RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-04635 COUNSEL: NO HEARING DESIRED: NO ______________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 1. He be entitled to the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM). 2. He be entitled to the Air Force Combat Action Medal (AFCAM). 3. He be entitled to the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal (RVCM). ______________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: He and his unit were in direct support of sea operations during and after the Vietnam conflict and were not recognized. In support of his request, the applicant submits copies of his DD Form 214, Report of Separation from Active Duty; AF Form 702, Individual Physiological Training Record; AF Form 1072, Medical Recommendation for Flying Duty; AF Form 528, Geneva Convention Identification Card; AF Form 1274, Physiological Training Card; AF Form 973, Request and Authorization for Change of Administrative Orders; Permanent Change of Station (PSC) orders, Temporary Duty (TDY) orders, Special Orders, Aeronautical Orders, a letter of appreciation, and AF Forms 910, TSgt, SSgt and Sgt Performance Report. The applicant's complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. ______________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant served on active duty in the Regular Air Force from 26 May 1970 to 13 Mar 1974. He was assigned to the 376th Organizational Maintenance Squadron (OMS), Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, from 12 Mar 1972 to 26 Aug 1973. The Vietnam Service Medal (VSM), created on 8 Jul 1965, is awarded to all service members of the Armed Forces who, between 4 Jul 1965 and 28 Mar 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. The RVCM is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who: served for six months in South Vietnam during the period 1 March 1961 and 28 March 1973; or served outside the geographical limits of South Vietnam and contributed direct combat support to the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) Armed Forces for an aggregate of six months. Only members of the Armed Forces of the United States who meet the criteria established for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or VSM during the period of service required are considered to have contributed direct combat support to the RVN Armed Forces. On 15 Mar 2007, the Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) approved establishment of the AFCAM to recognize any military member of the Air Force who actively participated in combat (ground or air). An individual must have been under direct and hostile fire while operating in unsecured space (outside the defended perimeter), or physically engaging hostile forces with direct and lethal fire. The AFCAM may be awarded for qualifying service from 11 Sep 2001 to a date to be determined. Retroactive awards prior to 11 Sep 2001 are not authorized. ______________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: HQ AFPC/DPAPP recommends denial of his request for service time in Vietnam. DPAPP states a review of the applicant’s master personnel records and documentation submitted failed to provide any documents that substantiated foreign service time in Vietnam. The complete DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit B. HQ AFPC/DPSIDR recommends denial of his request for entitlement to the VSM and the RVCM. DPSIDR states there is no evidence the applicant served in the Area of Operation for 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days. DPSIDR verified the applicant is entitled to the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with V device and one Oak Leaf Cluster (OLC) and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross (RVNGC) with Palm for his service with the 376th OMS, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, from 12 March 1972 to 26 August 1973. The applicant’s record will be updated by another office accordingly. The applicant provided travel orders that indicated he was to make 24 round trips monthly from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa to U- Tapao Air Base Thailand. However, there are no travel vouchers or other official documentation verifying the travel actually took place. In any event, the order was for the period 17 April 1972 to 31 June 1972, a period of 2.5 months. If the travel actually took place, it is unclear whether it would reach the 60 non-consecutive days required for the VSM. DPSIDR was unable to locate any official documentation verifying the applicant provided direct support to the RVN Armed Forces for an aggregate of six months; with the possible exception of the flights into U-Tapao noted above, should it be determined those trips actually took place. Therefore, the applicant is ineligible for award of the RVCM. The applicant was released from active duty on 13 March 1974, before the effective date of the award of the AFCAM, and is therefore ineligible for the award. The applicant’s request for recognition for his unit is appropriately addressed by the RVNGC with Palm and the AFOUA with V device and one OLC as noted above. The complete DPSIDR evaluation is at Exhibit C. ______________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: On 10 Feb 2012, copies of the Air Force evaluations were forwarded to the applicant for review and comment within 30 days. To date, a response has not been received (Exhibit D). ______________________________________________________________ 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. 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 the applicant has not been the victim of an error or injustice. Therefore, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we find no basis to recommend granting the relief sought in 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 in Executive Session on 31 May 2012, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: The following documentary evidence was considered in AFBCMR BC- 2011-04635: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 14 Nov 2011, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Letter, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 9 Jan 2012. Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPSIDR, dated 23 Jan 2012. Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 10 Feb 2012.