RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2014-01121 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 1. His records be corrected to reflect 179 days of foreign service. 2. His records be corrected to reflect he was awarded the Southwest Asian Service Medal (SWASM). ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: He should have been awarded the SWASM for his support of Operation VIGILANT WARRIOR and that time should be reflected as foreign service on his DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. ________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: According to the applicant’s DD Form 214, on 19 May 92, he enlisted in the Regular Air Force. According to the applicant’s AF Form 910, Enlisted Performance Report (EPR), dated 18 Jan 95, he deployed in support of Operation VIGILANT WARRIOR. According, Special Order TE-111 dated 17 Oct 94, the applicant was scheduled for deployment on or about 21 Oct 94, in support of Operation VIGILANT WARRIOR for 179 days. The applicant received Letters of Appreciation (LOAs) dated 24 Nov 94 and 14 Dec 94, for his support during Operation VIGILANT WARRIOR. On 18 May 96, the applicant was released from active duty and credited with four years of total active service and no foreign service. ________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPAPP recommends the Board review the documentation provided by the applicant and determine if it is suitable to verify his 179-day deployment in support of Operation VIGILANT WARRIOR. They were able to verify the applicant deployed to Dhahran Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia but unable to determine the exact length of the deployment. The applicant provided a copy of his deployment order with a required in place date of 21 Oct 94, but then also provides a LOA, dated 24 Nov 94, thus they are unable to determine the exact length of his deployment. The complete DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit C. AFPC/DPSID recommends denial of the applicant’s request for award of the SWASM. The applicant’s deployment in support of Operation VIGILANT WARRIOR is not an approved operation for award of the SWASM. Only those in support of Operations DESERT SHIELD/STORM are eligible for award of the SWASM. They were unable to verify the applicant deployed to the area of eligibility in direct support of Operations DESERT SHIELD/STORM. The SWASM is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who served in direct support of Operations DESERT SHIELD/STORM (ODS/S) between 2 Aug 90 and 30 Nov 95 in one or more of the following Areas of Eligibility (AOE): the Persian Gulf; Red Sea; Gulf of Oman; Gulf of den’ that portion of the Arabian Sea that lies north of 10 degrees north latitude and west of 68 degrees east longitude; and the land areas of Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE); or individuals serving in Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Syria, and Jordan (including territorial airspace and waters) directly supporting combat operations between 17 Jan 91 and 30 Nov 95. A review of the applicant’s records revealed that he should have been awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA) and the Air Force Longevity Service Award (AFLSA) and his official military personnel records will be administratively corrected by AFPC/DPSOY. The complete DPSID evaluation is at Exhibit D. ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: Copies of the Air Force evaluations were forwarded to the applicant on 1 Aug 14 for review and comment within 30 days. As of this date, no response has been received by this office (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. Insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of error or injustice. We took notice of the applicant’s complete submission in judging the merits of this case; however, we agree with the opinion and recommendation of DPSID and adopt the rationale expressed as the basis for our conclusion that the applicant has not been the victim of an error or injustice. In view of the above we find no basis to grant 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-2014-01121 in Executive Session on 14 Jan 15, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: , Panel Chair , Member , Member The following documentary evidence pertaining to AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2014-01121 was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 11 Mar 14, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Applicant's Available Master Personnel Records Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 24 Apr 14, w/atchs. Exhibit D. Letter, AFPC/DPSID, dated 7 Jul 14, w/atch. Exhibit E. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 1 Aug 14.