RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-02676 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 1. His DD Form 214, Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge, reflect his Vietnam Service. 2. His records reflect that he is entitled to the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM). ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: He performed eight temporary duty (TDY) assignments in Vietnam during the period from 2 April 1966 through 19 June 1967. He has to show Vietnam service in order to provide proof for an Agent Orange claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs and to be placed on the Agent Orange Registry. In support of his request, the applicant submits a copy of his DD Form 214, and eight copies of his AF Forms 626, Temporary Duty Order – Military, with dates ranging from April 1966 through June 1967. The applicant’s complete submission is at Exhibit A. ________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant enlisted in the Regular Air Force on 4 November 1963. On 28 October 1967 he was released from active duty with an honorable characterization of service and was credited with serving 3 Years, 11 months and 25 days which included 1 year, 10 months and 6 days of Foreign and/or Sea Service. The applicant’s DD Form 214 does not reflect award of the VSM. The VSM is awarded to all service members of the Armed Forces who, between 4 July 1965 and 28 March 1973, served in the following areas of Southeast Asia: in Vietnam and the contiguous waters and airspace; in Thailand, Laos or Cambodia or the airspace there over in the direct support of military operations in Vietnam. The specific eligibility criteria requires a member to be either: Attached to or regularly serving for one, or more, days with an organization participating in or directly supporting ground (military) operations, Attached to or regularly serving for one, or more, days aboard a naval vessel directly supporting military operations, Actually participate as a crew member in one or more aerial flights directly supporting military operations, or Serve on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days, which may be waived for personnel participating in actual combat operations. ________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPAPP recommends denial of the request to show Vietnam service, and states, in part, they were able to verify and confirm the applicant’s foreign service at Clark Air Base, Republic of the Philippines, from 28 February 1966 to 28 October 1967 but not Vietnam. The complete AFPC/DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit C. AFPC/DPSIDR recommends denial of the request for the VSM and states, in part, that although the applicant provided travel orders from Clark Air Base, Philippines to Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam, there were no travel vouchers provided to verify he actually traveled to Vietnam. The complete AFPC/DPSIDR evaluation is at Exhibit D. ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: Copies of the Air Force evaluations were forwarded to the applicant on 9 December 2011 for review and comment within 30 days. As of this date, this office has not received a response. ________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT: 1. The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing law or regulations. 2. The application was not timely filed; however, it is in the interest of justice to excuse the failure to timely file. 3. Sufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of error or injustice. We believe a reasonable basis exists to conclude the applicant served in Vietnam based on a totality of the evidence before us, i.e., eight TDY orders from Clark AB, Philippines to Tan San Nhut, Vietnam spanning a period from 2 April 1966 through 19 June 1967, and AFPC/DPAPP’s confirmation of his foreign service at Clark AB Philippines from 28 February 1966 to 28 October 1967. 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days, therefore, we recommend his records be corrected as indicated below. ________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT: The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force relating to APPLICANT be corrected to show that: a. He had boots on the ground in Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam, from 2 April 1966 to 19 June 1967. b. He was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal. ________________________________________________________________ The following members of the Board considered this application BC-2011-02676 in Executive Session on 6 March 2012, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: , Panel Chair , Member , Member The following documentary evidence was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149 dated 15 July 2011, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Applicant’s Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 4 November 2011. Exhibit D. Letter, AFPC/ DPSIDR, dated 22 November 2011. Exhibit E. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 9 December 2011. AFBCMR BC-2011-02676 MEMORANDUM FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF Having received and considered the recommendation of the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records and under the authority of Section 1552, Title 10, United States Code it is directed that: The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force relating to the APPLICANT be corrected to show that: a. He had boots on the ground in Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam, from 2 April 1966 to 19 June 1967. b. He was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal. Director Air Force Review Boards Agency