RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2012-05790 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NOT INDICATED ________________________________________________________________ _ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His DD Form 214, Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge, be amended to include the following: 1. Time served in Vietnam. 2. Awards for service in Vietnam. ________________________________________________________________ _ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: Pertinent information is missing from his DD Form 214. In support of the applicant’s appeal, he provides a copy of his DD Form 214. The applicant's complete submission, with attachment, is at Exhibit A. ________________________________________________________________ _ STATEMENT OF FACTS: On 24 May 1968, the applicant was honorably discharged under the provisions of AFM 39-10 (Convenience of the Government). He served 7 years, 11 months and 28 days on active duty and was credited with 2 years, 5 months and 13 days of foreign and/or sea service. The VSM is awarded to service members of the Armed Forces who served at any time between 4 July 1965 and 28 March 1973, in Vietnam, its contiguous waters, or airspace thereover; or in Thailand, Laos, or Cambodia, or the airspaces thereover. To be eligible, a service member must be: (1) attached or regularly serving for one, or more, days with an organization participating in or directly supporting ground (military) operations, (2) attached to or regularly serving for one, or more, days aboard a naval vessel directly supporting military operations, (3) actually participate as a crew member in one or more aerial flights directly supporting military operations, or (4) serve on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days, time limitations which may be waived for personnel participating in actual combat operations. ________________________________________________________________ _ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPAPP recommends denial of time served in Vietnam. DPAPP states a review of his master personnel records and documentation submitted failed to provide any documents that substantiate foreign service time in Vietnam. The DPAPP complete evaluation is at Exhibit C. AFPC/DPSID recommends denial for any awards for Vietnam service. After a thorough review of the applicant’s official military personnel record they were unable to verify award of the VSM. The DPSID complete evaluation is at Exhibit D. ________________________________________________________________ _ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: The applicant states he was on a 179-day temporary duty (TDY) to Vietnam from June 1967 to January 1968. His performance report dated 9 December 1967 was written at OL-25 Republic of Vietnam. The applicant’s complete response, with attachment, is at Exhibit F. ________________________________________________________________ _ 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. Based on the applicant’s statement and performance report for the period 22 June 1967 through 9 December 1967 which reflects he served as a Combat Skyspot Plotter with an operating location in Southeast Asia, we believe a reasonable basis exists to conclude the applicant served in Vietnam. Available information reflects that 2 Combat Skyspot were missions in support of bombing actions in the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) which operated from locations in the RVN and Thailand. Based on our recommendation to grant the applicant’s request for Vietnam service, AFPC/DPSID will review his record for possible entitlement for awards for his service in Vietnam. Therefore, his records should be corrected to the extent indicated below. 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 RECOMMENDS THAT: The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force relating to APPLICANT be corrected to show that he had boots on the ground in Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam, from 22 June 1967 to 9 December 1967. ________________________________________________________________ _ The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2012-05790 in Executive Session on 24 September 2013, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: All members voted to correct the record, as recommended. The following documentary evidence was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 10 December 2012, w/atch. Exhibit B. Applicant’s Available Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 15 February 2013. Exhibit D. Letter, AFPC/DPSID, dated 25 March 2013. Exhibit E. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 1 April 2013. Exhibit F. Letter, Applicant, dated 17 April 2013, w/atch.