RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:	DOCKET NUMBER:	BC-2014-04035 COUNSEL:	NONE
HEARING DESIRED:	NO

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:
His DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, be amended to reflect service in support of Operation DESERT SHIELD/STORM and any associated awards for service in Southwest Asia.

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:
His records are incomplete because immediately upon returning from his deployment to Saudi Arabia in 1991, he began outprocessing for retirement. He submits Special Travel orders in support of exercise Desert Shield and a letter awarding him the Kuwait Liberation Medal as evidence of his deployment.

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

STATEMENT OF FACTS:
On 14 Jun 71, the applicant entered the Air Force Reserve; he subsequently entered the Regular Air Force on 21 Jul 71.

According to documentation provided by the applicant, his name is listed on group special mission travel orders, in support of Exercise DESERT SHIELD, from Myrtle Beach AFB, SC, to Myrtle Beach AFB, SC (APOE), and return to Myrtle Beach AFB, SC, with a proceed date of on/about 25 Aug 90, for a period of 90 days.

On 31 Jul 91, the applicant was relieved from active duty and retired effective 1 Aug 91, and furnished an honorable discharge, and was credited with 20 years and 10 days of active service.

From 1 Oct 90 to 3 Dec 90, according to SF600, Chronological Record of Medical Care, the applicant was treated for various medical issues at a location identified as “Saudi” or “SA.”

On 1 Jan 98, AFPC/DPRRA denied the applicant’s request for the Southwest Asia Service Medal (SWASM) because evidence of temporary duty in the Persian Gulf Area of Responsibility (AOR) could not be verified.

The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application are described in the memoranda prepared by the Air Force offices of primary responsibility (OPR), which are included at Exhibits C and D.

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:
AFPC/DPAPP recommends denial, indicating there is no evidence of an error or injustice. A review of the applicant’s Master Personnel Records, and documentation submitted, failed to provide evidence to substantiate foreign service time in support of Operation DESERT SHIELD/STORM. It is recommended to deny the applicant’s request.

A complete copy of the AFPC/DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit C.
AFPC/DPSID defers to the Board’s judgment in determining evidence of an error or injustice. While the applicant contends he was deployed 25 Aug 90 to 21 Mar 91, in support of Operation DESERT SHIELD, no conclusive evidence of this deployment was found in the applicant’s official military personnel record, nor was there evidence to verify any awards for service in Southwest Asia.

While the applicant provided Special Order TD-393 to participate in Operation DESERT SHIELD, without the paid travel voucher corroborating evidence the deployment actually took place, it could not be verified the travel was undertaken, as orders can be cancelled or changed. A paid travel voucher would be acceptable, but none was located in the applicant’s official personnel record, nor was it provided by him.

Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) was able to verify the applicant received Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay from
1	Sep 90 to 20 Mar 91, but was unable to provide the location.
Further, there is a Report on Individual Personnel (RIP) dated
2	Jul 91 which reflects a temporary duty (TDY) assignment adjustment from 27 Aug 90 to 20 Mar 91 under the overseas duty history; but, again, no location. The length of the tour is noted as 206 days.
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With regards to eligibility for awards/medals associated with service in support of Operation DESERT SHIELD/STORM:

The Southwest Asia Service Medal (SWASM) is awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who served in Support of Operations DESERT SHIELD or DESERT STORM in Saudi Arabia [and other locations not being contended by the applicant] directly supporting combat operations between 17 Jan 91 and 30 Nov 95. To be eligible, a service member must: be permanently assigned, attached, or detailed for one or more days with an organization participating in ground and/or shore (military) operations; have served on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days.

The Kuwait Liberation Medal-Saudi Arabia (KLM-SA) is awarded to those members who served in support of Operation DESERT STORM between 17 Jan 91 and 28 Feb 91 in Saudi Arabia [and other locations not being contended by the applicant].  To be eligible, a service member must: be permanently assigned, attached, or detailed for one or more days with an organization participating in ground and/or shore (military) operations; have served on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days during this period.

The Kuwait Liberation Medal-Kuwait (KLM-K) is awarded to those members who served in support of Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM between 2 Aug 90 and 31 Aug 93, in Saudi Arabia [and other locations not being contended by the applicant]. To be eligible, a service member must: be permanently assigned, attached, or detailed for one or more days with an organization participating in ground and/or shore (military) operations; have served on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 6 non- consecutive days.

While it appears as though the applicant could very well have been in the AOR and orders to participate in Operation DESERT SHIELD was carried out, it was not possible to confirm this based on the documentation available. The applicant’s RIP dated 2 Jul 91, documents an overseas TDY from 27 Aug 90 to 20 Mar 91, but not a location; DFAS verified the applicant received Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay from 1 Sep 90 to 20 Mar 91, but was unable to provide the exact location; and, AFPC/DPAPP was unable to substantiate any foreign service in support of Operation DESERT SHIELD/STORM. The applicant’s letter from AFMPC, dated 10 Nov 92, does not provide a reason why the KLM is being provided to him. Without the exact location of the applicant’s contended deployment, we are unable to verify award of the SWASM, KLM-SA, and/or the KLM-K.

Additionally, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA) (validated by the AF Form 104, Humanitarian Service Medal/Unit Award Verification), awarded 29 Oct 87, was not reflected in his records. Upon final Board decision, the applicant’s official military personnel record will be administrative corrected.

If the board finds in favor of the applicant’s contended deployment location, he would be eligible for award of the SWASM with two Bronze Service Stars, KLM-SA and the KLM-Kuwait; however, to grant relief would be contrary to the eligibility criteria established by DoDM 1348.33, Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff, and/or the War Department, if there is no evidence to corroborate that the applicant actually deployed as alleged.

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

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:
The applicant indicates it is not unusual for the Air Force to not list the exact location of travel on special mission orders. Further, he submits three letters in which past coworkers reference his deployment in support of Operation DESERT SHIELD/STORM in their recommendation for his employment.

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 relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of an error or injustice. After a thorough review of the evidence of record and the applicant’s complete submission, including his rebuttal response, we believe the applicant is the victim of an error or injustice. While we note the comments of the offices of primary responsibility indicating that relief should be denied because they found no documentation in the applicant’s records that would independently substantiate the applicant’s contention that the applicant deployed in support of Operation DESERT SHIELD/STORM, we believe a preponderance of the evidence substantiates that corrective action is warranted. In this respect, the totality of the applicant’s evidence does, in fact, corroborate and substantiate that he was deployed to southwest asia in support of Operation DESERT SHIELD/STORM. Specifically, the following evidence is corroboration of his deployment: his travel orders; the medical records stating that he was seen at a deployed medical facility in Saudi Arabia; the DFAS verification that the applicant received Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay from 1 Sep 90 to 20 Mar 91 (which coincide with the temporary duty dates on his Report on Individual Personnel (RIP) and the travel orders); the lack of any evidence that would otherwise explain the payment of hostile fire or imminent danger pay during this period; and the witness statements in the letters supporting employment applications. This mass of corroborating evidence taken together leads to a conclusion that it is more
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likely than not that the applicant deployed in support  of Operation DESERT SHIELD/STORM and is authorized the SWASM with two Bronze Service Stars, the KLM-SA, and the KLM-K. Therefore, we recommend the applicant’s records be corrected as indicated below.

With regards to the applicant’s request to document his service in support of DESERT SHIELD/STORM on his DD Form 214, AFI 36-3202 limits “in support of” statements in the remarks section of a DD Form 214 to active service by Air National Guard and Reserve members only. As the applicant was in the Regular Air Force, the use of "in support of" is not authorized.

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:
The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force relating to the APPLICANT be corrected to show that he was awarded the Southwest Asia Service Medal (SWASM) with two Bronze Service Stars, the Kuwait Liberation Medal-Saudi Arabia (KLM-SA), and the Kuwait Liberation Medal-Kuwait (KLM-K).

The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2014-04035 in Executive Session on 30 Jun 15 under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

, Panel Chair
, Member
, Member
All members voted to correct the records as recommended. The following documentary evidence was considered:

Exhibit A.	DD Form 149, dated 14 Sep 14, w/atchs. Exhibit B.	Applicant's Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C.	Memorandum, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 15 Dec 14. Exhibit D.	Memorandum, AFPC/DPSID, dated 1 Feb 14. Exhibit E.	Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 6 Mar 15.
Exhibit F.	Letter, Applicant, dated 6 Apr 15