IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 23 April 2009 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20080013547 THE BOARD CONSIDERED THE FOLLOWING EVIDENCE: 1. Application for correction of military records (with supporting documents provided, if any). 2. Military Personnel Records and advisory opinions (if any). THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant requests that his records be corrected to show he was awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. 2. The applicant states, in effect, that his unit was awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award for exceptionally meritorious achievement during his period of assignment. The applicant continues that due to the fact that he retired prior to the final approval of this unit award, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award is not annotated in his records. 3. The applicant provides copies of orders to active duty, a Joint Staff memorandum, a Joint Staff permanent order, and a Joint Staff award citation as documentary evidence in support of this application. CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant's record shows that he was a member of the United States Army Reserve Control Group (Reinforcement). During his most recent period of active duty, he held the rank of sergeant major/pay grade E-9 and military occupational specialty 38A (Civil Affairs Specialist). The applicant was retired and placed on the Retired List effective 1 February 2007. 2. United States Army Human Resources Command, St. Louis, Missouri, Orders A-03-506245, dated 2 March 2005, show he was ordered to active duty in support of Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom effective 7 March 2005. These orders also show the applicant was attached to the 93d United States Army Element (USAE) of U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM), located at Camp Smith, Hawaii, with duty at USPACOM. 3. The applicant's DA Forms 2166-8 (NCO [Noncommissioned Officer] Evaluation Report) rendered for the period March 2005 through January 2007 show that he served with USAE USPACOM, located at Camp Smith, Hawaii. 4. Item 13 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations, and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized) of the applicant's DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) rendered for the period 1 October 2006 through 30 January 2007 does not show award of the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. 5. There are no indications in the applicant's service personnel records which show that he was assigned to a unit that was awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. 6. The applicant provides a copy of a Joint Staff memorandum, dated 7 March 2007, subject: Joint Meritorious Unit Award, which informed the Commander of the United States Army Human Resources Command that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award to Headquarters, USPACOM, and other specific units for exceptionally meritorious achievement from 1 March 2005 to 28 February 2007. This memorandum specified that only those members of the Armed Forces who were present at the time and directly participated in the service or achievement for 30 days or more were authorized to wear the Joint Meritorious Unit Award ribbon. The memorandum further specified that in order to be eligible, personnel must have been assigned and/or attached by official orders to the joint unit or task force headquarters receiving the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. The memorandum concluded by requesting that the Commander of the United States Army Human Resources Command announce the approved unit award within the Army and include it in the Army's unit award records and publications. A copy of the Joint Staff permanent order and award citation documenting this unit award were provided along with the memorandum. 7. Department of Defense 1348.33-M (Manual of Military Decorations and Awards) provides, in pertinent part, that the Joint Meritorious Unit Award is awarded in the name of the Secretary of Defense and is intended to recognize joint units and activities for meritorious achievement or service superior to that which is normally expected. All joint units and activities are eligible for award of the Joint Meritorious Unit Award in recognition of exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service. However, a unit’s or activity’s outstanding accomplishment of its normally assigned and expected mission is not in and of itself sufficient justification for award approval. Instead, qualifying achievements must be superior to that which is expected under one of the following conditions and should be operational in nature: (1) during action in combat with an armed enemy of the United States, (2) in a declared national emergency situation, or (3) under extraordinary circumstances that involve national interests. The Joint Meritorious Unit Award shall not be awarded to any Department of Defense activity that has received any other unit award for the same achievement or period of service. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: 1. The applicant's contention that his records should be corrected to show he was awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award was carefully considered and determined to have merit. 2. Joint Staff permanent orders show the applicant’s unit was awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Award for exceptionally meritorious achievement during the applicant’s tenure of assignment. Therefore, he is entitled to have his records corrected to show this unit award. BOARD VOTE: ___x____ ___x____ ___x____ GRANT FULL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING ________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: The Board determined that the evidence presented was sufficient to warrant a recommendation for relief. As a result, the Board recommends that all Depart-ment of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected to show award of the Joint Meritorious Unit Award. ___________x______________ CHAIRPERSON 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. ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20080013547 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20080013547 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1