RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-03488 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His DD Form 214, Report of Separation, be corrected to reflect the following: 1). Air Force Longevity Service Award (AFLSA). 2). Korean Defense Service Medal (KDSM). 3). Air Force Overseas Ribbon – Long Tour (AFOR-LT). 5). Air Force Civil Engineer Badge (Entitlement verified- will be administratively corrected). 4). Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA) (Entitlement verified – will be administratively corrected). _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 1. His combined service in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and the United States Air Force (USAF) entitles him to the award of the AFLSA. 2. His service in Korea during the period 30 Jul 59 to 1 Oct 60, entitles him to award of the KDSM and AFOR-LT. In support of his request, the applicant provides copies of his NAVMC 898-PD, Reserve Retirement Credit Report, USMC Honorable Discharge Certificate, and special orders. The applicant's complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. _________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant served on active duty from 9 Sep 58 to 7 Sep 62 and is credited with 1 year, 1 month and 27 days of Foreign Service. On 14 Oct 11, AFPC/DPSIMC verified the applicant’s entitlement to retain and wear the Air Force Civil Engineer badge. On 3 Nov 11, AFPC/DPSIDRA verified the applicant’s entitlement to the AFOUA for his service with the 92d Civil Engineer Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base (AFB), WA, during the award inclusive period of 1 Jan 61 to 31 Mar 62. The applicant’s DD Form 214 will be administratively corrected to include both of these awards. The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application are contained in the letter prepared by the appropriate office of the Air Force, which is attached at Exhibit C. _________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPSIDRA recommends denial of the applicant’s entitlement to the KDSM and AFOR-LT and defers to the Board on his entitlement to the AFLSA. The applicant is credited with 1 year, 1 month and 27 days of Foreign Service; however, due to limited documentation located within the applicant’s official military record, DPSIDRA is unable to verify a location in which the applicant completed his Foreign Service. Also, they were unable to locate any official documentation verifying boots on ground in Korea. The AFOR was authorized by the Chief of Staff, United States Air Force, on 12 October 1980. Before 6 January 1986, the AFOR was awarded to the Air Force and Air Force Reserve members credited with completion of an overseas tour on or after 1 September 1980. Air Force and Air Force Reserve members serving as of 6 January 1986, or later are entitled to reflect all Air Force overseas tours credited during their career. The applicant was released from active duty in 1962, several years before the AFOR was authorized rendering him ineligible for entitlement to the AFOR-LT. Furthermore, the applicant was not serving as of 6 Jan 86; therefore, making him ineligible for retroactive entitlement. The AFLSA shall be awarded to active duty members based on an aggregate of four years honorable active federal military of service with any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces or Reserve components. Reserve and Guard personnel are credited with award for each four years of satisfactory military service which are creditable for retirement. The applicant only completed 3 years, 11 months and 29 days of active duty service. Prior to enlisting in the Air Force, he completed service with the USMC reserves; however, it is unclear how much time he actually served in an active reserve status with the USMC. In addition, it is unclear exactly how the USMC reserves calculate active reserve time. The complete DPSIDRA evaluation is at Exhibit C. _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: The applicant states his request for entitlement to the KDSM was denied because of limited documentation within his military records. Although, he is credited with Foreign Service there is nothing in his record that verifies the actual location of this service. He provides the original orders that assigned him to the 314th Air Division, Osan Air Base, Korea, on 5 Jun 59 and relieved and reassigned him to the 92d Bomb Wing, Fairchild AFB, WA on 12 Jul 60. The applicant states, he was discharged from the Air Force after completing nine months versus two years of active service. The 15 month credit was earned while in the active reserve of the USMC. Also, after nine months in the Air Force, he was being paid for more than two years service; after two years and nine months, he was being paid for more than four years service. The applicant’s complete submission is at Exhibit E. _________________________________________________________________ ADDITIONAL AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPSIDRA recommends denial. The applicant provided numerous travel orders indicating service time in Korea; however, travel vouchers verifying the exact time frame he served in Korea were not provided. Although it does appear the applicant has met the requirements for award of the KDSM, without travel vouchers verifying the exact dates the applicant served in Korea DPSIDRA is unable to verify entitlement to the KDSM. Although the applicant has provided additional documentation in support of his claim, DPSIDRA is still unable to verify entitlement to the AFLSA. The complete DPSIDRA evaluation is at Exhibit F. _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF ADDITIONAL AIR FORCE EVALUATION: The applicant reiterates his original contentions that he is entitled to award of the KDSM and AFLSA. The applicant states that the Reserve Retirement Credit Report reflects 30 active duty points and the reverse side of the form states that “one active duty point equals one day of active service. He states his previous documentation should be sufficient to show qualifying service at Osan AB, Korea and entitlement to the AFLSA. The applicant’s complete submission is at Exhibit H. _________________________________________________________________ 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. Insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of error or injustice regarding the applicant’s request for the AFOR-LT. The applicant’s records indicate he was separated in 1962, before the AFOR-LT was authorized; therefore, he is ineligible for award of the AFOR- LT. In view of the above and in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we find no basis to recommend granting the relief sought in this application. 4. Notwithstanding the above, sufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of an error or injustice regarding the applicant’s request to have his DD Form 214 amended to reflect his entitlement to the AFLSA and KDSM. Although DSIDRA did not find documentation verifying boots on the ground in Korea, the applicant provided evidence in the form of orders directing him to the 6314th Air Base Wing (ABW) in Korea. There are also orders relieving him from the 6314th ABW and assigning him to the 92 CSS Group, in Fairchild Washington. As such, we find the totality of the evidence presented sufficient to establish that he served in Korea during the qualifying period and is therefore entitled to the KDSM. Regarding the applicant’s request for award of the AFLSA, ARPC reviewed his Reserve Retirement Credit Report and confirmed that he served 30 days of active duty in the Marines. In view of this and noting that his Air Force service left him only one day short of the prerequisite four years of service, we find sufficient evidence that his aggregate service in the Marines and Air Force, entitles him to the AFLSA. Therefore, we recommend his records be corrected to the extent indicated below. _________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT: The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force relating to APPLICANT, be corrected to show the DD Form 214, Report of Separation or Discharge from Active Duty, issued in conjunction with his 7 September 1962 separation, be amended in Item 26, Decorations, Medals, Badges, Commendations, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized, to include the Korean Defense Service Medal and the Air Force Longevity Service Award. _________________________________________________________________ The following members of the Board considered Docket Number BC-2011-03488 in Executive Session on 10 May 12, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: All members voted to correct the records, as recommended. The following documentary evidence was considered: Exhibit A. DD Forms 149, dated 3 Sep 11, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Applicant’s Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. HQ AFPC/DPSIDRA, Letter, dated 3 Nov 11. Exhibit D. SAF/MRBR, Letter, dated 23 Nov 11. Exhibit E. Applicant’s Letter, dated 26 Nov 11, w/atchs. Exhibit F. HQ AFPC/DPSIDRA, Letter, dated 26 Mar 12. Exhibit G. SAF/MRBR, Letter, dated 2 Apr 12. Exhibit H. Applicant’s Letter, 23 Apr 12, w/atchs.