ADDENDUM TO
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF: 			DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2015-00832

 						COUNSEL:  NONE

						HEARING DESIRED:  NO 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His DD Form 214, Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge, be corrected to reflect he served in Vietnam.

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

He served at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam on Temporary Duty (TDY) orders.  His DD Form 214 reflects 3 months and 8 days of foreign and/or sea service but does show where he was sent.  He was in Cam Ranh Bay from 9 February 1968 to 25 February 1968 and 3 March 1968 to 19 March 1968.

He has been denied benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) due to the lack of evidence he was exposed to Agent Orange. 

He provides Special Order TA-317 dated 4 February 1968 from his National Personnel Records Center records and an eyewitness statement in support of his request.  

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

RESUME OF CASE:

The applicant entered the Regular Air Force on 21 January 1966 and was released from active duty on 28 May 1968.  He served 3 years, 4 months and 7 days of active duty service.  

The applicant’s DD Form 214, Item 22, Statement of Service,      Block c, Foreign and/or Sea Service, reflects 3 months and 8 days.    

The applicant’s Airman Performance Report (APR) for the reporting period of 21 January 1967 to 20 January 1968 reflects he was on TDY assignment to Howard AFB, Panama.  

On 20 October 2015, the Board denied the applicant’s request his DD Form 214 be amended to reflect he served in Vietnam.  The Board found the applicant’s request untimely and concluded that it was not in the interest of justice to excuse the failure to file in a timely manner given there was no evidence of an error or injustice in the applicant’s record which required correction based on the merits of the case.  

Applicant provides Special Order TA-317 dated 4 February 1968; however, the order does not list the applicant’s name or the TDY location.

The applicant provides an eyewitness statement dated 27 January 2016 which states he served with the applicant in Vietnam from January to April 1968.  The letter states that in January 1968 all active duty airmen at Pope were recalled to base.  A few days later 16 of their C-130 aircrafts along with flight crews, maintenance staff and support staff were deployed.  He and the applicant, along with many others, were sent to Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam.  While there, they supported flights to Khe Sanh, Hue and other hot battle areas.  Their planes and flight crews hauled and air dropped supplies to US troops who were surrounded and when possible, landed and brought back wounded and deceased.  He and the applicant were friends and a part of the support group that was housed in temporary barracks close to the beach.  The flight line was on the other side of the base and they took a shuttle bus to and from work.  They worked 12 hour shifts seven days a week refueling, repairing and servicing C-130 aircraft.  On 4 March 1968, while at Cam Ranh Bay, they were attacked by mortar and rockets which was the most excitement they had during their time there.  In the middle of April, another group from Pope AFB came to replace them.  

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.   Having carefully reviewed the complete case, we find the evidence insufficient to warrant correcting the applicant’s record to reflect he served in Vietnam.  While the applicant provides an eyewitness statement in support of his request, in our opinion the eyewitness statement lacks specific credible information to substantiate the applicant served in Vietnam.  Furthermore, the TDY order (Special Order TA-317 dated 4 February 1968) provided by the applicant does not include the applicant’s name or the TDY location to substantiate he served in Vietnam.  Therefore, we find the evidence provided insufficient to overcome the decision of Board in the applicant’s initial case.  However, should the applicant provide additional evidence, such as a travel voucher or TDY orders which reflect his name and TDY location, the Board would be willing to reconsider his request.  In view of this and 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-2015-00832 in Executive Session on 6 April 2017 under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

	 , Panel Chair
	 , Member
	 , Member

The following documentary evidence was considered:

	Exhibit E.  DD Form 149, dated 1 February 2016, w/atchs.
	Exhibit F.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
	Exhibit G.  Record of Proceedings, w/Exhibits.
	Exhibit H.  Letter, AFBCMR, dated 4 April 2016.  

Pursuant to paragraph 1 of AFI 36-2603 (Title 32 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 865.1), it is certified that a quorum was present at the Board's review and deliberations, and that the foregoing is a true and complete record of the Board's proceedings in the above entitled matter.