RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  00-02187
            INDEX NUMBER:  107.00

      XXXXXXXXXXXX     COUNSEL:  None

      XXX-XX-XXXX      HEARING DESIRED:  Yes

_______________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His DD Form 214 be amended to show the time he served in  Saudi  Arabia
from Oct 91 to April 92.

_______________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

He served in several locations in Saudi Arabia during the  period  from
Oct 91 to Apr 92.

The applicant’s complete submission is at Exhibit A.

_______________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

According to information taken from his master personnel  records,  the
applicant entered active duty in the Air Force on  2  Dec  88  and  was
released from active duty on 1 Dec 92 in the grade of senior airman (E-
4) after completing his active obligated service.

The Board denied a previous application submitted by the  applicant  in
Aug 97 requesting award of the Southwest Asia Service  Medal  based  on
his service in  Saudi  Arabia.   The  applicant  did  not  provide  any
documentation to substantiate that he served in Saudi Arabia during the
timeframe he contends.  A complete copy of the Record of Proceeding  is
at Exhibit C.

_______________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The Chief, Recognition Programs Branch evaluated this  application  and
recommends denial of the applicant’s request.

On 7 Sep 00, the applicant was asked  to  provide  copies  of  official
documentation showing he was in Saudi Arabia and the inclusive dates he
was there.  The applicant responded that he did not have copies of  his
TDY order or travel voucher to verify his claim.  He submitted  a  copy
of his Air Force Achievement Medal with First Oak Leaf Cluster for  the
period  31 May 91-1Dec 92, which states the applicant was  deployed  to
Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Calm, but did  not  specify
the period.  He also provided a  copy  of  messages  between  his  home
station, the 416th Mission Support Squadron at Griffiss AFB NY, and the
4404th Support Group Deployed, dated 12 and 18 Feb 92.  A copy  of  the
Base Career Advisor’s notes dated 21 Oct 92, state that  the  applicant
would be departing for Saudi Arabia on  or  about  1  Nov  91  for  six
months.

The applicant has again not provided the documentation to  substantiate
his claim.  In Case 1, he claimed to have been in Saudi  Arabia  during
the period 1 Nov 91-31 Jan 92.  In Case 2, he  now  claims  he  was  in
Saudi Arabia during the  period  Oct  91  through  Apr  92.   From  the
messages between Griffiss AFB and the 4404th Deployed  unit,  They  can
only verify that the applicant might have been in Saudi  Arabia  during
the period 12-18 Feb 92; however, this is insufficient time for him  to
be eligible for any awards or decorations  for  support  of  Operations
Desert Shield/Desert Storm/Desert Calm.  Again, they can not verify the
applicant was in the Persian Gulf for 30  consecutive  days  in  direct
support of the required operation(s).

The complete evaluation is at Exhibit D.

_______________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Applicant states that over the past  several  months,  he  has  written
letters to every place that he was told to  write,  to  no  avail.   He
states that he was stationed at Griffiss AFB from May 91 to Dec 92  and
worked at the Storage and Handling Shop in the  Weapons  Storage  Area.
In Oct 91, he volunteered to go TDY to Saudi Arabia for a period of six
months.  He was the only one from his squadron to go.  He lived at  the
Eskan Village in Riyadh and worked in the munitions dump  at  Al  Kharj
Air Base.  He arrived on 31 Oct 91.  While there, he went  TDY  for  30
days to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia and lived in the Khobar Towers.  He  left
Saudi Arabia and returned to Griffiss in late Mar 92.

The applicant states that he would like to have a personal hearing.

The complete submission is at Exhibit F.

The applicant also provided a letter from his  brother  affirming  that
the applicant was in Saudi Arabia during the timeframe that he  claims.
The applicant’s brother states that he was  deployed  to  Saudi  Arabia
twice during the period the applicant claims  to  have  been  in  Saudi
Arabia and that they  were  both  billeted  at  Eskan  Village  outside
Riyadh.   The  applicant’s  brother  furnished  copies  of  his  travel
vouchers.

The complete submission is at Exhibit G.

The applicant’s brother’s commander submitted a letter of  support  for
the applicant.  He indicates that he lends his  strongest  support  for
the applicant’s brother’s eyewitness confirmation  that  the  applicant
was in Saudi Arabia for more than 30 consecutive days.

The complete submission is at Exhibit H.

_______________________________________________________________

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  probable  error  or  injustice.   The  Board  was
persuaded by the scope of the applicant’s efforts to prove that  he
served in Saudi Arabia.  It appears that he exhausted  all  avenues
available to him to obtain his records.  They also noted that while
the existing records did not clearly indicate  that  the  applicant
served in Saudi Arabia for at least 30 consecutive days, there were
several items that indicated that he may have done so.  In weighing
this information, along with the supporting statements provided  by
the applicant’s brother and his  commander,  the  Board  determined
that any doubt should  be  resolved  in  favor  of  the  applicant.
Therefore they recommend that the record be corrected as  indicated
below.

___________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the Department of the  Air  Force
relating to APPLICANT, be corrected to show that he was awarded the
Southwest Asia Service Medal for his deployment to Saudi Arabia  in
support of Operation Desert Calm from 31 October 1991 to  31  March
1992.

___________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered this  application  in
Executive Session on 14 March 2001, under the provisions of AFI 36-
2603:

      Mr. Terry A. Yonkers, Panel Chair
      Ms. Carolyn J. Watkins, Member
      Mr. John E. Pettit, Member

All members voted to correct  the  records,  as  recommended.   The
following documentary evidence was considered:

     Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 8 Aug 00, w/atchs.
     Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
     Exhibit C.  ROP, dated 24 Jun 98, w/Exhibits.
     Exhibit D.  Memorandum, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 12 Jan 01, w/atchs.
     Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MIBR, dated 26 Jan 01.
     Exhibit F.  Letter, Applicant, dated 30 Jan 01.
     Exhibit G.  Memorandum, Applicant’s Brother, dated 5 Feb 01,
                 w/atchs.
     Exhibit H.  Memorandum, Squadron Commander, dated 13 Feb 01.




                                   TERRY A. YONKERS
                                   Panel Chair



AFBCMR 00-02187




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 XXXXXXXX, XXX-XX-XXXX, be corrected to show that
he was awarded the Southwest Asia Service Medal for his deployment
to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Calm from 31 October
1991 to 31 March 1992.






            JOE G. LINEBERGER
            Director
            Air Force Review Boards Agency