RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  01-00175

            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO

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APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His late father’s records be corrected to  show  that  he  was  awarded  the
Meritorious Service  Medal  (MSM)  and  the  Air  Force  Commendation  Medal
(AFCM).

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

His father served on active duty for 20  years  and  should  have  at  least
received an AFCM upon his retirement.

The applicant states that his father  was  a  pilot  and  flight  instructor
during World War II and a radar officer during the  Korean  War.   His  last
five years were served in enlisted grades, as a result of a 1957  Reduction-
in-Force (RIF) while he was serving as a  major  in  the  Reserves.   It  is
incomprehensible to think that an Air  Force  career  enlisted  and  officer
would not be entitled to at least one AFCM.

The applicant’s complete submission is at Exhibit A.

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STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The member served in the Reserve Army from 15 March 1941 through 31  October
1941.

On 31 October 1941, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in  the  Officer
Reserve Corps, United States Army, and entered active  duty  on  1  November
1941.

On 13 February 1943, he was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Army  Air
Corps and progressively promoted to the grade of major.

On 10 January 1947, he was released from active duty in the grade  of  major
due to demobilization at the conclusion of World War II.

He served in the Air Force Reserve from 13  June  1948  through  30 November
1957.

On 30 November 1957, he was released from active  military  service  in  the
grade of major and transferred to the inactive reserve.

While still holding his reserve commission, he enlisted in the  Regular  Air
Force in the grade of airman first class (E-3)  on  3 January  1958,  for  a
period of six years, and entered active duty.

On 6 August 1958, he was promoted to the grade of  lieutenant  colonel,  Air
Force Reserve.

On 30 September 1962, he was relieved from  active  duty  in  the  grade  of
technical sergeant (E-6) and on 1 October 1962,  retired  in  the  grade  of
lieutenant colonel.  He completed 20 years and 12 days  of  active  service.
During this period, he was awarded the Good Conduct  Medal,  the  Air  Force
Longevity Service Award with Four Oak Leaf Clusters,  the  National  Defense
Service Medal, the  Armed  Forces  Reserve  Medal-Air  Force,  the  Army  of
Occupational Medal-Japan, the Korean Service Medal, the  Republic  of  Korea
Presidential Unit Citation, the American Campaign Medal, the  World  War  II
Victory Medal, and the American Defense Service Medal.

The Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) is  awarded  for  noncombat  meritorious
achievement or service to the United States.  Although required  achievement
or service to warrant awarding the  MSM  is  less  than  that  required  for
awarding the Legion of Merit, it  must  nevertheless  be  accomplished  with
distinction above and beyond that required for awarding the AFCM.

The  Air  Force  Commendation  Medal  (AFCM)  is  awarded  for   outstanding
achievement or meritorious service rendered specifically on  behalf  of  the
Air Force, acts of courage that do not meet the requirements  for  award  of
the  Airman’s  Medal  or  Bronze  Star  Medal,  and  sustained   meritorious
performance by crewmembers.

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AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The  Chief,  Recognition   Programs   Branch,   AFPC/DPPPR,   reviewed   the
application and states that there is no indication in the  member’s  records
that he was ever recommended for a decoration or awarded one,  such  as  the
AFCM.  Only a service member’s  supervisor,  commander  or  individual  with
first-hand knowledge of an action, service or accomplishment  may  recommend
a service member for a decoration.  In addition, the written  recommendation
must be placed into official  channels  and  then  forwarded  to  the  final
approval/disapproval authority for a determination.   A  decoration  is  not
automatically awarded for a Permanent Change of  Station  (PCS)  or  upon  a
service member’s retirement.  The member must have performed his  duties  in
an exceptional manner or accomplished a specific project,  plan  or  program
that is beneficial to  the  Air  Force.   There  is  no  indication  in  the
member’s records that he performed any special project, plan or  program  in
an exceptional manner, or  performed  his  duties  in  an  above-the-average
manner.  Therefore, they recommend the application be denied.

A complete copy of the evaluation is at Exhibit C.

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APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The applicant reviewed the Air Force evaluation and  states  that  he  wrote
the Military Records Center and asked that all of his  father’s  medals  and
awards be sent to his mother.  He had  always  been  told  that  his  father
received the AFCM when he retired in 1962.  However, the AFCM was not  among
those listed.  It is incomprehensible to think that in his  father’s  entire
military career covering World War II, Korea and service up  to  1962,  that
he did  not  accomplish  a  specific  project,  plan  or  program  that  was
beneficial to the Air Force, or that he did not perform any of these  in  an
exceptional  manner.   During  World  War  II,  his  father  was  a   flight
instructor for combat pilots  and  one  of  the  first  instructors  of  the
Chinese flight students.  During the Korean War,  his  father  was  a  radar
officer on the coast of Japan helping direct Air Force aircraft to and  from
the combat theatre and providing early warning  protection  for  our  forces
against possible enemy attack.  In addition, he was also a  pilot  and  flew
missions into South Korea to airlift wounded soldiers and  marines  back  to
Japan.  After being separated based on two nonselections for promotion,  his
father enlisted and served as an Operations Specialist in the  Nuclear  Test
Program at Kirkland AFB.  He also spent  six  months  in  Einewetok  working
with the B-57s as they monitored the  affects  of  atomic  explosions.   His
father’s last assignment was as an operations scheduler  at  Dover  AFB  and
certainly must have been involved in some  project,  plan  or  program  that
benefited the Air Force.

The applicant’s complete responses are at Exhibit E.

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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 to warrant awarding the  Air  Force
Commendation Medal (AFCM).  We believe that  sufficient  evidence  has  been
presented to warrant recognizing the member’s meritorious  service  rendered
specifically on behalf of the Air Force.  In  this  respect,  we  note  that
during the period 3 January 1958 through 30 September  1962,  the  applicant
served as an enlisted member of the Regular  Air  Force.   While  AFPC/DPPPR
opines that  there  is  no  indication  in  the  member’s  records  that  he
performed any special project, plan or program in an exceptional manner,  or
performed his duties in  an  above-the-average  manner,  we  note  that  the
performance reports rendered during this period all reflect that the  member
performed his duties in an outstanding manner.  In view of this, we  believe
the member’s service deserves recognition and recommend that he  be  awarded
the AFCM.  However, we found no direct evidence  that  his  performance  met
the criteria for award of the Meritorious Service Medal.

_________________________________________________________________

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  Air  Force
Commendation Medal for meritorious service during the period 3 January  1958
through 30 September 1962.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered this application in  Executive
Session on 18 April 2001, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

                       Mr. Patrick R. Wheeler, Panel Chair
                       Ms. Marilyn Thomas, Member
                       Mr. Lawrence R. Leehy, Member

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

     Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 10 Jan 01, w/atchs.
     Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
     Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 12 Feb 01.
     Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MIBR, dated 23 Feb 01.
     Exhibit E.  Letters, Applicant, dated 18 & 23 Mar 01, w/atchs.





                                  PATRICK R. WHEELER
                                  Panel Chair