RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2010-01555 INDEX CODE: 107.00 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His records be corrected to reflect award of the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA) and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM). _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: He was stationed with the 322nd Air Division (332 AD) at Evreux, France, from 4 Oct 62 to 7 May 63. The 332 AD received the AFOUA for the period 1 Sep 62 to 15 Apr 63. He served in the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) from 1960 to 1963 and with some commands that he believes were in direct support and assistance in the Congo Airlift, Cuban Missile Crisis, Berlin Wall, Laos, and Vietnam. He questions whether he qualifies for the AFEM or any other medals. In support of his request, the applicant provides copies of the 322 AD history and extracts of his military personnel records. The applicant's complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. _________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant entered the Regular Air Force on 14 Jul 59 and was honorably discharged on 8 May 63. He is credited with 3 years, 9 months, and 25 days of active service. The AFEM is awarded to member of the United States Armed Forces who, after 1 Jul 58, have participated in a United States military operation or encountered foreign armed opposition, or were in danger of hostile action by foreign armed forces. In order to be eligible for award of the AFEM the member had to have served on the ground in the areas of eligibility (AOE). _________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: HQ AFPC/DPSIDR recommends denial of the AFEM and state that no official documentation was located in the applicant’s record that verifies he participated in the Congo Airlift or served with “boots on ground” in Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. However, they were able to verify the applicant’s entitlement to the AFOUA and indicate the records will be administratively corrected to reflect this award. The complete HQ AFPC/DPSIDR 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 30 Jul 10 for review and comment within 30 days (Exhibit D). As of this date, this office has not received a response. _________________________________________________________________ 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 error or injustice. We took notice of the applicant's complete submission in judging the merits of the case and note his records will be administratively corrected to reflect award of the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. However, with regard to the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, we agree with the opinion and recommendation of the Air Force office of primary responsibility and adopt its rationale as the basis for our conclusion that the applicant has not been the victim of an error or injustice. Therefore, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we find no basis to recommend granting the relief sought in this application. _________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT: The applicant be notified that the evidence presented did not demonstrate the existence of material error or injustice; that the application was denied without a personal appearance; and that 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 Docket Number BC-2009-01555 in Executive Session on 14 September 2010, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: The following documentary evidence was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 24 Apr 10, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Letter, HQ AFPC/DPSIDR, dated 7 Jul 10. Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 30 Jul 10.