IN THE CASE OF:	  

		BOARD DATE:	  10 April 2012

		DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20110020066 


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 her DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) as follows:

	a.  Item 13 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized (All Periods of Service)) to show awards of the Legion of Merit, Army Achievement Medal (4th Award), Meritorious Unit Commendation, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Medal.

	b.  Item 19a (Mailing Address After Separation) to show a street address vice a Post Office (P.O.) Box.

2.  The applicant states she received her retirement award in January 2011 after she retired.  The other awards are not on her DD Form 214 as they were overlooked.  Her mailing address was a P.O. Box after she was separated because she was in transition at the time.

3.  The applicant provides:

* Her driver's license
* Six certificates
* Five DA Forms 638 (Recommendation for Award)
* Two memoranda
* Two orders
* An award citation
CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:

1.  The applicant requested correction of her DD Form 214 to show the Joint Meritorious Unit Award.  Her DD Form 214 already shows this award.  Therefore, this portion of the applicant's request will not be discussed further in these Proceedings.

2.  Having had prior enlisted service, the applicant's records show she was appointed as a Reserve Signal Corps warrant officer and executed an oath of office on 14 March 1997 and entered active duty that date.  She served in a variety of assignments and she was promoted to the rank of chief warrant officer four (CW4) in the Regular Army on 1 October 2007.  

3.  She served in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) from 26 April 2009 to 25 March 2010 while assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division.

4.  She was honorably retired from active duty on 30 September 2010.  She completed 13 years, 6 months, and 17 days of creditable active service during this period of service.

5.  Item 13 of her DD Form 214 for this period of service does not show awards of the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Unit Commendation, or the NATO Medal.  It does show award of the Army Achievement Medal (3rd Award).

6.  The applicant provides the following:

* Permanent Order Number 341-019, dated 7 December 2010, issued by Headquarters (HQ), XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, NC, awarding her the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious service
* Permanent Order Number 9-4, dated 29 January 1991, issued by HQ, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC, awarding her the Army Achievement Medal for the period 19 December 1990 to 25 January 1991
* Permanent Order Number 15-2, dated 13 September 1993, issued by HQ, 25th Transportation Movement Control Agency, Korea, awarding her the Army Achievement Medal for the period 16 to 30 August 1993


* Permanent Order Number 187-3, dated 5 July 2000, issued by HQ, 7th Transportation Group, Fort Eustis, VA, awarding her the Army Achievement Medal for the period 4 August 1999 to 14 July 2000
* Permanent Order Number 6-03, dated 6 January 2004, issued by HQ, 125th Signal Battalion, Schofield Barracks, HI, awarding her the Army Achievement Medal for the period 2 to 19 September 2003
* Permanent Orders Number 176-06, dated 25 June 2010, issued by the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, awarding HHC, Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, the Meritorious Unit Commendation for the period 30 April 2009 to 3 June 2010 in support of OEF
* A certificate for award of the NATO Medal for her service in relation to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during the period 30 April to 11 July 2009

7.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) states the NATO Medal was authorized by the Secretary-General of NATO for specific NATO operations.  Acceptance of the NATO Medal has been approved for U.S. military personnel who serve under NATO command or operational control in direct support of NATO operations in the former Republic of Yugoslavia from 1 July 1992 through a date to be determined.  To add the NATO Medal to a Soldier's record the Soldier must have been issued a certificate for this award.

8.  Army Regulation 635-5 (Separation Documents) establishes the standardized policy for preparing and distributing the DD Form 214.  Chapter 2 contains guidance on the preparation of the DD Form 214.  Item 19 shows the mailing address after separation is provided by the Soldier.  This address must be a permanent address.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  Permanent orders awarded the applicant the Legion of Merit and Army Achievement Medal (4th Award), and she was issued a certificate for award of the NATO Medal.  Therefore, she is entitled to correction of her DD Form 214 to show these awards.

2.  Her unit was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation during a period she was assigned to the unit.  Therefore, she is entitled to correction of her DD Form 214 to show this unit award.

3.  With respect to correcting item 19a of her DD Form 214 to show her current address, the entry pertaining to the mailing address after separation is provided 


by the Soldier to the official preparing the DD Form 214.  The applicant appears to have provided the permanent mailing address that is shown on her DD Form 214.  She also authenticated the DD Form 214 by placing her signature in the proper block. 

4.  Absent convincing, independent, and verifiable evidence to the contrary it is presumed that the applicant's mailing address was correct at the time and there is an insufficient evidentiary basis for changing it.  Therefore, she is not entitled to the requested relief.

BOARD VOTE:

________  ________  ________  GRANT FULL RELIEF 

____x___  ____x___  ___x____  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 partial relief.  As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by: 

   a.  Deleting the Army Achievement Medal (3rd Award) from item 13 of her DD Form 214 for the period ending 30 September 2010.

   b.  Adding the following awards to item 13 of her DD Form 214 for the period ending 30 September 2010:

* Legion of Merit
* Army Achievement Medal (4th Award)
* NATO Medal
* Meritorious Unit Commendation

2.  The Board further determined that the evidence presented was insufficient to warrant a portion of the requested relief.  As a result, the Board recommends 


denial of so much of the application that pertains to correcting her DD Form 214 to show her current address.  



      _______ _   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)                                         AR20110020066



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ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)                                         AR20110020066



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