IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 20 October 2022 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20220002549 APPLICANT REQUESTS: correction of his record to show he was awarded the Air Medal (AM). APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD: * DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record) * DD Form 214 (Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge) for the period ending on 10 September 1970 * DD Form 215 (Correction to DD Form 214), dated 7 November 2002 * Wikipedia document: Army Air Medal FACTS: 1. The applicant did not file within the three year time frame provided in Title 10, United States Code, section 1552(b); however, the ABCMR 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 states while serving in Vietnam from 4 February to 10 December 1969, with the 198th Light Infantry Brigade, he made numerous combat assaults (40) on Huey slicks. He was to receive the AM. However, since he left on emergency leave 55 days early, he never received the medal. He was also Recondo qualified. The men that did not leave early received the medal. He feels that he fell through the cracks. He is 72 years old and hopes to finally receive his award. 3. The applicant provides his DD Form 214, DD Form 215 and a Wikipedia page for the Army AM which states, that during the Vietnam War, the US Army awarded the AM to Warrant Officer or Commissioned pilots and enlisted aircrew for actual flight time. Awards were also made to infantry troops who flew on combat assault missions. 4. A review of the applicant’s service record shows: a. On 11 September 1968, he enlisted in the Regular Army and he later received military occupational specialty (MOS) 11C (Infantryman Fire Crewman). b. DA Form 20 (Enlisted Qualification Record) shows in: * item 31 (Foreign Service) he served in Vietnam from 4 February 1969 through 8 December 1969 * item 40 (Awards and Decorations) does not show he was awarded the AM c. DD Form 214 shows on 10 September 1970, he was honorably released from active duty, and transferred to the U.S. Army Reserves (Annual Training). He completed 2 years of net service this period. This document does not show he was awarded the AM, but does show he completed the Recondo Course at Fort Carson, CO. d. DD Form 215 shows his DD Form 214 was amended on 7 November 2002 to add additional awards, but the AM was not added. e. There are no flight records or orders in the available records that show he was awarded the AM. BOARD DISCUSSION: 1. After reviewing the application and all supporting documents, the Board found relief is not warranted. 2. During the Vietnam era, the Air Medal was awarded based on a formula that accounted for the number and types of missions flown as well as the number of hours flown. In this case, the Board found no flight records that would confirm the applicant met the criteria to be awarded the Air Medal. The Board determined the available evidence is insufficient as a basis for confirming his eligibility for the Air Medal. 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: The evidence presented does not 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. 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 AM. It stated that 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 AM. 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 AM, 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 AM 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. //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20220002549 1 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1