RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2014-04692 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 reflect award of the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM), and the Vietnam Campaign Medal (VCM). His record be corrected to reflect aerial flights with the Combat Zone of Southeast Asia. APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: He was informed by a Veterans Affairs (VA) staff member during an interview for benefits that his records did not reflect his aerial flights with the combat zone of Southeast Asia. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant initially entered the Regular Air Force on 16 March 1966. The applicant’s AF Form 7, Airman Military Record, indicates he was on temporary duty from 19 January 1968 to 30 April 1968, for a total of 102 days in an undisclosed location(s). On 1 May 1968, according to the deputy commander for operations, a memorandum provided by the applicant, he was assigned to the 91st Bomb Wing and participated in aerial flights within the Combat Zone of Southeast Asia on 19 April 1968. On 7 January 1970, the applicant was furnished an honorable discharge, and was credited with 3 years, 9 months, and 22 days of active service. On 5 May 1970, a DD Form 215, Correction to DD Form 214, was issued to correct the applicant’s foreign and/or sea service to reflect 3 months and 12 days. The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application are described in the memorandums prepared by the Air Force offices of primary responsibility (OPR), which are included at Exhibits C and D. AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPAPP recommends denial. A review of the applicant’s master personnel records and documentation submitted failed to provide any documents that substantiate foreign service time in Southeast Asia. A complete copy of the AFPC/DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit C. AFPC/DPSID recommends the board make a decision based on the merits of the case for award of the VSM. They recommend disapproval for award of the VCM. The VSM is awarded to all service members of the United States Armed Forces serving at any time after 3 July 1965 and before 28 March 1973, in the areas of eligibility (AOE). The AOE is defined as: Vietnam, its contiguous waters, or the airspace there over; in Thailand, Laos, or Cambodia, their contiguous waters, or the airspaces there-over, and in direct support of operations in Vietnam. To be eligible, a service member must have served on temporary duty (TDY) for 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days. These time limitations may be waived for personnel who participated in actual combat operation. The VCM is awarded to members who: (1) served for six months in South Vietnam during the period 1 March 1961 and 28 March 1973; (2) served outside the geographical limits of South Vietnam and contributed direct combat support to the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces for an aggregate of six months. After a thorough review of the applicant’s official military personnel record, verification could not be made for award of the VSM or VCM. While there are numerous documents when compiled together make a strong case that the applicant may have been in the AOE in a combat flight capacity, the Air Force Personnel Center, Directorate of Assignments was unable to substantiate he was in the AOE for award of the VSM. However, the applicant’s Enlisted Performance Reports reflects him as being a B-52 air crew member assigned to the 91st Organizational Maintenance Squadron, 91st Bombardment Wing, on temporary duty, in support of Project Port Bow in the Western Pacific. Through research it was determined that project Port Bow was a project in Guam and Okinawa in which B-52 fighter planes were deployed to Guam and Okinawa in support of the “Korean Contingency Plan.” Due to escalating events at Khe San, Vietnam, it was requested that contingency forces stationed at Okinawa and Guam be used to assist when necessary. In addition, although the applicant’s AF Form 7 reflects 102 days temporary duty, it does not state a location. However, the memorandum provided by the applicant states the 91st Bomb Wing participated in aerial flights with the Combat Zone of Southeast Asia on 19 April 1968, which is in between the dates shown on the applicant’s AF Form 7 and indicates he served some of the duty. If the board determines the applicant participated in flights over the airspace of Vietnam and that one or more of these flights were in direct combat support as a crew member, then he is eligible for award of the VSM with one Bronze Service Star (VSM w/1BSS). However, even if it can be substantiated that the applicant served all the time indicated by his AF Form 7 of 102 days in the VCM area of eligibility, he would not have the six months aggregate time required for award. A complete copy of the AFPC/DPSID evaluation is at Exhibit D. APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: The applicant reiterates previous contentions and states while he realizes the documentation submitted is not overwhelming, it does show that he participated in at least one aerial flight directly supporting military operations. He affirms that he was assigned to Okinawa, Japan for 102 days and asks that the Board favorably consider the recommendation of AFPC/DPSID. The applicant’s complete response, with attachments, is at Exhibit F. THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT: 1.  The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing law or regulations. 2.  The application was not timely filed. While the applicant claims a date of discovery of less than three years ago, in our view, the reasonable date of discovery of the alleged error or injustice was more than three years ago and the application is therefore untimely; however, it is in the interest of justice to waive the failure to timely file. 3.  Sufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of an error or injustice with respect to the applicant’s request for award of the VSM. After a thorough review of the evidence of record and the applicant’s complete submission, to include his rebuttal response, we believe the applicant is the victim of an injustice. While we note the comments of AFPC/DPAPP indicating that relief should be denied because the applicant’s records contain no information that reflects he served in Southeast Asia, we took particular note of AFPC/DPSID inference that a decision should be made on the merits of the case for award of the VSM. In this respect, we agree with AFPC/DPSID that there are numerous documents when compiled together make a strong case implicating the applicant’s service in the area of eligibility for the VSM. Also, we determined the applicant participated in one or more flights that were in direct combat support as a crew member, entitling him to the VSM w/1BSS. However, we further note, the applicant has not provided sufficient evidence to warrant award of the RVCM. Therefore, we recommend the applicant’s records be corrected as indicated below. THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT: The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force relating to the APPLICANT be corrected to show that he was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star (VSM w/1BSS) for his participation in aerial fights over the airspace of Vietnam in direct combat support of the Korean Contingency Plan on 19 April 1968. The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2014-04692 in Executive Session on 17 September 2015 and 26 October 2015 under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: Panel Chair Member Member All members voted to correct the records as recommended. The following documentary evidence was considered: Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 5 November 2014, w/atchs. Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C.  Memorandum, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 26 January 2015. Exhibit D.  Memorandum, AFPC/DPSID, dated 1 July 2015. Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 31 July 2015. Exhibit F.  Letter, Applicant, dated 17 September 2015, w/atchs.