RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2013-04896 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 1. His DD Form 214, Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge, be amended in Item 22, Statement of Service, Item c, Foreign and/or Sea Service, to reflect an additional 5 months and 21 days of foreign service for a total of 10 months and 26 days. 2. On 2 Jun 14, the applicant amended his application and requested that he be awarded any medals or commendations from his deployment. APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: His DD Form 214 does not reflect his 4 Dec 69 to 25 May 70 deployment to Korea. He was discharged two months after he returned from Korea. He was assured at the time of his discharge that the TDY would be added to his DD Form 214. The applicant believes the Board should find it in the interest of justice to consider his untimely application as he discovered his DD Form 214 had not been corrected while researching his history at the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) clinic. He was a pilot with the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron which was deployed to Korea during the Pueblo Crisis in Jan 68. He received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the Pueblo Crisis. He provides a medical examination dated 7 Apr 70, which reflects the address of the examining facility as 354th USAF Dispensary APO 96264. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. STATEMENT OF FACTS: On 25 Jul 65, the applicant entered the Regular Air Force. The applicant’s AF Form 11, Officer Military Record, reflects foreign service from 28 Jan 68 to 1 July 68 for 155 days. The applicant’s AF Form 77, Company Grade Officer Effectiveness Report (OER) for the period ending 8 Jul 68, indicates “During his deployment in Korea, applicant’s ability to readily adapt to change was most impressive.” On 3 Aug 70, the applicant was furnished an honorable discharge, and was credited with 5 years and 9 days of active service and 5 months and 5 days of foreign service. According to the Air Force Research Historical Research Agency’s website, the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron was in Kunsan AB, South Korea from 4 Dec 1969-25 May 1970. The Korean Defense Service Medal (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. There are no devices authorized for this award. AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPAPP recommends denial, indicating they are unable to determine the exact amount of time the applicant served in Korea, with the exception of 7 Apr 70. The complete DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit C. APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: He served a second Temporary Duty (TDY) in Korea with the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron from approximately 4 Dec 69 to 25 May 70. His last OER for the period ending 8 May 70 discloses that he was a project officer for the orphanage, this was a Korean orphanage. He swears and attests that his statements are true and correct. His foreign service time on his DD Form 214 should be 10 months and 26 days. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit E. 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. Sufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of an error or injustice. We note DPAPP recommends denial stating that with the exception of 7 Apr 70, they were unable to determine the exact amount of time the applicant served in Korea. While the applicant has not provided conclusive evidence of the exact length of time he was in Korea, it is our opinion that the available evidence appears to weigh more in favor of amending the applicant’s DD Form 214 to reflect his foreign service as requested. Additionally, we note the applicant’s OER for the period ending 8 Jul 68 coupled with his AF Form 11, also supports his request for award of the KDSM. Therefore, we recommend his records be corrected as indicated below. THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT: The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force relating to APPLICANT be corrected to show that the DD Form 214, Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge, issued in conjunction with his 3 Aug 70 discharge be amended as follows: a. Item 22, Statement of Service, Item c, Foreign and/or Sea Service, to reflect 10 months and 26 days. b. Item 24, Decorations, Medals, Badges, Commendations, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized, to include the Korean Defense Service Medal. The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2013-04896 in Executive Session on 20 Nov 14 under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: , Panel Chair , Member , Member All members voted to correct the records as recommended. The following documentary evidence in AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2013-04896 was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 11 Oct 13, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Memorandum, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 21 Jul 14. Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 1 Aug 14. Exhibit E. Letter, Applicant, dated 9 Aug 14. 1 2