RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 


IN THE MATTER OF:            DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2013-04655 
		             COUNSEL: NONE
                             HEARING DESIRED: NO 
APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT

1.  His DD Form 214, Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or 
Discharge, be corrected to reflect his service inVietnam, specifically, 
boots-on-the-ground in Vietnam. 

2.  His DD Form 214 be corrected to reflect award of the Vietnam Service Medal 
(VSM) and the Vietnam Campaign Medal (VCM). 


APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:
 
The Air Force simply failed to put the VSM and VCM on his DD Form 214.
 
In support of his appeal, the applicant provides copies of his DDForm 214 and his
AF Form 7, Airman Military Record.
 
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 whoserved on active duty 
from 7 January 1966 to 28 May 1969. His DD Form 214 reflects he served 3 years, 4 
months, and 21 days onactive duty with 8 months and 28 days of Foreign Service. His 
DD Form 7 reflects he was on temporary duty (TDY) to Southeast Asia(SEA) from 28 March
 1968 to 23 April 1968 and 11 July 1968 to26 July 1968.
 
The remaining relevant facts are contained in the evaluationsprovided by the Air Force 
offices of primary responsibility atExhibits C and D. 

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:
 
AFPC/DPAPP recommends denying the applicant’s request to correcthis record to show 
boots-on-the-ground in Vietnam. DPAPP states that after a review of his master 
personnel records and submitteddocumentation, they were unable to find any documentation 
to substantiate  his Foreign Service time was in Vietnam. 

The complete DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit C. 

AFPC/DPSID recommends denying the applicant’s request for the VSMand VCM. DPSID states 
they were unable to locate officialdocumentation showing the applicant was in the area 
of eligibility for award of the VSM and the VCM. Sometimes the term “SEA” was used for 
duty in Taiwan and the Philippines which arenot in the area of eligibility for the VSM 
and VCM. Even if the applicant was in the area of eligibility, he does not meet the 30 
consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days in the area of eligibility. To grant relief would
be contrary to the eligibility criteria established by DoDM 1348.33. 

The complete DPSID evaluation is at Exhibit C.
 
APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:
 
The applicant’s Congressional Liaison contacted the AF/HO,Director of the Air Force 
Historical Support Division, to verifyhis service in Vietnam. AF/HO indicated that 
according to theirresearch, the applicant’s unit deployed TDY to Cam Ranh Bay, Republic 
of Vietnam during 1968. While there is no unit roster with names, the unit was deployed 
completely, as the terms in thehistory demonstrate. 

The AF/HO email, with attachments, is at Exhibit F. 

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS 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 evidence has been presented to demonstrate anerror or injustice with regard
to the VSM and VCM. We took notice of the applicant’s complete submission in judging the 
merits of the case; however, we agree with the opinion andrecommendation of the Air Force 
office of primary responsibilitythat even if the applicant was in the area of eligibility,
he does not meet the 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days inthe area of eligibility. 
Therefore, we find no basis to favorably consider this portion of the application. 

4. Sufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate an error or injustice
in regard to the applicant’sservice in the Republic of Vietnam. Based on the AF/HO findings
indicating the applicant’s whole unit deployed to Vietnam in1968, we find the evidence 
sufficient to resolve this matter inthe applicant’s favor. Therefore, we recommend his 
records be corrected as indicated below. 


THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:
 
The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Forcerelating to APPLICANT be 
corrected to show that he served “boots­on-the-ground” in the Republic of Vietnam in 1968. 
The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2013-04655 in 
Executive Session on 22 May 2014, 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-2013­04655 was considered:
 
	Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 25 Sep 13, w/atchs.
	
Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
	
Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 19 Nov 13.
	
Exhibit D. Letter, AFPC/DPSID, dated 2 Jan 14.
	
Exhibit E. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 25 Mar 14.

	Exhibit F. Email, AF/HO, dated 2 May 14, w/atchs. 


     


						Panel Chair