RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2012-04331 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His records be corrected to reflect he served in the Republic of Vietnam and was awarded the appropriate awards and decorations. ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: His DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, does not credit him with time served in Cam Ran Bay or Phan Rang, Vietnam, where he was subjected to small arms fire upon landings and departures. He will be allowed to join the Veterans of Foreign Wars upon verification of service in the Republic of Vietnam. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. _________________ ______________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant’s military personnel records indicate that he enlisted in the Regular Air Force on 22 September 1967. The applicant’s military personnel records contain a copy of a DD Form 1351-2, Travel Voucher or Sub voucher, reflecting that during the period 2 February 1970 through 6 February 1970, he traveled between the following locations while on temporary duty (TDY): Qui Nhon, Vietnam; Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam; Don Muang Royal Tai Air Force Base (RTAFB); Korat RTAFB, and Ubon RTAFB. The applicant’s military personnel records contain a copy of a DD Form 1351-2, which reflects on 6 February 1970 the applicant traveled to and from Phan Rang Air Base, Vietnam. On 30 September 1987, the applicant was relieved from active duty and retired, effective 1 October 1987, and was credited with 20 years and 9 days of total active service. On 23 January 2013, AFPC/DPAPP notified the applicant that they were able to verify and confirm his support of temporary duties with “boots on ground” in Taiwan, Thailand, Republic of Vietnam, and Japan. ________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPSID recommends denial of the applicant’s request for awards and decorations related to his service in the Republic of Vietnam, indicating there is no evidence of an error or injustice. The Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) is awarded to all service members of the Armed Services between 4 July 1965 and 28 March 1973, served in Vietnam and the contiguous waters and airspace thereof; or Thailand, Laos, or Cambodia and the airspaces thereof; for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days, or participated as a crew member in one or more aerial flights directly supporting military operations. These limitations may be waived for personnel participating in actual combat operations. While the applicant performed various temporary duty tours in the Thailand and the Republic of Vietnam, there is no documentation indicating applicant was there for more than 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days, participated as a crew member for one or more aerial missions, or was subjected to enemy action. To grant the applicant relief would be contrary to the eligibility, criteria established by DoDM 1348.33-M. A complete copy of the AFPC/DPSID 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 3 February 2013 for review and comment within 30 days. As of this date, no response has been received by this office (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 an error or injustice with respect to the applicant’s request for awards related to his service in Southeast Asia. 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 the Air Force office of primary responsibility and adopt its rationale as the basis for our conclusion the applicant has not been the victim of an error or injustice. We note that AFPC/DPAPP has verified the applicant’s service in Southeast Asia and issued him a “boots on the ground” letter to document said service. Therefore, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we find no basis to recommend granting any relief beyond that rendered administratively. ________________________________________________________________ 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 AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2012-04331 in Executive Session on 2 May 2013, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: Panel Chair Member Member The following documentary evidence was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 17 September 2012, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPSID, dated 27 December 2012. Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 3 February 2013.