Posted on Jun 1, 2015
My new unit says I don't qualify for the Overseas Service Ribbon awarded to me by my previous unit. Are they right?
322K
771
465
203
203
0
I deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 with Temporary Change of Station (TCS) orders that said my tour would be no longer than 270 days (about 9 months). My tour ended up being 8 months and 1 day, as my unit redeployed a few weeks early. The unit I deployed with awarded me the Overseas Service Ribbon (OSR) for having completed a tour. I arrived at my current unit a few months ago, and prior to my recent appearance at the promotion board, S1 reviewed my records and removed the OSR from my ERB, stating that I didn't serve overseas long enough to qualify for the OSR. My Platoon Sergeant is the one who made me aware of S1's decision to remove my OSR, and he hasn't disagreed with S1's decision or made any moves to investigate the situation, so I did the research on my own.
AR 600-8-22 says that the OSR is awarded to Soldiers who are credited with a normal overseas tour completion according to AR 614-30. AR 614-30 says that a Soldier has completed a tour if he serves to within 60 days of the prescribed tour. I was deployed to within 21 days of my prescribed tour, and my early return wasn't under my control or by my request; my whole unit redeployed a few weeks early. According to my research, I should be able to keep my OSR.
I'm going to print my TCS deployment orders and take them to S1 to show that my prescribed tour was only 9 months, but beyond that, I haven't decided what to do. Has anyone else been in this situation, or can anyone explain where I went wrong in my evaluation? What would you do in my situation?
AR 600-8-22 says that the OSR is awarded to Soldiers who are credited with a normal overseas tour completion according to AR 614-30. AR 614-30 says that a Soldier has completed a tour if he serves to within 60 days of the prescribed tour. I was deployed to within 21 days of my prescribed tour, and my early return wasn't under my control or by my request; my whole unit redeployed a few weeks early. According to my research, I should be able to keep my OSR.
I'm going to print my TCS deployment orders and take them to S1 to show that my prescribed tour was only 9 months, but beyond that, I haven't decided what to do. Has anyone else been in this situation, or can anyone explain where I went wrong in my evaluation? What would you do in my situation?
Overseas
Awards
AR 600-8-22
ERB
Ribbons
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 333
0
0
0
I've been to Korea for a year, to Kosovo for 4 months and Iraq for 7 months. I have 1 OSR.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
It sounds like you did your homework on this. If the regulation says that you were properly granted the award I would give them the paperwork and request that it be restored. You might request the unit legal officer review it.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
It's all written in black and white read the regs on what you qualify for you might find out you don't qualify do research befor crying
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
Orders are orders. If you feel harm has been done to you by your current unit, I suggest that you initiate contact with the ABCMR and describe the negatives results you've experienced. CPT(P)
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
To qualify as "9 months" it truly only has to be over 8 1/2. So 255 days or greater.
This was told to me, and supported with three different AR excerpts. I made the cut by 3 days.
It's usually not a major point of contention for a BN level S1 ERB scrub, but it really cannot be successfully challenged. Sorry for the bad news!
This was told to me, and supported with three different AR excerpts. I made the cut by 3 days.
It's usually not a major point of contention for a BN level S1 ERB scrub, but it really cannot be successfully challenged. Sorry for the bad news!
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
I would go by the regs. If you were given the award incorrectly, then I wouldn't fight it. I was given the Kuwaiti Liberation medal without stepping foot over there...but because of the way the regulation for that particular award is written, I still qualify. I was assigned to the USS Kitty Hawk during the time the award was issued. On paper anyway. Even though I didn't check on board until January of 93.
All depends on how the regs are worded. If the regs pertaining to this award specifically states you have to be boots on the ground for a specific time and you weren't, then no, you shouldn't have it
All depends on how the regs are worded. If the regs pertaining to this award specifically states you have to be boots on the ground for a specific time and you weren't, then no, you shouldn't have it
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
0
0
0
I would think your S1 is a better place to engage this problem than RallyPoint.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google