IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 31 MARCH 2009 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20080016243 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, in effect, that his DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) that was issued at the time of his release from active duty on 19 June 2008, which will simply be referred to as his DD Form 214 throughout the remainder of these proceedings, be corrected to show the award of the Meritorious Service Medal. He also requests that the entry on his DD Form 214 showing the award of the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Mechanic Clasp be corrected to read the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Driver-T (for tracked vehicles) Bar. 2. The applicant states that he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal before he was released from active duty on 19 June 2008, but it is not listed on his DD Form 214. He also states, in effect, that a previous DD Form 214 correctly shows that he was awarded the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Driver-T Bar, but that his DD Form 214 incorrectly shows the award of the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Mechanic Clasp. 3. The applicant provides his DD Form 214, his DD Form 214 for the period 4 March 1986 to 19 January 1992, and a DA Form 638 (Recommendation for Award) and certificate showing that he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in support of this application. CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant is currently a master sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR). His DD Form 214 shows that he was ordered to active duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on 8 July 2007, and that he served in Iraq from 11 September 2007 to 26 May 2008. On 19 June 2008, he was honorably released from active duty and returned to his USAR unit. His DD Form 214 does not show the Meritorious Service Medal, but it does show the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Mechanic Clasp. 2. The applicant's DD Form 214 does not show that he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, but the applicant provided a properly constituted DA Form 638 which shows that he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for exceptionally meritorious service for the period 17 September 2007 to 24 May 2008 by Headquarters, 335th Signal Command (Theater) (Provisional) Permanent Order Number 08-148-14, dated 27 May 2008. He also provided a certificate which awarded him the Meritorious Service Medal for the same period, and a copy of this certificate is also present in his Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). 3. Item 13 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized) of the applicant's DD Form 214 shows that he was awarded the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Mechanic Bar, but his DA Form 2-1 (Personnel Qualification Record – Part II) shows that he was actually awarded the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Driver-T Bar. His DD Form 214 for the period ending 19 January 1992 also shows that he was awarded the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Driver-T Bar. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: 1. The applicant contends that his DD Form 214 should be corrected to show the award of the Meritorious Service Medal and that the entry on his DD Form 214 showing the award of the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Mechanic Clasp should be corrected to read the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Driver-T Bar. 2. Permanent orders awarded the applicant the Meritorious Service Medal for meritorious service during the period 17 September 2007 to 24 May 2008. Therefore, it would be appropriate at this time to correct his DD Form 214 to show this award. 3. The applicant's military records show that he was awarded the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Driver-T Bar, but his DD Form 214 incorrectly shows that he was awarded the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Mechanic Clasp. Therefore, he is entitled to correction of his DD Form 214 to show the award of the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Driver-T Bar and to have the entry for the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Mechanic Clasp removed from this document. BOARD VOTE: ___X_____ ___X_____ ___X_____ GRANT FULL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING ________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: 1. The Board determined that the evidence presented was sufficient to warrant a recommendation for relief. As a result, the Board recommends that the applicant's DD Form 214 be corrected by: a. deleting from item 13 of his DD Form 214 the entry "Driver and Mechanic Badge with Mechanic Clasp"; and b. adding to item 13 of his DD Form 214 the Meritorious Service Medal and the Driver and Mechanic Badge with Driver-T Bar. 2. The Board wants to thank the applicant for the sacrifices he is making in service to the United States, and especially during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The applicant and all Americans should be justifiably proud of his honorable service in arms. _______XXX_______________ 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) AR20080016243 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20080016243 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1