RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2013-02610 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 1. His DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, be corrected to reflect the following awards: a. Korean Defense Service Medal (KDSM). (Administratively Corrected) b. Vietnam Service Medal (VSM). c. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm (RVGC w/P). d. Presidential Unit Citation (PUC). e. Vietnam Campaign Medal (VCM). f. Republic of Korea Korean War Service Medal (KWSM). g. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Medal. h. Cold War Medal. i. Air Force Overseas Ribbon-Long Tour (AFOR-L). j. Air Force Overseas Ribbon-Short Tour (AFOR-S). k. Aircrew Member Badge. l. Air Force Maintenance Badge. m. Other awards and medals he is entitled to. 2. His DD Form 214, Block 6, Place of Entry Into Active Duty (POE), be corrected to reflect Dallas, TX. ______________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: He participated in actions in Asia from 1974 to 1975 and Europe/Middle East from 1976 to 1978; however, his DD Form 214 does not reflect the awards. He worked on and flew in T-39s during his assignments at Offutt AFB, NE and was the crew chief for the commander of Strategic Air Command. He also flew in F-15E’s at Luke AFB, AZ as a flying crew chief. He served at Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea during Operation Frequent Wind, Operation Eagle Pull, Operation New Life and Operation Baby Lift. His Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) and job duties were in aircraft maintenance and he is entitled to the Air Force Maintenance Badge. His POE is Dallas, TX. Omaha, NE was the place of his reenlistment. In support of his requests, the applicant provides a personal statement, copies of his DD Form 214, DD Forms 1351-2, Travel Voucher or Subvoucher; AF Form 626, Request and Authorization for Temporary Duty; AF Form 2096, Classification/On-the-Job Training Action; training certificates and various other documents associated with his requests. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. ________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: On 26 Jun 72, the applicant entered active duty. His Enlisted Performance Report (EPR) for the period of 2 Jul 74 to 12 Jun 75 shows he was assigned at Kunsan AB. According to AF Form 2096 Classification/On-The-Job Training Action, dated 11 Jul 73, he was awarded Primary AFSC (PAFSC) 43151C, Aircraft Maintenance Specialist. His DD Form 214, reflects his POE as Omaha, NE. On 7 Apr 80, he was discharged after serving 7 years, 8 months and 12 days on active duty. The VSM is awarded to members of the Armed Forces who between 4 Jul 65 and 28 Mar 73, served in the following areas of Southeast Asia: in Vietnam and the contiguous waters and airspace; in Thailand, Laos or Cambodia or the airspace thereof and in the direct support of military operations in Vietnam for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days. The VCM is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who between 1 Mar 61 and 28 Mar 73, served for 6 months in South Vietnam during this period; served outside the geographical limits of South Vietnam and contributed direct combat support to the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces for an aggregate of 6 months. The RVGC w/P is awarded by the Republic of Vietnam to units for valorous combat achievements. The PUC, formerly the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the US Armed Forces for outstanding performance in action against an armed enemy occurring on or after, 16 Oct 41 for the US Navy, and on or after 7 Dec 41 for the US Army and US Air Force units. The unit must have displayed such gallantry, determination and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions to have set it apart and above other units participating in the same campaign. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would be required for award of a Distinguished Service Cross to an individual. The Korean Service Medal (KSM) is awarded to service members who participated in operations in the Korean theater between 27 Jun 50 and 27 Jul 54. The KDSM is 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. Individuals must have been assigned, attached, or mobilized to units operating or serving on all the land area of the Republic of Korea, and the contiguous waters out to 12 nautical miles, and all airspace above the stated land and water areas. To be eligible for the KDSM, personnel must have been physically present in the stated areas for 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days. On 20 Aug 99, the Secretary of Defense approved the acceptance and wear of the KWSM in recognition of the sacrifices of US veterans of the Korean War. The KWSM is awarded to military veterans who served in the country of Korea, its territorial waters, or airspace within the inclusive period of 25 Jun 50 to 27 Jul 53. Service must have been performed while on permanent assignment in Korea, or while on Temporary Duty (TDY) in Korea for 30 consecutive days, or 60 nonconsecutive days, or while as a crewmember of aircraft in aerial flight over Korea participating in actual combat operations, or in support of combat operations. Veterans who served in Japan, Guam, Okinawa, or the Philippines are not eligible for this medal. The NATO Medal was approved for US military personnel who serve under NATO command or operational control in direct support of NATO operations in the former Republic of Yugoslavia, or as designated by the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe from 1 Jul 92 through a future date to be determined. The Cold War Medal is a commemorative medal. These medals are primarily celebratory display medals rather than official awards or decorations of the U S Air Force and Department of Defense (DOD). Commemorative medals are not updated on the DD Form 214. The AFOR was authorized by the Chief of Staff, US Air Force, on 12 Oct 80. Before 6 Jan 86, the ribbon was awarded to Air Force and Air Force Reserve members credited with completion of an overseas tour on or after 1 Sep 80. Air Force and Air Force Reserve members serving as of 6 Jan 86 or later are entitled to reflect all Air Force overseas tours credited during their career. A service member may wear both short and long tour ribbons, if appropriate. The short tour ribbon takes precedence over the long tour ribbon when both are worn. The Aircrew Badge, commonly known as Wings, is a qualification badge of the US military that is awarded by all branches of the armed services to personnel who serve as crew members on military aircrafts. The badge is intended to recognize the training and qualifications required by aircrew of military aircraft. In order to qualify as an aircrew member and receive the Aircrew Badge, such personnel typically undergo advanced training in aircraft in-flight support roles. The Air Force Maintenance Badge (basic) is worn after completing technical school, the senior badge after award of the 7-skill level, and the master badge when in the grade of Master Sergeant (MSgt) or above with 5 years in the specialty from award of the 7-skill level. _______________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPSID recommends denial of the applicant’s requests for the VSM, RVGC w/P, PUC, VCM, KSM, NATO Medal, Cold War Medal, AFOR-L and AFOR-S. DPSID was unable to locate any documentation in the applicant’s records verifying he served in Vietnam or an area of eligibility for award of the VSM, RVGC w/P or VCM. DPSID was unable to verify he served in a unit that was ever awarded the PUC while he was assigned to the unit. DPSID was unable to verify award of the NATO Medal as they could not locate any documentation to show he served in a unit supporting NATO operations therefore rendering him ineligible. The Cold War Medal is a commemorative medal and not updated on the DD Form 214. The applicant may order his certificate online or at the address provided. He served overseas prior to the authorization of the AFOR rendering him ineligible for both the short and long tour ribbons. DPSID was able to determine the applicant should have been awarded the KDSM and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters (AFOUA) w/4 BOLCs). Upon the final determination of the Board, DPSID will administratively correct his records to reflect these awards. The complete DPSID evaluation is at Exhibit C. DPSIPE recommends denial of the applicant’s request to change his POE to Dallas, TX. After a thorough review of the applicant’s military personnel records and other supporting documentation, there appears to not be an error or injustice in determining the applicant’s Home of Record (HOR) or POE In Accordance With (IAW) the Joint Federal Travel Regulation (JFTR), volume 1, Appendix A1, part 1, which states, the place recorded as the home of the individual when reinstated, reappointed or reenlisted remains the same as that recorded when commissioned, appointed, enlisted or inducted, or ordered into the tour of active duty, unless there is a break in service of more than one full day. Only if a break in service exceeds one full day, the member may then change the HOR. The HOR is the location identified by the individual upon entering the service, not a location where the individual is later assigned or a location selected for convenience; a correction must be fully justified. Domicile or legal residence may change, but the HOR will not. The AFPC Enlisted Accessions Branch confirmed the applicant’s initial POE into active duty as Omaha, NE. The complete DPSIPE evaluation is at Exhibit D. USAF/A3O-AIF recommends denial of the applicant’s request for award of the Aircrew Member Badge. Duty assignments do not authorize wear of an Aircrew Member Badge. IAW AFM 35-13, Flying Status, Aeronautical Ratings, Designations and Parachute Jump Status, dated 1 Apr 76, chapter 6, paragraph 6-3a, DAFSC and being placed in aviation service authorize wear of an Aircrew Badge. Based on the documentation provided, the applicant held the following DAFSCs B43151, 43131C and 43151. These DAFSCs do not contain an “A,” “K” or “M” prefix which denote crew member. Furthermore, there is no aeronautical order placing him in aviation service nor is there any documentation stating he was placed on flying status. It is common to have airman fly on board aircraft and they can be placed in operational support status but it does not mean they are eligible for award of the badge. The complete A3O-AIF evaluation is at Exhibit E. DPSIM verified the AF Form 2096 provided by the applicant shows he was awarded PAFSC B43151, Tactical Aircraft Maintenance Specialist, which entitled him to the Air Force Maintenance Badge. The complete DPSIM Evaluation is at Exhibit F. ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: He thanks DPSIPE for explaining POE and HOR and the regulations governing it. Based on the criteria for the “A,” “K” or “M” prefix to the DAFSC, he supposes he does not qualify for the Aircrew Member Badge. However, there are exceptions to the rules. He flew in aircraft and on missions as one who wore the aircrew badge. He provides a photo of himself in a flight suit when he was a flying crew chief on the F-15E. The Air Force needed a group of very intelligent and able men to fly with pilots to service and repair the aircraft as they were relatively new. These aircraft at the time had a top secret radar system that could not be easily accessed so the Air Force devised a program to allow enlisted airmen to fly. Perhaps he was one of the non-crew status airmen but this was a special kind of flying assignment and deserves the aircrew member status as requested. In regards to the list of medals and unit awards, he was seeking help in finding out whether any unit he served in at the time was awarded any medals. He served in Asia in 1975 during the fall of Saigon. There were changes made involving the inclusion of awards during this time period. There is an expanded criterion for award of the VSM which besides Thailand and Vietnam includes those who served on Guam, Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan and other direct services for Vietnam including air bases in the Philippines and South Korea for which Kunsan AB was especially involved. It was called up in Apr 72 to send all of its aircraft to Thailand and Vietnam to aid against the North Vietnamese Spring Offensive. He knows he is not eligible for the KSM due to the 1950 to 1954 timeframe. The medal he was referring to is the KWSM which was issued by the South Korean government in 1974. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit H. ________________________________________________________________ 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 to warrant award of the VSM, RVGC w/P, PUC, VCM, KSM, NATO Medal, Cold War Medal, AFOR-L and AFOR-S. We took notice of the applicant’s complete submission in judging the merits of his requests; however, we agree with the opinions and recommendations of the Air Force Offices of Primary Responsibility (OPR) and adopt the rationale expressed as the basis for our conclusion that the applicant has not been the victim of an error or injustice. With respect to the applicant’s request for award of the Aircrew Member Badge, we note the applicant acknowledges that he does not qualify for the badge and states that there are exceptions to the rules. However, he has not provided any evidence that would warrant an exception to policy. Making corrections without sufficient evidence would be unfair to others similarly situated and establish a basis for circumventing the procedures in place; therefore we find no basis to grant this portion of his request. While the applicant states the criterion for award of the VSM was expanded to include South Korea, he has not provided any evidence to substantiate his request. Regarding his request for award of the KWSM; the applicant’s dates of service are after the eligibility period (25 Jun 50 to 27 Jul 53) rendering him ineligible for the award. With respect to his request for award of the Air Force Maintenance Badge, IAW with established policy, functional badges are not recorded on the DD Form 214. Additionally, if the applicant believes he is entitled to other awards it is suggested that he ccontact the National Personnel Records Center at 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138 Therefore, aside from the administrative corrections for award of the KDSM and the AFOUA w/4 BOLCs, 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 AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2013-02610 in Executive Session on 8 Jul 14, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: , Panel Chair , Member , Member The following documentary evidence was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 25 May 13, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Applicant’s Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPSID, dated 16 Sep 13. Exhibit D. Letter, AFPC/DPSIPE, dated 15 Oct 13. Exhibit E. Letter, USAF/A3O-AIF, dated 13 Mar 14. Exhibit F. Letter, AFPC/DPSIM, dated 29 Apr 14. Exhibit G. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 15 May 14. Exhibit H. Letter, Applicant, dated 24 May 14, w/atchs. PanelChair 1