RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS. IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2015-01439 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: He be awarded the Purple Heart (PH) Medal. APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: He was injured during the Korean War by shrapnel to the right hand as he performed duties as a tail gunner aboard the B- 29 Bomber. In support of his request, the applicant provides a copy of a letter from a fellow service member, dated 27 Jun 99, indicating that he witnessed the applicant’s right hand being injured as a result of their plane being shot down on 27 Oct 51. He states that they were both gunners on a B-29 bomber during the Korean War. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. STATEMENT OF FACTS: According to the applicant’s DD Form 214, Report of Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States, on 13 Oct 49, he enlisted in the Regular Air Force. On 31 Aug 53, the applicant received an honorable discharge and was credited with 3 years, 10 months, and 19 days of total service. The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application are contained in the memorandum prepared by the Air Force office of primary responsibility, which is attached at Exhibit C. AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPSID recommends denial indicating there is no evidence of an error or an injustice. Although the applicant provided an eyewitness statement with his request, the request lacks a detailed personal account of the incident, medical documentation or a statement from a medical officer attesting to treatment. The PH award is awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who have been wounded, killed, or who have died or may hereafter die of wounds received in action against an enemy of the United States or opposing force as a result of an act of any such enemy or opposing armed force, an international terrorist attack or during military operations while serving as a part of a peacekeeping force. A wound for which the award is made must have required treatment, not merely examination, by a medical officer. A thorough review of the applicant’s records does not indicate he was recommended for or awarded the PH, and he did not submit any such documentation with his application. The Purple Heart Review Board has the authority, on behalf of the Secretary of the Air Force, to determine a veteran’s qualifications for award of the PH. The applicant has not submitted a request to the Purple Heart Review Board and, as written, this application lacks a detailed account of what happened, to include a description of the injury, the date of the injury, and appropriate medical documentation from the date of the injury. Additionally, the applicant’s request is untimely. 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 21 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 not 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. In this respect, we note this Board is the highest administrative level of appeal within the Air Force. As such, an applicant must first exhaust all available avenues of administrative relief provided by existing law or regulations prior to seeking relief before this Board, as required by the governing Air Force Instruction. The Air Force office of primary responsibility has reviewed this application and indicated there is an available avenue of administrative relief the applicant has not first pursued. In view of this, we find this application is not appropriate for adjudication at this level as there exists a subordinate level of appeal that has not first been depleted. Therefore, in view of the above, we find no basis to recommend granting the relief sought in this application. THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT: The applicant be notified that all available avenues of administrative relief have not been exhausted; and the application will only be reconsidered upon submission of documentary evidence indicating that said avenues of administrative relief have been exhausted. The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2015-01439 in Executive Session on 8 Dec 15 under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: , Panel Chair , Member , Member The following documentary evidence was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 1 Apr 15, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Memorandum, AFPC/DPSID, dated 10 Aug 15. Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 21 Sep 15.