RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-04799 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His records be corrected to reflect he was awarded campaign medals for Bosnia, Iraq I and Iraq II. _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: While working for the American Forces Network he was authorized to wear campaign medals for the conflicts in Bosnia and Iraq. He needs his DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, updated in order to qualify for additional tuition assistance from the State of New York. The applicant's complete submission is at Exhibit A. _________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant’s DD Form 214 reflects he served on active duty from 24 Jun 83 to 31 Jan 05. On 1 Feb 05, he retired for length of service and was credited with 21 years, 7 months, and 7 days of total active service, which includes 20 years, 2 months, and 30 days of foreign service. The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who after 1 Jul 58, participate as members of U.S. military units in a U.S. military operation and encounter during such participation foreign armed opposition, or are otherwise placed, in such position that, in the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hostile action by foreign armed forces was imminent even though it did not materialize. "Direct support" is defined as services being supplied to the combat forces in the area of operations by ground units, ships, and aircraft provided it involves actually entering the designated area, and engaged in direct support for 30 consecutive days in the AO. The Southwest Asia Service Medal (SWASM) is awarded for service in support of Operation DESERT SHIELD or DESERT STORM (ODS) in one or more of the following areas from 2 Aug 90 through 30 Nov 95: the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, that portion of the Arabian Sea that lies north of 100 N. latitude and west 680 E. longitude, as well as the total land areas of Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Individuals serving in Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, and Jordan (including the airspace and territorial waters) directly supporting combat operations from 17 Jan 91 through 30 Nov 95 shall also be eligible for award of the medal. The Iraq Campaign Medal (ICM) is awarded to Service members that must have been permanently assigned, attached, or detailed to a unit that operated within the area or eligibility (AOE) for 30 consecutive days or for 60 non-consecutive days on or after 19 Mar 03 to a future date to be determined (TBD) by the Secretary of Defense. The AOE encompasses all land area of the country of Iraq, the contiguous water area out to 12 nautical miles, and all air spaces thereover. The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application are contained in the letter prepared by the appropriate office of the Air Force, which are attached at Exhibit C. _________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: HQ AFPC/DPSIDR recommends denial noting there are no campaign medals for Bosnia, Iraq I and Iraq II. The applicant was asked to provide clarification regarding which awards he was requesting, but did not respond. While it appears the applicant is requesting award of the AFEM for operations in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), the SWASM for OPERATION DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, and the ICM for OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, there was no documentation in the applicant’s submission or his military personnel records that indicate he was deployed to any location within the respective areas of eligibility (AOE). The complete AFPC/DPSIDR evaluation is at Exhibit C. _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the applicant 6 Mar 12, for review and comment within 30 days (Exhibit D). As of this date, no response has been received by this office. _________________________________________________________________ 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 an 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 decision the applicant was not the victim of an error or injustice. Therefore, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we find no basis upon which to recommend granting the relief sought in this application. _________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT: The applicant be notified the evidence presented did not demonstrate the existence of material error or injustice; the application was denied without a personal appearance; and 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 AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2011-04799 in Executive Session on 26 Jun 12, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: The following documentary evidence was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 9 Nov 11. Exhibit B. Applicant's Military Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Letter, HQ AFPC/DPSIDR, dated 20 Jan 12. Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 6 Mar 12.