ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


	I 

	BOARD DATE:  23 April 2019

	DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20180011355


APPLICANT REQUESTS:  Reconsideration of his previous request for the Air Medal 
(AM).

APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD: 

*	DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record)
*	AM Certificate, dated 17 March 1971
*	AM Citation, undated

FACTS:

1.  Incorporated herein by reference are military records which were summarized in the 
previous consideration of the applicant's case by the Army Board for Correction of 
Military Records (ABCMR) in Docket Number AR20120022287 on 8 August 2013.

2.  The applicant provided new arguments that were not previously considered by the 
Board, which merit consideration at this time.

3.  The applicant states the AM was not added to his DD Form 214 (Armed Forces of 
the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge).

4.  He enlisted in the Regular Army on 25 September 1969 and served in Vietnam from 
5 March 1970 through 27 April 1971.

5.  On 30 April 1971, he was released from active duty and transferred to control of the 
U.S. Army Reserve Control Group (Annual Training).  His DD Form 214 does not show 
the AM.

6.  His DA Form 20 (Enlisted Qualification Record) shows:

	a.  In item 38 (Record of Assignments) his primary duty military occupational 
specialty as 11B (Combat Infantryman) and his assigned principal duties while in 
Vietnam as rifleman, automatic rifleman, and radio telephone operator.  He was 
assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion (Airmobile), 502nd Infantry.
	b.  In item 41 (Awards and Decorations) – no award of the AM.

7.  His records contain no orders awarding him the AM.

8.  He provided an undated AM Citation which reads, "[Applicant] distinguished himself 
by meritorious achievement, while participating in sustained aerial flight, in support of 
combat ground forces in the Republic of Vietnam.  During the period 15 April 1970 to 
31 December 1970 he actively participated in more than twenty-five aerial missions over 
hostile territory in support of operations against communist aggression."  

9.  He provides an AM Certificate dated 17 March 1971 showing the same period of 
service as documented on the AM Citation.  The certificate was signed by the Major 
General Thomas M. Tarpley, who was the commander of the 101st Airborne Division at 
the time.  

10.  He was released from active duty on 30 April 1971 and transferred to control of the 
U.S. Army Reserve Control Group for annual training.

11.  A review of the Awards and Decorations Computer-Assisted Retrieval System, an 
index of general orders issued during the Vietnam era between 1965 and 1973 
maintained by the U.S. Army Human Resources Command Military Awards Branch, 
failed to reveal any orders for the AM.  

12.  On 8 August 2013, the Army Board for Correction of Military Records denied his 
request for the AM.  The Board found that in the absence of evidence showing the 
number and type of air assault or equivalent missions he participated in, it was not 
possible to assess whether or not he might have met the prescribed AM guidelines.

13.  U.S. Army Vietnam (USARV) Regulation 672-1 (Decorations and Awards) provided 
guidelines for award of the Air Medal.  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.  


BOARD DISCUSSION:

After review of the application and all evidence, the board determined there is sufficient 
evidence to grant relief.  The applicant’s contentions were carefully considered.  He 
provided documents the Board agrees substantiate he received the Air Medal in the 
absence of a permanent order number.

BOARD VOTE:

Mbr 1	Mbr 2	Mbr 3

X	:X	:X	GRANT FULL RELIEF

:	:	:	GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF

:	:	:	GRANT FORMAL HEARING

:	:	:	DENY APPLICATION


BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

The Board determined the evidence presented is sufficient to warrant amendment of the 
ABCMR's decision in Docket Number AR20120022287 on 8 August 2013.  As a result, 
the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual 
concerned be corrected by amending his DD Form 214 by adding the Air Medal.


	  
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.


ADMINISTRATIVE NOTE(S):

A review of the applicant's records shows he was authorized awards not shown on his 
DD Form 214.  As a result, amend the DD Form 214 with an effective date of 30 April 
1971 by deleting the Vietnam Service Medal and adding the Bronze Star Medal, 
Vietnam Service Medal with three bronze service stars, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry 
Cross with Unit Palm Citation, and Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal First 
Class Unit Citation.

REFERENCES:

1.  U.S. Army Vietnam (USARV) Regulation 672-1 provided guidelines for award of the 
Air Medal.  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.  

	a.  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.

	b.  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.

2.  Army Regulation 15-185 (Army Board for Correction of Military Records) prescribes 
the policies and procedures for correction of military records by the Secretary of the 
Army acting through the ABCMR.  The ABCMR begins its consideration of each case 
with the presumption of administrative regularity.  The applicant has the burden of 
proving an error or injustice by a preponderance of the evidence.

//NOTHING FOLLOWS//

ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)	 AR20180011355

4

1