PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:           14 December 2000  
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2000046580

	I certify that hereinafter is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in the case of the above-named individual.  

	Mr. Carl W. S. Chun		Director	
	Ms. Wanda L. Waller		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Ms. June Hajjar		Chairperson	
	Mr. Hubert O. Fry		Member	
	Mr. Richard T. Dunbar		Member	

	The applicant and counsel if any, did not appear before the Board.

	The Board considered the following evidence:

	Exhibit A - Application for correction of military 
                records
	Exhibit B - Military Personnel Records (including
	            advisory opinion, if any)

FINDINGS:

1.  The applicant has exhausted or the Board has waived the requirement for exhaustion of all administrative remedies afforded by existing law or regulations.

2.  The applicant requests additional awards of the Air Medal.

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that he did not receive any awards of the Air Medal for his second tour of duty in Vietnam from January 1971 through December 1971.  In support of his application, he submits copies of his flight records covering the periods January - June 1971; July - August 1971; April 1971; May 1971; June 1971; and July - August 1971; and a copy of his retirement DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from Active Duty) with an effective date of 31 October 1978.   

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he completed over 20 years of active duty on 31 October 1978 when he retired in the rank of staff sergeant.  His records also show that he served as a pilot in Vietnam from 2 November 1967 through 27 October 1968 and from 12 January 1971 through 17 December 1971.

5.  The applicant’s retirement DD Form 214 with an effective date of 31 October 1978 shows the Air Medal (First through Twentieth Oak Leaf Clusters) 
(21 awards of the Air Medal) as an authorized award. 

6.  Headquarters 1st Aviation Brigade General Orders Number 7122, dated
17 October 1968, shows the applicant was awarded the Air Medal (First through Twentieth Oak Leaf Cluster) for the period 25 February 1968 to 14 October 1968. This period covers his first assignment in Vietnam. 

7.  The applicant’s personnel service records contain DA Forms 759-1 (Individual Flight Record and Flight Certificate Army (Part II)) for the period January 1971 through December 1971 and shows the applicant had 990 flight hours of combat time.

8.  U.S Army Vietnam (USARV) Regulation 672-1 (Decorations and Awards) provided, in pertinent part, guidelines for award of the Air Medal.  It established that passenger personnel who did not participate in an air assault were not eligible for the award based upon sustained operations.  It defined terms and provided guidelines for the award based upon the number and types of missions or hours.  Twenty five Category I missions (air assault and equally dangerous missions) and accrual of a minimum of 25 hours of flight time while engaged in Category I missions was the standard established for which sustained operations were deemed worthy of recognition by an award of the Air Medal.  However, the regulation was clear that these guidelines were considered only a departure point.  Nothing created an entitlement to the award.  There was no provision for making the award simply because an aircraft was struck by enemy fire.  Arabic numerals are now used instead of oak leaf clusters for the second and succeeding awards.  The numeral 2 denotes the second award.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant received 21 awards of the Air Medal during his first tour in Vietnam.  

2.  His retirement DD Form 214 shows 21 awards of the Air Medal.

3.  Evidence of record shows the applicant flew an additional 990 combat flight hours during his second tour in Vietnam.  Therefore, the applicant is entitled to correction of his retirement DD Form 214 to show an additional 20 awards of the Air Medal, a total of 41 awards of the Air Medal.

4.  In view of the foregoing, the applicant’s records should be corrected as recommended below.

RECOMMENDATION:

That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by showing that the individual concerned was awarded the Air Medal with Numeral “41”. 

BOARD VOTE:  

JH______  HOF____  RTD____  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		June Hajjar_______
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR200046580	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20001214	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE	(HD)	
DATE OF DISCHARGE	19781031	
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY	  	
DISCHARGE REASON	Retirement	
BOARD DECISION	(GRANT)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	107.0018	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.