RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF: 			DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2015-04712

						COUNSEL:  NONE

						HEARING DESIRED:  NO 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

He be awarded the Korean Defense Service Medal (KDSM).

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

He was unaware of the authorization of the KDSM until recently and stated it is absolutely unjust and virtually impossible for service members to go back 50 years to locate required documentation to support receipt of a commendation.

He deployed to Korea for temporary duty 5 times between 1984 and 1990 for 125 days cumulatively in country and for more than 39 days between 1967 and 1969 and many other shorter temporary duty assignments.

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

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

On 20 Feb 61, the applicant initially entered the Regular Air Force.

On 17 Jul 84, the applicant received an AF Form 911, Enlisted Performance Report (EPR) for the period of 2 Jun 83 thru 1 Jun 84 indicating he deployed in direct support of Team Spirit 84.

On 21 Jun 88, the applicant received an AF Form 911, for the period of 2 Jun 87 thru 1 Jun 88 indicating he deployed to Korea in direct support of Team Spirit 88.

According to a Report on Individual Personnel (RIP) dated 1 Mar 91, the applicant was credited with two temporary duty (TDY) assignments, totaling 33 days, to Korea in 1990.  

On 31 Mar 91, the applicant retired and was credited with 29 years, 9 months and 20 days of active service.

The Department of Defense approved the KDSM in Feb 04 to be given as recognition for military service in the Republic of Korea and the surrounding waters after 28 Jul 54 and ending on such a future date as determined by the Secretary of Defense. 

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.

After a thorough review of the applicant’s official military personnel record, AFPC/DP3SP was unable to verify award of the KDSM.

The KDSM period of eligibility is 25 Jul 54, to a future date to be determined by the Secretary of Defense.  Service members must have been permanently assigned, attached or detailed to a unit that operated within the area of eligibility and must have been physically deployed for 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days or met one of the following criteria:  was engaged in actual combat during an armed engagement, regardless of the time in the area of eligibility or was killed, wounded, or injured in the line of duty  and required medical evacuation from the area of eligibility, regardless of time in the area or as an aircrew member while participating as a regularly assigned aircrew member flying sorties into, out of, within, or over the area of eligibility in support of military operations.  Each day that one or more sorties are flown in accordance with these criteria shall count as one day toward the 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive day requirement.  

Although the applicant provided various forms of documentation to support his claim of being in the area of eligibility for the appropriate amount of time, he has not provided travel vouchers or any other official documentation stating his exact dates and location of deployment and amount of time served in Korea during each deployment.  

Without official documentation to verify exact locations or dates of service for the temporary duty assignments, AFPC/DP3SP is unable to verify he meets the criteria established for award of the KDSM.

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

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The applicant refutes virtually every point made by the OPR and argues AFPC/DP3SP failed to fully take into account some points.

He retired from active duty in 1991.  The KDSM was not authorized until 2002.  An eleven-year gap exists between when he departed service and when the medal was authorized.  He also states Defense Finance and Accounting Service Indianapolis (DAFS-IN) failed to locate any of his financial records when he requested them.  DFAS-IN informed him that none of his records between 1984 and 1991 could be located through no fault of his own.  This severely hampered his ability to provide primary records of attendance in numerous military exercises on the Korean peninsula.

DFAS only retains travel vouchers for a period of six years and three months.  Therefore, all of his travel vouchers were destroyed before the KDSM was authorized.

He believes it is irrational to expect service members to retain documents beyond the six years, three month timeframe.

A complete copy of the applicant rebuttal, with attachments, is at Exhibit E.

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, we believe the applicant is the victim of an injustice.  We note AFPC/DP3SP states the applicant provided various forms of documentation to support his claim of being in the area of eligibility for the appropriate amount of time yet recommends denial due to a lack of documentation showing the exact dates and location of his deployment.  However, we find the applicant’s performance reports for the periods 2 Jun 83 through 1 Jun 84 and 2 Jun 87 through 1 Jun 88, indicating he was deployed in support of Operation TEAM SPIRIT and his two TDYS to Korea in 1990 totaling 33 days, sufficient to conclude the applicant more likely than not served in the area of eligibility long enough to qualify for award of the KDSM.  In view of the foregoing, we recommend the applicant’s records be corrected as indicated below.  

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force relating to the APPLICANT to show that item 13, Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations, and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized, of the DD Form 214, Certificate of Discharge or Release From Active Duty, issued in conjunction with his 31 March 1991 release from active duty, be amended to include the Korean Defense Service Medal.

The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2015-04712 in Executive Session on 2 Mar 17 under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

	Panel Chair
	Member
	Member

All members voted to correct the record as recommended.  The following documentary evidence was considered:

	Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 21 Oct 15, w/atchs.
	Exhibit B.  Applicant's Excerpts from Personnel Records.
	Exhibit C.  Memorandum, AFPC/DP3SP, dated 11 Apr 16.
	Exhibit D.  Letter, AFBCMR, dated 9 Jun 16.
	Exhibit E.  Memorandum, Rebuttal, dated 28 Jun 16, w/atchs.

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.