RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2015-00499 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, be corrected to include the following Air Force Medals: a. Kosovo Campaign Medal (KCM). b. Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal (NDOSM) (Administratively Corrected). APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: He is an Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Instructor and wears his uniform while instructing cadets. He wants to ensure his records accurately reflect all eligible awards and decorations. In support of his request, the applicant has provided copies of Enlisted Performance Reports which detail his locations assigned and responsible duties. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant initially entered the Regular Air Force on 15 Mar 89. On 25 Oct 10, the applicant retired and was credited with 21 years, 7 months, and 25 days of active service. The applicant’s DD Form 214 reflects the following Air Force Medals and/or Ribbons: - Air Force Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster - Air Force Achievement Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters - Joint Meritorious Unit Award - Meritorious Unit Award - Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor and nine Oak Leaf Clusters - Air Force Good Conduct Medal with seven Oak Leaf Clusters - National Defense Service Medal with one Service Star - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal - Southwest Asia Service Medal with one Service Star - Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal - Global War on Terrorism Service Medal - Armed Forces Service Medal - Air and Space Campaign Medal - Air Force Overseas Ribbon - Short Tour - Air Force Overseas Ribbon - Long Tour with one Oak Leaf Cluster - Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border with one Oak Leaf Cluster - Air Force Longevity Service Award with four Oak Leaf Clusters - United States Air Force Noncommissioned Officer Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon with one Oak Leaf Cluster - Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (Rifle) - Air Force Training Ribbon - NATO Medal - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait) 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 of the KCM indicating there is no evidence of an error or an injustice. The KCM was established to recognize military service performed in Kosovo from 24 Mar 99 to a date to be determined. Two campaigns were subsequently established that encompass all United States Military operations in Kosovo. They are the Kosovo Air Campaign and Kosovo Defense Campaign. Individuals authorized to the KCM must have participated in or served in direct support of Kosovo operations within the Kosovo air Campaign area of eligibility or Kosovo Defense Campaign area of eligibility. For the Kosovo Air Campaign (24 Mar 99 through 10 Jun 99): the total land area and air space of Serbia (including Kosovo, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, and Slovenia; and the waters and air space of the Adriatic and Ionian Sea north of the 39th North latitude. For the Kosovo Defense Campaign (11 Jun 99 through a date to be determined); the total land area and air space of Serbia (including Kosovo), Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia and the waters and air space of the Adriatic seas with 12 nautical miles of the Montenegro, Albania, and Croatia coastlines south of 42 degrees and 52 minutes North latitude. Service member must have been permanently assigned, attached, or detailed to a unit that participated in or was engaged in direct support of designated operations for 30 consecutive days in the area of eligibility or for 60 non-consecutive days provided this support involved entering the area of eligibility or meet one or more of the following criteria: was engaged in actual combat, or duty that is equally hazardous as combat, with armed opposition, regardless of time in the operation; while participating in a designated operations, regardless of time, was killed, wounded, or injured requiring medical evaluation from the operation. Service member participating as regularly assigned aircrew members accrue one day of eligibility for each day they fly into, out of, within, or over the area of eligibility in direct support of the military operations. The Secretary of the Air Force has approved the creation of an Air Force NDOSM on 27 May 14 to recognize Airmen dedicated to our nation’s strategic objectives in nuclear deterrence. The NDOSM is authorized for Airmen who directly impacted the Nuclear Enterprise. It may be awarded retroactively to 27 Dec 91 to fully qualified Airmen. The NDOSM may be awarded to Airmen who, while assigned, attached, deployed or mobilized to a unit (Wing, Center or below), provided support to the Nuclear Enterprise for 120 consecutive or 179 nonconsecutive days and were subject to a Nuclear Inspection or performed duties in nuclear operations, nuclear weapons storage facilities, nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3), cyber surety, security, safety, transportation, maintenance, facility management and maintenance, explosive ordnance disposal, aircrew certified for support of nuclear operations, weapons loaders, warning and attack assessment, personnel reliability program management, or research, development and acquisition of nuclear systems. A “N” device will be worn on the NDOSM for Airmen who for 179 non- consecutive days: Performed duties within the missile complex in direct support of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile operations in Missile Maintenance (21MX, 2M0XX), Munitions and Maintenance (2W0XX, 2W1XX, 2W2XX), Security Forces (31PX, 3P0XX), Services (3M0XX), Fuels (2F0XX), Transportation (2T1XX, 2T3XX), Civil Engineering (32EX, 3EXXX), Cyberspace Support (3D1X1, 3D1X2, 3D1X3, 3D100), Operations (11HXC, 13NX, 1A9X1 and 13SX officer on or before 9 Feb 13) or Missile Facility Managers (8S000) or performed duties in direct support of nuclear laden aircraft to include nuclear certified aircrew, aircraft maintenance technicians, munitions maintenance technicians, combat crew communications, nuclear certified controllers, and security forces performing guard duties. After a thorough review of the applicant’s official military personnel record, they were not able to verify award of the KCM. Although the applicant’s EPR dated 24 Aug 99 reflects that he deployed to England, in support of Operations ALLIED FORCE and NOBLE ANVIL; it does not state he deployed to the area of eligibility for the award of the KCM. Based on their review, they were able to determine that the below Air Force Medal and/or Ribbon should have been awarded: - Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster Upon final Board Decision, administrative correction of the applicant’s record will be completed by AFPC/DPSOR. 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 8 Sep 15 for review and comment within 30 days (Exhibit D). As of this date, no response has been received by this office. THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT: 1. The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing law or regulations. 2. The application was timely filed. 3. Insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of an error or injustice. We took notice of the applicant’s complete submission in judging the merits of the case; however, we agree with the opinion and recommendation of the Air Force office of primary responsibility (OPR) and adopt its rationale as the basis for our conclusion that relief beyond that already granted administratively is not warranted. Therefore, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we find no basis to recommend granting the requested relief. 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-2015-00499 in Executive Session on 20 Oct 15 under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: , Panel Chair , Member , Member The following documentary evidence pertaining to AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2015-00499 was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 29 Jan 15, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Memorandum, AFPC/DPSID, dated 1 Jul 15. Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 8 Sep 15.