RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2013-00742 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His DD Form 214, Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge, be corrected to show entitlement to the following awards and decorations: 1. Combat Readiness Medal (CRM). 2. American Defense Service Medal (ADSM). 3. Air Force Commendation Medal (AFCM). 4. Air Force Overseas Ribbon (AFOR). 5. Honorable Service Commemorative Medal. ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: The above-mentioned awards and decorations were issued after his discharge and are not annotated on his DD Form 214. The applicant's complete submission, with attachment, is at Exhibit A. ________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant served on active duty in the Regular Air Force from 4 Apr 66 to 3 Feb 70. The applicant was released from active duty and transferred to the Air Force Reserve (AFRES). He served 3 years and 10 months on active duty of which 1 year, 6 months, and 15 days was Foreign Service. The CRM is awarded to members of the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserve, and to members of other services after 1 Aug 60, for sustained individual combat or mission readiness or preparedness for direct weapon-system employment. Specifically, a servicemember must meet the following criteria: complete an aggregate of 24 months of sustained professional performance as a member of U.S. Air Force combat or mission-ready units subject to combat readiness reporting; or be individually certified as combat or mission ready and have maintained individual readiness the entire period according to a major headquarters; or subject to an individual positional evaluation program according to a higher headquarters standard. The term “combat ready” is defined as being professionally and technically qualified in an aircraft crew position in an aircraft that can be used in combat. The ADSM is awarded to all persons who served on active duty at any time between 8 Sep 39 and 7 Sec 41. Service members in the United States Army were required to have served for a period of at least 12 months. The AFCM is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States, below the grade of colonel and foreign military personnel, who, while serving in any capacity with the Department of the Air Force after 24 Mar 58, distinguished themselves by outstanding achievement or meritorious service. The AFOR was authorized by the Chief of Staff, United States Air Force, on 12 Oct 80. The ribbon is awarded to Air Force and Air Force Reserve members credited with completion of an overseas tour on or after 1 Sep 80. Only individuals serving on active duty as of 6 Jan 86 are eligible to have the AFOR applied retroactively for completion of an overseas tour. The Honorable Service Commemorative Medal is primarily a celebratory display medal rather than an official award or decoration of the United States Air Force and Department of Defense (DoD). ________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPSID recommends denial. DPSID states that they were unable to locate documentation in the applicant’s military personnel records verifying the applicant was ever recommended for or awarded the AFCM or CRM, or that he served in a combat- ready position for 24 months to qualify for the CRM. DPSID states that the applicant is ineligible for award of the AFOR as he served overseas before the medal was authorized. He is also ineligible for award of the ADSM as he was not serving on active duty during the award inclusive period. DPSID states that the Honorable Service Commemorative Medal is not an official award or decoration. The complete DPSID evaluation is at Exhibit C. ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: On 7 Jun 13, a copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the applicant for review and comment within 30 days (Exhibit D). As of this date, this office has received no response. ________________________________________________________________ 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 note the Air Force Office of Primary Responsibility (OPR) has done a thorough review of the applicant’s military records and were unable to verify his entitlement to the aforementioned awards and decorations. The applicant has provided no evidence to dispute this finding; therefore, we agree with the opinion and recommendation of the Air Force OPR and adopt its rationale as the basis for our conclusion that the applicant has not been the victim of an error or injustice. 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 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 Docket Number BC-2013-00742 in Executive Session on 29 Oct 13, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: , Panel Chair , Member , Member The following documentary evidence pertaining to Docket Number BC-2013-00742 was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 8 Feb 13, w/atch. Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPSID, dated 13 May 13. Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 7 Jun 13. Panel Chair