RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF: 			DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2014-00420

						COUNSEL:  NONE

						HEARING DESIRED:  NO 



APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

Her late father’s records be corrected to reflect he earned an 
award for flying 50 missions.  She believes this award is called 
the Gold Wing Medal.


APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

Her late father was in a jeep accident in Okinawa in 1945, in 
which he was injured, and that is why he wasn’t awarded his 
medal.  

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


STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The former military member initially entered the Army Air Corps 
on 25 Jul 43.

On 7 Mar 47, the former military member was discharged 
honorably, and was credited with three years, seven months, and 
ten days of active service.

According to the AF Form 11, Officer Military Record, the former 
military member retired from the Air Force Reserve on 4 Feb 66.

The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application are 
contained in the memorandum prepared by the Air Force office of 
primary responsibility (OPR), which is attached at Exhibit C.    


AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPSID recommends denial indicating there is no evidence of 
an error or an injustice.  The Gold Wing Medal is not an 
official award or decoration issued by the United States Air 
Force or the Department of Defense.  Nor is there any medal 
awarded to the former military member for completion of 50 
missions.  

A complete copy of the AFPC/DPSID evaluation is at Exhibit C.

SAF/MRBP recommends denial indicating there is no evidence of an 
error or injustice.  There is no official award or decoration 
that is issued by the United States Air Force or the Department 
of Defense called the Gold Wing Medal.  In review of the former 
military member’s next of kin's request, it is believed the 
applicant may have been referring to the Distinguished 
Flying Cross (DFC).

After a review of the member's records, supporting documents, 
submitted, and review of the Twelfth Air Force DFC criteria 
during 1944 and 1945, the former military member was not 
eligible for the DFC based solely on the total number of 
missions flown.  Per the guidelines at that time, the former 
military member’s total mission count for the Pacific theater 
could not be combined with his mission count from the European 
theater to qualify for the DFC.  Additionally, he is not 
eligible for the DFC based on his mission count from the 
European or Pacific theater alone.

A complete copy of the SAF/MRBP evaluation is at Exhibit D.


APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Copies of the Air Force evaluations were forwarded to the 
applicant on 13 May 15, 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 
(OPR) and adopt its rationale as the basis for our conclusion 
the former military member has not been the victim of an error 
of injustice.  Therefore, in the absence of evidence to the 
contrary, we find no basis to recommend granting the requested 
relief.


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-2014-00420 in Executive Session on 11 Jun 15, under 
the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

The following documentary evidence pertaining AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2014-00420 was considered:

	Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 22 Jan 14, w/atchs.
	Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
	Exhibit C.  Memorandum, AFPC/DPSID, dated 11 Apr 14.
	Exhibit D.  Memorandum, SAF/MRBP, dated 20 May 14.
      	Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 13 May 15.