RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBERS: BC-2011-00056 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His record be corrected to reflect award of the Korean Defense Service Medal (KDSM). _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: A letter from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), dated 20 December 2010, indicates he is authorized the KDSM for his more than 30 days of service at Suwon Air Base, Korea. In support of his appeal, the applicant provides copies of the cited NPRC letter. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachment, is at Exhibit A. _________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant is a former member of the Regular Air Force, who served on active duty from 14 August 1972 to 31 January 1996 for a total of 23 years, 5 months, and 17 days. He retired effective 1 February 1996, in the grade of chief master sergeant (E-9), for sufficient service for retirement. His DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, reflects he served 9 years, 2 months and 27 days of Foreign Service. The applicant’s Enlisted Performance Report (EPR) rendered for the period 14 December 1981 through 30 August 1982 reflects in the second endorsement block: “His efforts in support of the A-10 conversion at Suwon AB, Korea were significant contributing factors to the early completion of this project.” _________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPSIDR recommends denial. DPSIDR states that the KDSM is awarded to individuals who were assigned, attached, or mobilized to units operating or serving on all the land area of the Republic of Korea; 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. DPSIDR indicates that while they are able to verify the applicant served in Korea, they are unable to determine the number of days of his service in the area of eligibility. In addition, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) was unable to verify the applicant’s service in Korea. The complete DPSIDR 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 25 March 2011, for review and comment within 30 days (Exhibit D). As of this date, this office has received no response. _________________________________________________________________ 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 error or injustice warranting the award of the KDSM. In this respect, we note the applicant’s EPR rendered for the period 14 December 1981 through 30 August 1982 makes reference to his efforts in support of the A-10 conversion at Suwon Air Base, Korea. In addition, he has provided a letter from the NPRC attesting to the fact that he served more than 30 days in Korea as a member of the Rapid Area Distribution Support (RADS) Team and, that he is entitled to the KDSM. Therefore, the Board believes that in view of the evidence provided and the applicant’s accomplishments in the service of the Nation, and to preclude a possibility of an injustice, any doubt in this matter should be resolved in the applicant’s favor. Accordingly, we recommend that his records be corrected as indicated below. ________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT: The pertinent military records relating to the APPLICANT be corrected to show that he was awarded the Korean Defense Service Medal for his service at Suwon Air Base, Korea, during the period 14 December 1981 to 30 August 1982. ________________________________________________________________ The following members of the Board considered Docket Number BC- 2011-00056 in Executive Session on 20 September 2011, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: , Panel Chair , Member , Member All members voted to correct the records, as recommended. The following documentary evidence for AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2011- 00056 was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 26 Dec 10, w/atch. Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPSIDR, dated 10 Mar 11. Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 25 Mar 11. Panel Chair