RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2012-02754 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NOT INDICATED ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His DD Form 214, Armed Forces of the United States Report of Separation from Active Duty, be corrected to reflect entitlement to the following awards and decorations: 1. Air Force Overseas Ribbon - Short Tour. 2. Air Force Overseas Ribbon - Long Tour. 3. NATO Medal. 4. Combat Readiness Medal. 5. Air Force Training Ribbon. 6. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. 7. Armed Forces Reserve Medal. 8. Meritorious Service Medal. 9. Purple Heart. ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: His records have been neglected because he moved to 14 bases and had many temporary duty (TDY) assignments during his Air Force career. He also went through unit deactivations and base closures. He was never on one base for more than 18 months. His duties also took him to Korea and Vietnam. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. ________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant is a former member of the Regular Air Force who served from 15 December 1951 to 31 May 1974. He was released from active duty with an honorable characterization of service and was credited with 22 years, 5 months and 16 days of active duty service of which 1 year, 3 months and 10 days were credited as Foreign Service. By letter dated 11 February 2013 (Exhibit C), AFPC/DPSOR advised the applicant that in response to his request for review and correction of his DD Form 214, his record was partially corrected to reflect his entitlement to the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon (NCOPMEGR). A DD Form 215, Correction of DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, was completed to correct item 26 of his DD Form 214 to add the NCOPMEGR. They advised the applicant that the remainder of his case was forwarded to the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records (AFBCMR) for further adjudication. ________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 1. AFPC/DPSID recommends denial. DPSID states they were unable to verify the applicant was in a "combat readiness" status for 24 months for entitlement to the Combat Readiness Medal (CRM). The CRM is awarded for periods of qualifying service in combat or mission ready status for direct weapons system employment. For the purpose of this award direct weapons system employment is defined as: An aircrew whose wartime mission places them into enemy territory or in the threat envelope of ground enemy defenses; A missile operation which could employ weapons to destroy enemy targets; individuals who directly control in- flight manned aircraft whose wartime mission is to seek and destroy enemy targets. Additionally, an individual must meet all of the following criteria: (a). Be a member of a unit subject to combat readiness reporting under JCS publication 6, volume V (MAJCOMs, DRUs, and FOAs designate qualifying duty positions and units); (b). Complete basic and initial training and be formally certified as combat or mission ready in performing the command or unit operational mission. The individual must be subject to a continuous individual positional evaluation program; (c). Have completed 24 months of sustained combat or mission readiness with no more than a 120-ca1endar day break. 2. The applicant's service dates render him ineligible for award of the Air Force Overseas Ribbon-Long Tour (AFOR-LT), Air Force Overseas Ribbon-Short Tour (AFOR-LT), and the Air Force Training Ribbon (AFTR), as they were established after his service. The AFOR-LT and the AFOR-ST are awarded to Air Force and Air Force Reserve members credited with completion of an overseas tour on or after 1 September 1980. Air Force and Air Force Reserve members serving as of 6 January 1986 or later are entitled to reflect all Air Force overseas tours credited during their career. The AFTR is awarded to United States Air Force service members on completion of initial accession training after 14 August 1974. 3. They were unable to verify any units the applicant served with were submitted for, or awarded, the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. 4. They were unable to verify the applicant served in a Reserve Component of the United States for a total of 10 years, rendering him ineligible for award of the Armed Forces Reserves Medal (AFRM). The AFRM is awarded to any service member or former service members of the Reserve Components of the United States Armed Forces who completes or has completed a total of 10 years of honorable and satisfactory military service in one or more Reserve component of the Armed Forces. 5. The NATO Medal was not approved for operations in the Netherlands; therefore, the applicant is ineligible for this medal. The NATO Medal was approved for U. S. military personnel who serve under NATO command or operational control in direct support of NATO operations in the former Republic of Yugoslavia, or as designated by the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, from 1 July 1992 through a future date to be determined. 6. No documentation could be located in the applicant's military personnel record verifying award of the Purple Heart (PH). The PH is awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who have been wounded, killed, or who have died or may hereafter die of wounds received in action against an enemy of the United States or opposing force as a result of an act of any such enemy or opposing armed force, an international terrorist attack or during military operations while serving as part of a peacekeeping force. A wound for which the award is made must have required treatment, not merely examination, by a medical officer. Additionally, treatment of the wound shall be documented in the member's medical and/or health record. Award of the PH may be made for wounds treated by a medical professional other than a medical officer, provided a medical officer includes a statement in the members' medical record that the extent of the wounds were such that they would have required treatment by a medical officer if one had been available to treat them. 7. They were unable to justify the applicant's request to be awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) based solely on his previous awards of the Air Force Commendation Medal. The MSM is governed by Executive Order 11448, 16 January 1969, which authorizes the Secretary of a Military Department to award the MSM to any member of the United States Armed Forces, or to any member of the armed forces of a friendly foreign nation, who has distinguished himself or herself by outstanding meritorious achievement or service. The MSM may be awarded for outstanding achievement or service while serving in a designated combat zone. 8. After a thorough review of the applicant's official military personnel record, they were able to verify award of the Non- Commissioned Officer Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon (NCOPMEGR). The NCOPMEGR should have been awarded during the applicant's service and was not reflected in his records. Upon final board decision, administrative correction of the applicant's official military personnel record will be completed by AFPC/DPSOY. The complete AFPC/DPSID evaluation, with attachment, is at Exhibit D. ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the applicant on 19 November 2012 for review and comment within 30 days (Exhibit E). To date, this office has not received a 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. Insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of error or injustice. We took notice of the applicant's complete submission in judging the merits of the case; however, we agree with the opinion and recommendation of the Air Force office of primary responsibility and adopt its rationale as the basis for our conclusion that relief beyond that already granted administratively is not warranted. Therefore, we find no basis to favorably consider the remaining portion of the application. 4. The applicant's case is adequately documented and it has not been shown that a personal appearance with or without counsel will materially add to our understanding of the issues involved. Therefore, the request for a hearing is not favorably considered. ________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT: The applicant be notified that the evidence presented did not demonstrate the existence of material error or injustice; that the application was denied without a personal appearance; and that the application will only be reconsidered upon the submission of newly discovered relevant evidence not considered with this application. ________________________________________________________________ The following members of the Board considered this application in Executive Session on 26 March 2013, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: , Panel Chair , Member , Member The following documentary evidence was considered in AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2012-02754: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 25 June 2012, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPSOR, dated 11 Feb 2013, w/atchs. Exhibit D. Letter, AFPC/DPSID, dated 3 November 2012, w/atchs. Exhibit E. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 19 November 2012. Panel Chair AFBCMR 1500 West Perimeter Road, Suite 3700 Joint Base Andrews NAF Washington, MD 20762 Dear: Reference your application submitted under the provisions of AFI 36-2603 (Section 1552, 10 USC), AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2012-02754. After careful consideration of your application and military records, the Board determined that the evidence you presented did not demonstrate the existence of material error or injustice. Accordingly, the Board denied your application. You have the right to submit newly discovered relevant evidence for consideration by the Board. In the absence of such additional evidence, a further review of your application is not possible. BY DIRECTION OF THE PANEL CHAIR Chief Examiner Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records Attachment: Record of Board Proceedings 5 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE WASHINGTON, DC Office of the Assistant Secretary