IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 1 December 2011 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20110008143 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 award of the Combat Action Badge and other unspecified awards. 2. The applicant states he was discharged upon returning from deployment and has been told by other members of his former unit that they were authorized several awards including the Combat Action Badge. He was active during the same operations and served with honor. 3. The applicant provides a copy of his DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty). CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 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 Army Board for Correction of Military Records (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. While it appears the applicant did not file within the time frame provided in the statute of limitations, the ABCMR has elected to conduct a substantive review of this case and, only to the extent relief, if any, is granted, has determined it is in the interest of justice to excuse the applicant’s failure to timely file. In all other respects, there are insufficient bases to waive the statute of limitations for timely filing. 2. The applicant served on active duty in the Regular Army from 3 April 2003 through 27 March 2006. His DD Form 214 shows a period of service in Iraq from 10 March 2004 through 10 March 2005. 3. The applicant was retired and placed on the Temporary Disability Retired List. He was permanently retired effective 28 November 2007 with a 50 percent disability evaluation. 4. His DD Form 214 lists his authorized awards as the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon. 5. The applicant's integrated Personnel Electronic Records System file does not include any reference to his duty assignment in Iraq. His Enlisted Record Brief shows his authorized awards as the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. 6. Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) states the requirements for award of the Combat Action Badge are branch and MOS immaterial. Assignment to a combat arms unit or a unit organized to conduct close or offensive combat operations or performing offensive combat operations is not required to qualify for the Combat Action Badge. However, it is not intended to award the Combat Action Badge to all Soldiers who serve in a combat zone or imminent danger area. The Soldier must be performing assigned duties in an area where hostile fire pay or imminent danger pay is authorized. The Soldier must be personally present and actively engaging or being engaged by the enemy and performing satisfactorily in accordance with the prescribed rules of engagement. The Soldier must not be assigned or attached to a unit that would qualify the Soldier for the Combat Infantryman Badge or the Combat Medical Badge. 7. Army Regulation 15-185 (Army Board for Correction of Military Records) prescribes the policies and procedures for correction of military records by the Secretary of the Army, acting through the ABCMR. Paragraph 2-9 states that the ABCMR begins its consideration of each case with the presumption of administrative regularity. The applicant has the burden of proving an error or injustice by a preponderance of the evidence. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: 1. The applicant has not provided and the record does not contain any evidence of his duty or unit assignment(s) in Iraq, authorization for any awards other than those listed on his DD Form 214, or that he was personally present and actively engaging or being engaged by the enemy. 2. Without verifiable evidence on all of the points listed above, no relief is warranted in this case. BOARD VOTE: ________ ________ ________ 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 that the overall merits of this case are insufficient as a basis for correction of the records of the individual concerned. _______ _ _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) AR20110008143 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20110008143 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1