RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 

 

IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-03918 


 COUNSEL: NONE 

 HEARING DESIRED: NO 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 

 

His DD Form 214 Armed Forces of the United States Report of 
Transfer or Discharge, be corrected to reflect his entitlement 
to: 

 

1. The Korean Defense Service Medal (KDSM). 

 

2. The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM). 

 

3. The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm 
(RVNGC w/P). ADMINISTRATIVELY CORRECTED. 

 

 

4. Any additional unit awards. ADMINISTRATIVELY CORRECTED 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

 

He was a Crew Chief on the F-105 Aircraft with the 12th Tactical 
Fighter Squadron (TFS) at Kadena Air Base (AB) Okinawa, which in 
turn, did duty at Osan AB Korea during the Pueblo Incident as 
well as Temporary Duty (TDY) to Thailand. 

 

In support of his request, the applicant provides a copy of his 
DD Form 214. 

 

The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at 
exhibit A. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

 

The applicant is a former member of the Regular Air Force who 
served from 9 April 1964 through 4 April 1968. He was trained 
and served as an Aircraft Maintenance Specialist and was 
progressively promoted to the rank of Sergeant (Sgt) with a pay 
grade of (E-4) effective 1 February 1967. 

 

The applicant was discharged with an honorable character of 
service and credited with serving 3 years, 11 months and 26 days 


of active duty which includes 1 year, 6 months and 27 days of 
Foreign and/or Sea Service. 

 

The applicant’s DD Form 214 does not reflect award of the KDSM, 
AFEM, or RVNGC w/P. 

 

By letter dated 28 December 2011, AFPC/DPSIDR advised the 
applicant that after a thorough review of his military personnel 
records and provided documentation, they were able to verify 
that during the period of his assignment with the 12th TFS at 
Kadena AB, Okinawa his unit was eligible for award of the Air 
Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA) as well as the Republic of 
Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm (RVNGC w/P). Therefore he is 
entitled to the AFOUA and the RVNGC w/P and his records will be 
updated to reflect these awards. 

 

They were unable to locate any documentation to verify 
entitlement to the KDSM or the AFEM. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

AFPC/DPSIDR recommends denial of the request for award of the 
AFEM and the KDSM. DPSIDR states, they were unable to locate 
any official documentation which would verify that the applicant 
fulfilled the criteria for the AFEM for service in Korea. 
Additionally, they were unsuccessful in verifying the 
applicant’s entitlement to the KDSM. No documentation of 
service time in Korea was found. 

 

The criteria for award of the KDSM states that individuals must 
have been assigned, attached, or mobilized to units operating or 
serving on all the land area of the Republic of Korea, and the 
contiguous waters out to 12 nautical miles, and all airspace 
above the stated land and water areas. To be eligible for the 
KDSM, personnel must have been physically present in the stated 
areas for 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days, or must meet 
one of the following: Be engaged in actual combat during an 
armed engagement, regardless of the time in the areas of 
eligibility; Be killed, wounded, or injured in the line of duty 
and required medical evacuation from the area of eligibility: 
While participating as a regularly assigned aircrew member 
flying sorties into, out of, within, or over the area of 
eligibility in support of military operations. Each day that one 
or more sorties are flown in accordance with these criteria 
shall count as 1 day toward the 30 or 60 day requirement. 

 

The AFEM, authorized by E.O. 10977, may be awarded to members of 
the Armed Forces of the United States, who, after 1 Jul 58: 
Participate, or have participated as members of a US Military 
Operation in which service members of any Military Department 
participate, in the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in 
significant numbers. Encounter during such participation 


foreign armed opposition or are otherwise placed in a position 
that in the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hostile action 
by foreign armed forces was imminent even if it did not 
materialize. 

 

 

 

The complete DPSIDR evaluation is at exhibit C. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

The applicant reiterates his previous contentions and provides a 
copy of a travel voucher which he contends states that he was 
sent to Osan AB on 23 January 1968 and returned on 2 April 1968 
to Kadena AB, for discharge. He further contends the document 
states that when they were first sent, they were with the 82nd 
CMBT Spt Grp. Also included are documents from an internet 
search of his unit deployments as well as Pueblo Incident 
events. 

 

The applicant’s complete response, with attachments, is at 
Exhibit E. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

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 with regard to 
the applicant’s request for award of the KDSM and the AFEM. 
Although the applicant indicates the travel voucher he submitted 
states he was sent to Osan AB, after a careful review, we were 
unable to verify Osan AB was listed on the itinerary. We took 
notice of the applicant's complete submission in judging the 
merits of the case; however, we agree with the opinion and 
recommendation of the Air Force office of primary responsibility 
and adopt its rationale as the basis for our conclusion that 
relief beyond that already granted administratively is not 
warranted. Therefore, we find no basis to favorably consider 
this application. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT: 

 


The applicant be notified that the evidence presented did not 
demonstrate the existence of material error or injustice; that 
the application was denied without a personal appearance; and 
that the application will only be reconsidered upon the 
submission of newly discovered relevant evidence not considered 
with this application. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

The following members of the Board considered this application 
BC-2011-03918 in Executive Session on 8 May 2012, under the 
provisions of AFI 36-2603: 

 


 

The following documentary evidence was considered: 

 

 Exhibit A. DD Form 149 w/atchs, dated 29 Sep 2011. 

 Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. 

 Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPSIDR, dated 28 Dec 2011. 

 Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 13 Jan 2012. 

 Exhibit E. Letter w/atchs, Applicant, dated 1 Feb 2012