RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2013-04559 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: He be awarded the Purple Heart (PH) Medal. APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: He received wounds in his left knee while serving in a designated combat zone in Korea which were misdiagnosed by the U.S. Army first aid crew. At the time, no X-ray was done, and he was told his injuries were only superficial. In 1996, his knee surgeon found two pieces of shrapnel embedded in his knee. The knee is riddled with arthritis (unlike his healthy right knee), and he is at times confined to a wheelchair. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant initially entered the Regular Air Force on 13 Jul 51. On 12 Jul 55, the applicant was furnished an honorable discharge, and was credited with four years of active service. The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application are contained in the memorandum prepared by the Air Force office of primary responsibility (OPR), which is attached at Exhibit C. AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPSID recommends denial indicating there is no evidence of an error or an injustice. The Purple Heart (PH) award is awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who have been wounded, killed, or who have died or may hereafter die of wounds received in action against an enemy of the United States or opposing force as a result of an act of any such enemy or opposing armed force, an international terrorist attack or during military operations while serving as a part of a peacekeeping force. A wound for which the award is made must have required treatment, not merely examination, be a medical officer. Additionally, treatment of the wound shall be documented in the service member’s medical and/or health record. Award of the PH may be made for wounds treated by a medical professional other than a medical officer, provided a medical officer includes a statement in the service member’s medical record that the extent of the wounds were such that they would have required treatment by a medical officer if one had been available to treat them. There was a fire in the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in 1973 which destroyed a large number of military records. It appears as though the applicant’s military personnel records were heavily damaged in the fire, limiting documentation available for review. A thorough review of the available record did not reveal evidence the applicant was recommended for or awarded the PH. The applicant’s request did not include any medical documentation for the treatment received, or eyewitness statements attesting to the circumstances surrounding the injury. Further, this applicant has not exhausted his administrative remedies, as he has not submitted the required application to the Purple Heart Review Board. The applicant has been apprised of the information he must submit to the Purple Heart Review Board for proper consideration. 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 2 Apr 15 for review and comment within 30 days (Exhibit D). As of this date, no response has been received by this office. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE BOARD: 1.  The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing law or regulations. 2.  The application was not timely filed. 3.  Insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of error or injustice. In this respect, we note this Board is the highest administrative level of appeal within the Air Force. As such, an applicant must first exhaust all available avenues of administrative relief provided by existing law or regulations prior to seeking relief before this Board, as required by the governing Air Force Instruction. The Air Force office of primary responsibility has reviewed this application and indicated there is an available avenue of administrative relief the applicant has not first pursued. In view of this, we find this application is not ripe for adjudication at this level as there exists a subordinate level of appeal that has not first been depleted. Therefore, in view of the above, 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 AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2013-04559 in Executive Session on 9 Jul 15, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: Panel Chair Member Member The following documentary evidence was considered: Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 18 Sep 13, w/atchs. Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C.  Memorandum, AFPC/DPSID, dated 16 Mar 15. Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 2 Apr 15.