RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF: 			DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2015-04025

   						COUNSEL:  NONE

						HEARING DESIRED:  NO 

APPLICANT REQUESTS:

His DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, be updated to reflect the following changes:

1.  Foreign-service credit for his service in Honduras during the period 4 Apr 90 through 2 Aug 90.  (Administratively corrected)

2.  Foreign-service credit for his service in Saudi Arabia in support of Operation DESERT STORM during the period Sep 91 through Feb 92.  (Administratively corrected)

3.  Award of the following decorations:

	a.  The Kuwait Liberation Medal - Kuwait (KLM-K). (Administratively corrected)

	b.  The Nuclear Deterrence Service Medal (NDSM). (Administratively corrected) 

	c.  The Air Force Achievement Medal (AFAM). (Administratively corrected) 

	d.  The Joint Service Achievement Medal (JSAM).

	e.  The Air Force Overseas Ribbon-Short Tour (AFOS-ST).

	f.  The Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM).

	g.  The Air Force Expeditionary Service Medal (AFESM).

	h.  The Combat Readiness Medal (CRM).  

APPLICANT CONTENDS:

He served his country with honor and would like to have his record reflect his service. 

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

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant initially entered the Regular Air Force on 6 Sep 88.

On 5 Sep 92, the applicant was furnished an honorable discharge, and was credited with 4 years of active service.   

On 11 May 16, AFPC/DPAPP directed the applicant’s DD Form 214 be updated to change his foreign-service credit from “0 years, 3 months, and 14 days” to read “0 years, 9 months, and 18 days,” based upon his confirmed service in Honduras and Saudi Arabia. 

On 13 Jun 16, AFPC/DP1SP directed the applicant’s DD Form 214 be updated to add award of the following decorations:

	1.  The Air Force Achievement Medal (AFAM).

	2.  The Southwest Asia Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star (SWASM w/1BSS).

	3.  The Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with “N” device (NDOSM w/N).  

	4.  The Air Force Longevity Service Award (AFLSA).

	5.  The Kuwait Liberation Medal-Kuwait (KLM-K).

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/DP3SP recommends denial indicating there is no evidence of an error or an injustice.  The criteria for award of the requested decorations are: 

1.  Joint Service Achievement Medal (JSAM).  The JSAM is awarded in the name of the Secretary of Defense to members of the United States Armed Forces below the grade of 0-6 who, while assigned to a joint activity after 3 Aug 83, distinguished themselves by outstanding performance of duty, meritorious achievement or service.  Service members assigned and/or attached to a Joint Task Force as individuals (not as members of a Service unit) may also be eligible for the JSAM.  Members of Service-unique units assigned and/or attached to a Joint Task Force retain eligibility for award of personal decorations from their parent Services.  They may not be awarded Defense/Joint decorations.

2.  Air Force Overseas Ribbon—Short Tour (AFOS-ST).  The AFOS-ST was authorized by the Chief of Staff, United States Air Force, 12 Oct 80.  The ribbon was authorized to be awarded to Air Force and Air Force Reserve members credited with completion of an overseas tour on or after 1 Sep 80. Only individuals serving on active duty as of 6 Jan 86 are eligible to have the AFOS-ST applied retroactively for completion of an overseas tour.

3.  Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM).  The AFSM was established on 11 Jan 96 and is awarded to members of the Armed Forces who participate in a United States Military operation deemed to be a significant activity and who encounter no foreign armed opposition or imminent hostile action.  The AFSM may be awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who, on or after, 1 Jun 92, in the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff participate, or have participated, as members of United States Military units, in a United States Military operation in which personnel of any United States Armed Forces participate that is deemed to be a significant activity and encounter no foreign armed opposition or imminent hostile action.  Service members must have been permanently assigned attached, or detailed to a unit that deployed to participate in a United States Military operation within a designated area of eligibility for 30 consecutive· days (or for the full period when an operation is less than 30 days) or for 60 non-consecutive days, or meet one or more of the following criteria: was engaged in direct support for 30 consecutive days in the area of eligibility (or for the full period when an operation is of less than 30 days duration) or for 60 non-consecutive days provided this support involves entering the area of eligibility or participated as a regularly assigned crew member on an aircraft flying into, out of, within, or over the area of eligibility in direct support of the designated military operation for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days.  One day of service is credited for the first sortie flown on any day. Additional sorties flown on the same day receive no further credit.

4.  Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon (AFESM).  The Secretary of the Air Force approved the AFESM as recognition for deployed status.  The AFESM is awarded to Air Force active duty, Reserve, and Guard personnel who complete a contingency deployment after 1 Oct 99.  Deployed status is defined as either deployment on contingency, exercise, deployment orders or members sourced in direct support (in-theater or out) of expeditionary operations with an overnight away from home station.  To qualify for the AFESM, individuals must have deployed for 45 consecutive days or 90 nonconsecutive days on a deployed status.

5.  Combat Readiness Medal (CRM).   The CRM is awarded for periods of qualifying service in combat or mission-ready status for direct weapons systems employment.  For the purpose of this award direct weapons system employment is defined as: an aircrew whose wartime mission places them into enemy territory or in the threat envelope of ground enemy defenses; a missile operation which could employ weapons to destroy enemy targets; and, individuals who directly control in-flight manned aircraft whose wartime mission is to seek and destroy enemy targets.  Additionally, an individual must meet all of the following criteria:  be a member of a unit subject to combat readiness  reporting (MAJCOMs, DRUs, and FOAs designate qualifying duty positions and units); complete basic and initial training and be formally certified as combat or mission ready in performing the command or unit operational mission.  The individual must be subject to a continuous individual positional evaluation program; have completed 24 months of sustained combat or mission readiness with no more than a 120-calendar day break.

A thorough review of the applicant’s official military records did not verify award of the JSAM, AFOS-ST, AFSM, AFESM, or the CRM.  The rationale for not recommending the requested decorations is:

1.  Joint Service Achievement Medal (JSAM).  A special order is the official source document to verify award of a decoration.  Although the applicant did not provide a special order for award of JSAM, he did provide a copy of a signed certificate and the citation, which appear to be authentic, for award of the JSAM for his service with Joint Task Force Bravo, Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, from 4 Apr 90 to 2 Aug 90.  Further, the applicant's Enlisted Performance Report (EPR) covering the period 6 May 90 to 5 May 91 indicates he was awarded of the JSAM.  

2.  Air Force Overseas Ribbon—Short Tour (AFOS-ST).  The Air Force Personnel Center, Directorate of Assignments verified the applicant's foreign service time at Riyadh Air Base, Saudi Arabia, from 5 September 1991 to 12 Feb 92, for 5 months and 8 days, which does not meet the criteria for the AFOS-ST.

3.  Armed Forces Service Medal (AFSM).  There is no official documentation in the applicant's record verifying he entered an area of eligibility for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days in support of an approved AFSM operation.

4.  Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon (AFESM).  The applicant's active duty service dates from 6 Sep 88 to 5 Sep 92, are prior to the award authorization date for award of the AFESM; rendering the applicant ineligible for the award.

5.  Combat Readiness Medal (CRM).  There is no official documentation in the applicant's record to verify he served in a combat ready position for 24 months and was awarded or recommended for the CRM by his assigned base.  

AFPC/DP2STM reviewed and administratively corrected the applicant’s records to add the AFAM, the SWASM w/1BSS, NDOSM w/N, AFLSA, and the KLM-K.  Recommend disapproval of award of any of the requested decorations beyond those which were administratively corrected.  

A complete copy of the AFPC/DP3SP evaluation is at Exhibit C.

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the applicant on 28 Jun 16 for review and comment within 30 days (Exhibit D).  As of this date, no response has been received by this office.

THE BOARD CONCLUDES:

1.  The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing law or regulations.

2.  The application was not timely filed.  While the applicant claims a date of discovery of less than three years ago, in our view, the reasonable date of discovery of the alleged error or injustice was more than three years ago and the application is therefore untimely.  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 concerning the applicant’s request for award of the AFOS-ST, AFSM, AFESM, or CRM.  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 AFPC/DP3SP and adopt its rationale as the basis for our conclusion the applicant 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 concerning said decorations.  

4.  Notwithstanding our recommendation above, the Board believes sufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of an error or injustice concerning the applicant’s request for the JSAM.  While we note the comments of AFPC/DP3SP indicating relief should be denied because the applicant’s official military records do not contain a copy of the Special Order awarding him the JSAM, we believe a preponderance of the evidence substantiates corrective action is warranted.  In this respect, we note the applicant provided copies of both a Certificate of Award of the Joint Service Achievement Medal and an associated Citation to Accompany the Award of the Joint Service Achievement Medal indicating he was awarded the JSAM, and AFPC/DP3SP acknowledges the applicant’s Enlisted Performance Report covering the period 6 May 90 through 5 May 91 indicates he was awarded the JSAM.  Therefore, we recommend the applicant’s records be corrected as indicated below.  

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS:

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force relating to the APPLICANT be corrected to show his DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, dated 5 September 1992, be amended in Block 13, Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized, to reflect he was awarded the Joint Service Achievement Medal.  

The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2015-04025 in Executive Session on 18 Aug 16 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 11 Sep 15 w/atchs.
	Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
	Exhibit C.  Memorandum, AFPC/DP3SP, dated 12 Jun 16.
	Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 28 Jun 16.

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 the foregoing is a true and complete record of the Board's proceedings in the above entitled matter.