RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2009-00093 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO _______________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 1.  The Korean Defense Service Medal (KDSM) be updated in his records. 2.  The Meritorious Service Medal (MSM), Third Oak Leaf Cluster (3rd OLC) be updated in his records. 3.  His Duty Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSCs) be corrected. ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: The KDSM was created after he retired and was made retroactive to 1954. He deployed to Korea, in support of Operation PACIFIC BEAR. In support of his request, applicant submits copies of his deployment orders, his MSM award/citation and his Officer Preselection Brief (OPB). His complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. ________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: On 9 January 1980, the applicant entered military service. On 1 December 1999, he retired in the grade of lieutenant colonel after serving 19 years, 10 months and 22 days on active duty. The KDSM is awarded to individuals assigned, attached, or mobilized to units operating or serving on all the land area of the Republic of Korea and the contiguous waters out to 12 nautical miles and all airspace above the stated land and water areas. To be eligible for the KDSM, personnel must have been physically present in the stated areas for 30 consecutive or 60 nonconsecutive days or must meet one of the following: 1) Be engaged in actual combat during an armed engagement, regardless of the time in the areas of eligibility (AOE); 2) Be killed, wounded, or injured in the line of duty and required medical evacuation from the AOE; 3) While participating as a regularly assigned aircrew member flying sorties into, out of, within, or over the AOE in support of military operations.  Each day that one or more sorties are flown in accordance with these criteria shall count as 1 day toward the 30 or 60 day requirement; 4) Personnel who serve(d) in operations and exercises conducted in the AOE are considered eligible for the KDSM as long as the basic time criterion is met. Due to extensive time period for KDSM eligibility, the nonconsecutive service period for eligibility remains cumulative throughout the entire period. ________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: HQ AFPC/DPSIDR recommends denial. DPSIDR states the applicant's total foreign service annotated on his DD Form 214 is 5 years 4 months and 12 days. The only overseas duty history located in his personnel file is from 30 December 1991 to 17 June 1995 to Bitberg AB Germany and Elmendorf AB Alaska from 12 January 1988 to 30 November 1999. DPSIDR was unable to verify his deployment to the AOE for entitlement to the KDSM. Although he submitted travel orders to Korea, a copy of the travel voucher would be needed along with the travel order to verify he deployed to the AOE. According to his MSM citation ending 30 November 1999, the applicant did deploy in support of Operation PACIFIC BEAR; however, the citation does not indicate the inclusive period of the deployment, nor the location where deployed. The complete DPSIDR evaluation, with attachments, is at Exhibit B. ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: On 8 June 2009, the 325th Fighter Wing (325th FW/CC) responded via letter stating the applicant deployed to Kwangju AB on or about 17 May 1999 and returned 10 August 1999. On 9 June 2009, the applicant responded stating he did not maintain old travel vouchers; however, he provided statements from other officers stating he deployed to Korea for over 30 days. He also requested that his DAFSC designation on his DD Form 214 be addressed. The complete response, with attachments, is at Exhibit D. ________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT: 1.  The applicant has 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.  Sufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of an error or an injustice to warrant awarding the applicant the KDSM. While the applicant did not submit travel vouchers to support his request, the evidence provided along with the letters from the 325th FW/CC, 75 AMDS/CC and another officer has led us to believe he should have received the KDSM. It is our opinion that favorable consideration of his request is warranted and we recommend his records be corrected as indicated below. With respest to his other request, AFPC stated they will administratively correct his records to show he performed duty in AFSC’s 46N3C, 46N1E, 46N3H and that he was awarded the MSM w/3rd OLC. Therefore, we recommend his records be corrected to the extent indicated below. ______________________________________________________________ THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT: Pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force relating to APPLICANT be corrected to show that he was awarded the KDSM on 10 August 1999. _______________________________________________________________ The following members of the Board considered Docket Number BC-2009-00093 in Executive Session on 25 June 2009, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: , Panel Chair , Member , Member All members voted to correct the records as recommended. The following documentary evidence was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 6 January 2009, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Letter, HQ AFPC/DPSIDR, dated 13 April 2009, w/atchs. Exhibit C. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 15 May 2009. Exhibit D. Letter, 325th FW/CC, dated 8 June 2009. Exhibit E. Letter, Applicant, dated 9 June 2009, w/atchs. Panel Chair AFBCMR BC-2009-00093 MEMORANDUM FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF Having received and considered the recommendation of the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records and under the authority of Section 1552, Title 10, United States Code (70A Stat 116), it is directed that: The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force relating to APPLICANT be corrected to show that he was awarded the Korean Defense Service Medal on 10 August 1999. Director Air Force Review Boards Agency 2 3