Crewman). He had two immediate reenlistments on 19 September 2000 and 20 September 2001. 5. The applicant's service record contains a copy of the Alpha Detachment, 15th Personnel Services Battalion Permanent Order 320-119, dated 16 November 2001, for award of the AGCM for the period 15 September 1998 to 14 September 2001. 6. The applicant was honorably discharged, on 1 April 2004. His DD Form 214 shows he completed 5 years, 6 months, and 17 days of net active service with no lost time. There was no foreign service identified on the DD Form 214. It also shows he was awarded or authorized: * Army Lapel Button * National Defense Service Medal * Army Service Ribbon 7. A review of the applicant’s service record confirms an award and administrative entries were omitted from his DD Form 214. The entries will be added to his DD Form 214 as administrative corrections and will not be considered by the Board. The Board will consider his request for award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. 8. A member of the Defense Finance Accounting Services staff provided email verification to confirm the applicant deployed to Bosnia from 4 March 1999 to 19 September 1999 (6 months and 16 days). 9. By regulation, (AR 635-5) the DD Form 214 is a summary of the Soldier's most recent period of continuous active duty. It provides a brief, clear-cut record of all current active, prior active, and prior inactive duty service at the time of release from active duty, retirement, or discharge. The information entered thereon reflects the conditions as they existed at the time of separation. BOARD DISCUSSION: 1. After reviewing the application, all supporting documents, and the evidence found within the military record, the Board found relief is warranted. 2. The Board found the applicant met the criteria for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal during his deployment to Bosnia. The Board determined the medal should be added to his DD Form 214. 3. The Board concurred with the corrections described in Administrative Note(s) below. 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 to add the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and to make the corrections described in Administrative Note(s) below. 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 records shows an award and administrative entries were omitted from his DD Form 214 for the period ending 1 April 2004. As a result, amend his DD Form 214 to show: * Item 12f (Foreign Service) – add 6 months and 16 days (00 06 16) * Item 13 (Decoration, Medals, Badges, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized) – add Army Good Conduct Medal * Item 18 (Remarks) – add “Service in Bosnia from 19990304 to 1990919” REFERENCES: 1. Title 10, U.S. Code, section 1552(b), provides that applications for correction of military records must be filed within 3 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 3-year statute of limitations if the ABCMR determines it would be in the interest of justice to do so. 2. Army Regulation 600-2-22 (Military Awards) states the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal may be awarded to Servicemembers of the Armed Forces of the United States who, after 1 July 1958: a. Participate, or have participated, as members of the U.S. military units in a U.S. military operation in which Servicemembers of any military department participate, in the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in significant numbers. b. Encounter during such participation foreign-armed opposition, or are otherwise placed, or have been placed, in such position that, in the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hostile action by foreign armed forces were imminent even though it did not materialize. c. Servicemembers must be bona fide members of a unit participating in or be engaged in the direct support of the operation for 30 consecutive days in the area of operations (or for the full period when an operation is less than 30 days duration) or for 60 nonconsecutive days provided this support involved entering the area of operations or and meets one or more of the following criteria: (1) Be engaged in actual combat, or duty, which is equally as hazardous as combat duty, during the operation with armed opposition, regardless of time in the area. (2) Is wounded or injured and requires medical evacuation from the area of eligibility while participating in the operation, regardless of time. (3) Accumulates required days service (consecutive or nonconsecutive) while participating as a regularly assigned air crewmember of an aircraft flying sorties into, out of, within, or over the area in direct support of the military operation. One day’s service is credited for the first sortie flown on any day. Additional sorties flown on the same day receive no further credit. d. The AFEM will be awarded only for operations for which no other U.S. campaign medal is approved. However, this does not prevent award eligibility for subsequent ongoing operations if the associated campaign medal has been terminated. No individual will be eligible for both the AFEM and a campaign medal awarded during a single tour in the designated operation. For operations in which personnel of only one military Service participate, the medal will be awarded only if there is no other suitable award available to that Service. The military service of the Servicemember on whom qualification for the award of the AFEM is based will have been honorable. 3. Army Regulation 635-5 (Separation Documents), in effect at the time, states the DD Form 214 is a summary of the Soldier's most recent period of continuous active duty. It provides a brief, clear-cut record of all current active, prior active, and prior inactive duty service at the time of release from active duty, retirement, or discharge. The information entered thereon reflects the conditions as they existed at the time of separation. a. Item 12f (Foreign Service) states from the Enlisted Record Brief/Officer Record Brief show the total amount of foreign service performed during the period covered by block 12c (Net Active Service This Period). b. Item 18 (Remarks), states for active-duty Soldiers deployed with his or her unit during their continuous period of active service, enter "SERVICE IN (name of country deployed) FROM (inclusive dates for example, YYYYMMDD-YYYYMMDD)." //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont.) AR20230005569 1 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1