RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2012-02609 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO _______________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His records be corrected to reflect his service in Vietnam and Thailand. _______________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: His DD Form 214, Armed Forces of the United States – Report of Transfer or Discharge, does not reflect his service time in Vietnam or Thailand. He was on a temporary duty (TDY) assignment to Vietnam on three different occasions and was TDY to Thailand once and has provided copies of the travel orders for all these TDYs except one. He is applying for Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) benefits. 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 16 Sep 1966 to 21 Jul 1970. His DD Form 214 reflects 1 year, 6 months, and 22 days of Foreign Service. _______________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPAPP recommends denial. DPAPP states a review of his master personnel records and documentation submitted failed to provide any documents that substantiate Foreign Service time in Vietnam or Thailand. DPAPP is able to verify and confirm Foreign Service boots on the ground at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taiwan, from 10 Apr 1969 to 10 Jul 1970, for 1 year, 3 months, and 1 day, however, they are unable to verify any service time in Vietnam or Thailand. The complete DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit C. _______________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: He was very disappointed and upset after he received the DPAPP advisory. In late 1968 he was TDY from his duty location in Texas to Japan and from Japan he was sent on a TDY to Vietnam. However, he does not have copies of those TDY orders. He finds it disheartening to have served our great Nation in a combat zone on three separate occasions and not be recognized for putting his life on the line. He has been a member of the Veterans of Foreign War since 1972 and his DVA records reflect that he is a Vietnam Veteran. In further support of his appeal, the applicant provides a personal statement and is again enclosing copies of his TDY orders to Thailand and Vietnam. His 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. Sufficient evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of an error or an injustice. After a thorough review of the evidence presented, we are persuaded that relief is warranted. We note the Air Force office of primary responsibility recommends denial based on the fact that although they were able to confirm he had 1 year, 3 months, and 1 day of Foreign Service in Taiwan, they were unable to verify that he served in Vietnam or Thailand. However, the applicant has provided travel orders that show he was ordered to perform TDYs in Vietnam and Thailand. Although he has been unable to provide copies of the travel vouchers for these TDYs, in view of the fact the foreign service documented on his DD Form 214 exceeds his tour length in Taiwan, as confirmed by the OPR, by 3 months and 21 days, we find the evidence presented sufficient to persuade us that he did serve in Vietnam and Thailand. In view of the above, we recommend his records be corrected as indicated below. _______________________________________________________________ THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT: The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force relating to APPLICANT be corrected to show that he had boots on the ground in Vietnam and Thailand. _______________________________________________________________ The following members of the Board considered this application in Executive Session on 14 Feb 2013, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: XXXXXXX, Panel Chair XXXXXXX, Member XXXXXXX, Member All members voted to correct the record as recommended. The following documentary evidence was considered in AFBCMR BC- 2012-02609: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 14 June 2012, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 24 Jul 2012. Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 8 Aug 2012. Exhibit E. Letter, Applicant, dated 15 Aug 2012, w/atchs. 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 XXXXXXX, XXXXXXX, be corrected to show that he had boots on the ground in Vietnam and Thailand.