IN THE CASE OF:	  

		BOARD DATE:	        20 August 2009

		DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20090005501 


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 correction of his DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) to show his foreign service.

2.  The applicant states, in effect, that he served in Qatar from 11 September 2007 to 29 January 2008 but his foreign service is not shown on his DD Form 214.

3.  The applicant provides a copy of copy of his DD Form 214, dated 17 December 2008; a copy of a certificate awarding him the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; a copy of a certificate of appreciation; a copy of his Soldier Deployment History Outprocessing Report; a copy of his pre-deployment health assessment; and copies of various medical documents in support of his request.

CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:

1.  The applicant's records show he enlisted in the Regular Army for a period of 6 years on 28 June 2006.  He completed basic combat and advanced individual training and was awarded military occupational specialty 25B (Information Technology Specialist).  He was discharged by reason of a condition, not a disability, on 17 December 2008.

2.  Item 12f (Foreign Service) of the applicant's DD Form 214 shows the entry, "0000  00  00."

3.  Item 13 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations, and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized) of the applicant's DD Form 214 shows he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon.

4.  Item 18 (Remarks) of the applicant's DD Form 214 does not show any service in a hostile fire pay/imminent danger pay (HFP/IDP) area.

5.  The applicant submitted a certificate awarding him the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal for participating in sustained deployment in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom in Qatar from 11 September 2007 to 1 February 2008.  He also submitted a copy of a certificate of achievement that shows he served in Qatar from 11 September 2007 to 1 February 2008.

6.  The applicant submitted a copy of his Soldier Deployment History Outprocessing Report, dated 17 December 2008, that shows he served in an HFP/IDP area from 11 September 2007 to 29 January 2008.

7.  An electronic mail message, dated 2 July 2009, from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), Indianapolis, IN, confirms that the applicant received HFP/IDP from 1 September 2007 to 31 January 2008 in Qatar.

8.  HFP/IDP is a military entitlement paid for any month in which a Soldier was entitled to basic pay and in which he/she was subject to hostile fire or explosion of hostile mines; on duty in an area in which he/she was in imminent danger of being exposed to hostile fire or explosion of hostile mines and in which, during the period he/she was on duty in that area, other members of the uniformed services were subject to hostile fire or explosion of hostile mines; killed, injured, or wounded by hostile fire, explosion of a hostile mine, or any other hostile action; or on duty in a foreign area in which the Soldier was subject to the threat of physical harm or imminent danger on the basis of civil insurrection, civil war, terrorism, or wartime conditions.  HFP/IDP is paid for the entire month regardless of the date the Soldier arrives in or departs the HFP/IDP designated area.

9.  Army Regulation 635-5 (Separation Documents) establishes the standardized policy for preparing and distributing the DD Form 214.  The purpose of the separation document is to provide the individual with documentary evidence of his/her military service.  It is important that information entered on the form be complete and accurate.  The DD Form 214 is a summary of a Soldier's most recent period of continuous active duty to include attendance at basic and advanced training and will be prepared for all personnel at the time of their retirement, discharge, or release from active duty.  Chapter 2 contains guidance on the preparation of the DD Form 214.  It states, in pertinent part, that the total amount of foreign service completed during the period covered by the DD Form 214 is entered in item 12f and is obtained from the Soldier's Enlisted/Officer Record Brief.  Additionally, item 18 of the Soldier's DD Form 214 is used for mandatory requirements when a separate block is not available.  For an active duty Soldier deployed with his or her unit during their continuous period of active service, enter the statement, "SERVICE IN (NAME OF COUNTY DEPLOYED) FROM (INCLUSIVE DATES FOR EXAMPLE, YYYYMMDD-YYYYMMDD)."

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant's record shows he completed 4 months and 19 days of foreign service in Qatar from 11 September 2007 to 29 January 2008 and received HFP/IDP from 1 September 2007 to 31 January 2008.  Since HFP/IDP is paid for the whole month regardless of the date the Soldier arrives in the HFP/IDP designated area and since his pay records show that he received HFP/IDP from September 2007 to January 2008, the applicant's period of service in Qatar is consistent with his pay records at DFAS.

2.  Therefore, there is sufficient evidence to show he served in Qatar and is entitled to correction of his DD Form 214 to show this period of foreign service and show his service in Qatar from 11 September 2007 to 29 January 2008.

3.  The applicant provided a certificate which shows he was awarded the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal for participating in sustained deployment in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom in Qatar from 11 September 2007 to 1 February 2008 and is, therefore, entitled to correction of his records to show this 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 Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by:

	a.  deleting the entry, "0000  00  00" from item 12f of his DD Form 214 and adding the entry, "0000  04  19" instead; 

	b.  adding the entry, "SERVICE IN QATAR FROM 11 SEPTEMBER 2007 TO 29 JANUARY 2008" to item 18 of his DD Form 214; and 

	c.  adding award of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal to his DD Form 214.



      __________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)                                         AR20090005501



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