RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-04417 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His DD Form 214, Report of Transfer or Discharge, be corrected to reflect he was awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM). ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: He departed McCoy AFB, Florida on 12 December 1966 for Andersen AFB, Guam. This was a unit move for the purpose of operational deployment. While there, he served as ground support for the B- 52 bombing missions over Vietnam. They all worked long shifts and contributed to the successful missions. Additionally, the safety of the ground troops in Vietnam was greatly enhanced. Recently while conducting research, he discovered the AFEM originated in 1961 for participating in military operations not covered by a specific war medal. He feels he is eligible for this medal. In support of his appeal, the applicant provides a personal statement, a copy of his DD Form 214, a copy of Special Order T- 1543 and a key personnel roster. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. ________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant enlisted in the Regular Air Force on 11 April 1966. He was honorably discharged on 3 April 1970. He was credited with 3 years, 11 months and 23 days of active duty service. Of that service, he received credit for 11 months and 24 days of Foreign Service. ________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPSIDR recommends denial. The AFEM is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who after 1 July 1958, participate as members of U.S. military units in a U.S. military operation and encounter during such participation foreign armed opposition, or are otherwise placed in such position that, in the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), hostile action by foreign armed forces was imminent even though it did not materialize. Direct support is defined as services being supplied to the combat forces in the area of operations (AO) by ground units, ships and aircraft provided it involves actually entering the designated area and engaged in direct support for 30 consecutive days in the AO. The AO for the AFEM for Vietnam consisted of the area of Vietnam, the sea adjacent to the 12-mile limit and the associated air space. The applicant must have entered the AO as established by the JCS to be eligible for the AFEM. All of the applicant’s Foreign Service was in Guam. They are unable to locate documentation verifying his presence in Vietnam. Therefore, he is ineligible for the AFEM for Vietnam service. The period of eligibility for the AFEM for Vietnam service began on 1 July 1958 and ended on 4 July 1965. The applicant’s service began on 11 April 1966, making him ineligible for the AFEM for service in Vietnam. In response to a previous request, the applicant was notified that his entitlement to the Vietnam Service Medal could not be verified because he never entered the area of responsibility. The complete 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 6 January 2012 for review and comment within 30 days. As of this date, this office has received no response (Exhibit D). ________________________________________________________________ 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 and the available evidence of record in judging the merits of the case. However, we are not persuaded, based upon the evidence presented, of his entitlement to award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. Therefore, we agree with the opinion and recommendation of the Air Force office of primary responsibility and adopt its rationale as the basis of our conclusion that the applicant has not established his entitlement to the requested award. 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 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 Docket Number BC- 2011-04417 in Executive Session on 17 May 2012, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: The following documentary evidence was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 29 Oct 11 w/atchs. Exhibit B. Applicant’s Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPSIDR, dated 22 Dec 11. Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 6 Jan 12.