ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


                   IN THE CASE OF:

                   BOARD DATE:  28 March 2019

                   DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20170012009


APPLICANT REQUESTS:  Award of the Air Medal.

APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD: 

* DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record)
* DA Form 2496 (Disposition Form)
* DD Form 214 (Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge)
* DD Form 215 (Correction to DD Form 214)

FACTS:

1.  The applicant did not file within the three year time frame provided in Title 10, United States Code (USC), section 1552 (b); however, the Army Board for Correction of Military Records conducted a substantive review of this case and determined it is in the interest of justice to excuse the applicant's failure to timely file. 

2.  The applicant was inducted into the Army of the United States on 3 November 1968.

3.  A review of his service record shows he served in the Republic of Vietnam from      20 May to 10 August 1970 with Company D, 2nd Battalion (Airmobile), 506th Infantry Regiment.

4.  On 14 August 1970, he was honorably released from active duty.  His DD Form 214  shows he completed 1 year, 9 months and 10 days of net service with 3 months and    10 days of foreign service but does not list the Air Medal.

6.  The applicant provides DA Form 2496 in which his commanding officer states the applicant earned the Air Medal for a hot landing zone on 21 July 1970.

7.  U.S. Army Vietnam (USARV) Regulation 672-1 (Decorations and Awards) provided guidelines for award of the Air Medal and defined terms and provided guidelines for the award based upon the number and types of missions or hours.  The applicant’s record is void of orders awarding him the Air Medal, likewise it is void of any flight records.
BOARD DISCUSSION:

After reviewing the application and supporting documents, the Board determined that relief was not warranted.  Based upon the documentary evidence presented by the applicant or within the military service record, the Board determined insufficient evidence was available to award the Air Medal.  

However, prior to closing the case, the Board recommended awarding the Army Good Conduct Medal to the applicant.

BOARD VOTE:
Mbr 1	Mbr 2	Mbr 3

:	:	:	GRANT FULL RELIEF

:	:	:	GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF

:	:	:	GRANT FORMAL HEARING

X	X	X	 DENY APPLICATION

BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

After reviewing the application and all supporting documents, the Board determined relief was not warranted.  The Board determined there is insufficient evidence presented by the applicant or found within the service record to demonstrate the existence of a probable error or injustice.  Therefore, the Board determined the overall merits of this case are insufficient as a basis for correction of the records of the individual concerned.

However, prior to closing the case, the Board recommended awarding the applicant an Army Good Conduct Medal for his service.

SIGNATURE:

				 
I certify that herein is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in this case.

REFERENCES:

1.  Title 10, USC, section 1552(b), provides that applications for correction of military records must be filed within three years after discovery of the alleged error or injustice.  This provision of law also allows the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) to excuse an applicant's failure to timely file within the three-year statute of limitations if the ABCMR determines it would be in the interest of justice to do so.
2.  U.S. Army Vietnam (USARV) Regulation 672-1 (Decorations and Awards) provided guidelines for award of the Air Medal.

   a.  It stated passenger personnel who did not participate in an air assault were not eligible for the award based upon sustained operations.  It defined terms and provided guidelines for the award based upon the number and types of missions or hours.  Twenty-five Category I missions (air assault and equally dangerous missions) and accrual of a minimum of 25 hours of flight time while engaged in Category I missions was the standard established for which sustained operations were deemed worthy of recognition by an award of the Air Medal.  However, the regulation was clear that these guidelines were considered only a departure point.
   
   b.  Combat missions were divided into three categories.  A category I mission was defined as a mission performed in an assault role in which a hostile force was engaged and was characterized by delivery of ordnance against the hostile force or delivery of friendly troops or supplies into the immediate combat operations area.  A category II mission was characterized by support rendered a friendly force immediately before, during, or immediately following a combat operation.  A category III mission was characterized by support of friendly forces not connected with an immediate combat operation but which must have been accomplished at altitudes which made the aircraft at times vulnerable to small arms fire or under hazardous weather or terrain conditions.
   
   c.  To be recommended for award of the Air Medal, an individual must have completed a minimum of 25 category I missions, 50 category II missions, or 100 category III missions.  Since various types of missions would have been completed in accumulating flight time toward award of an Air Medal for sustained operations, different computations would have had to be made to combine category I, II, and III flight times and adjust it to a common denominator.


ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)	 AR20170012009


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