RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2012-05812 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, be corrected to reflect his Temporary Duty (TDY) assignment to Thailand and his entitlement to any award or ribbon. ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: His TDY to Takhli Thailand from June through August 1968 is not reflected by any ribbons or medals on his DD Form 214. The applicant did not provide any supporting documents with his request. The applicant’s complete submission is at Exhibit A. ________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant is a former member of the Regular Air Force who served from 7 June 1965 to 31 October 1985. He was retired from active duty with an honorable characterization of service and was credited with 20 years, 4 months and 24 days of active duty service of which 11 years, and 21 days were credited as Foreign Service. The applicant’s DD Form 214 does not reflect service in Thailand. Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 1336.1, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214/5 Series) dated 20 August 2009, which establishes and implements policy for the preparation and distribution of the DD Form 214, does not include a provision for update of TDY assignments/locations on the DD Form 214. AFI 36-2110, Assignments, dated 22 September 2009, paragraph 3.4.4.3, states; use a combination of the following documents to verify completed TDY assignments: travel vouchers, PCS orders, decoration citations, enlisted or officer performance reports and records review Report on Individual Personnel (RIP). ________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPAPP recommends denial. DPAPP states a thorough review of the applicant’s Master Personnel Record (MPR), medical and dental records failed to substantiate his claim of foreign service in Thailand. The complete AFPC/DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit C. 1. AFPC/DPSID recommends denial. DPSID states that based on AFPC Directorate of Assignments being unable to verify the applicant served in Thailand, they are unable to verify the applicant is eligible for any awards issued in support of the Vietnam Conflict to include the Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. a. The Vietnam Service Medal is awarded to all service members of the Armed Services who between 4 July 1965 and 28 March 1973, served in the following areas of Southeast Asia: Vietnam and the contiguous waters and airspace; in Thailand, Laos, or Cambodia or the airspace thereof and in the direct support of military operations in Vietnam as a crew member in one or more aerial flights directly supporting military operations, or, for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days. These time limitations may be waived for personnel participating in actual combat operations. b. The Vietnam Campaign Medal was awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who between 1 March 1961 and 28 March 1973, served for 6 months in South Vietnam during this period; served outside the geographical limits of South Vietnam and contributed direct combat support to the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces for an aggregate of 6 months. Only members of the Armed Forces of the United States who meet the criteria established for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam) or the Vietnam Service Medal during the period of service required are considered to have contributed direct combat support to the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces. 2. Based on their review of the applicant's official military personnel record, they were able to determine that the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA) should have been awarded during the applicant's service from 7 June 1965 to 31 October 1985 and was not reflected in his records. Upon the Board’s decision, administrative correction of the applicant's official military personnel record will be completed by AFPC/DPSOR. The complete AFPC/DPSID evaluation, with attachment, is at Exhibit D. ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: In his response, the applicant states that he is requesting recognition of his tour of service in Thailand and emphasizes that he is not looking for awards or medals. He further states when he retired in 1985 he did not notice the omission of the TDY in his records. He spent 89 days in a hot, bug, snake and disease infested place and has no records to show for his presence there. He cannot get proper treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) without that acknowledgment. The applicant’s complete response is Exhibit F. ________________________________________________________________ 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, due to the absence of official documentation that verifies his foreign service in Thailand we agree with the opinion and recommendation of the Air Force offices of primary responsibility and adopt their 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 the remaining portion of the 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 15 October 2013, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: , Panel Chair , Member , Member The following documentary evidence was considered in AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2012-05812: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 17 December 2012. Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 17 January 2013. Exhibit D. Letter, AFPC/DPSID, dated 25 March 2013, w/atch. Exhibit E. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 1 April 2013. Exhibit F. Letter, Applicant, dated 29 April 2013.