RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER: 02-00826
            INDEX CODE 107.00
            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO


_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from the Armed  Forces,
be amended to reflect service in Vietnam.  He be awarded  the  Armed  Forces
Expeditionary Medal (AFEM).

_________________________________________________________________

THE APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

He served in the Republic of Vietnam beginning January 1962.  He  previously
contacted  the  National  Personnel  Records  Center,  St.  Louis,  MO,  who
indicated that there  is  no  documentation  in  his  personnel  records  to
indicate his service in Vietnam during 1962 or at Takhli Air Base,  Thailand
during 1961.  He had orders to  report  to  Yamato  Air  Station,  Japan  to
undergo processing for onward transportation.   However,  this  mission  was
classified  and  the  final  destination  was  not  indicated.   His   final
destination was Takhli,  Thailand,  and  he  was  under  orders  to  provide
security for US Air Force elements flying U-2 reconnaissance  missions  over
China.

His orders for service in Vietnam were to report to the 405th  Fighter  Wing
for further transporation to Detachment 9.  His final destination  was  Bien
Hoa Air Base, Republic of Vietnam,  another  classified  mission,  where  he
provided security for US Air Force  elements.   Because  of  the  classified
nature of these missions, they were ordered  not  to  discuss  them  at  any
time.  Forty years later, he continues to have  a  difficult  time  bringing
closure  to  this  part  of  his  life  and  continues  to  have  difficulty
validating his service in Southeast Asia.  He understands that the  AFEM  is
available to US service personnel who were in-country in  Vietnam  during  1
July 1958 through 3 July 1965.  He requests the Board, at  the  very  least,
correct his record by showing service in Vietnam so that he  may  apply  for
the AFEM and in a small way validate his service in Vietnam.

In support of his appeal, applicant submits a personal statement; a copy  of
his DD Form 214; TDY Special Order Number TA-75; TDY  Special  Order  Number
TA-31; letters of appreciation; documents associated  with  a  Defense  Plan
for the Republic of Vietnam.

Applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant enlisted in the Regular Air  Force  in  the  grade  of  airman
basic (E-1) on 2 February 1960.  Records reflect an overseas tour  in  Japan
with assignment to the 421st Air Police Squadron, for  the  period  17  July
1960 - 7 July 1962.  On 27 November 1963,  the  applicant  requested  to  be
released from active duty  on  14  January  1964  to  attend  the  New  York
University  School  of  Commerce.   On  14  January  1964,   applicant   was
transferred to the Air Force Reserve for completion of his military  service
obligation.  He had served 3 years, 11 months and 13  days  on  active  duty
and 1 year, 11 months, and 20 days of foreign service.

On 12 June 2002, during a records review, Headquarters Air  Force  Personnel
Center  identified  an  error  in  Item  26,  Decorations,  Medals,  Badges,
Commenation, Citations and  Campaign  Ribbons  Awarded  or  Authorized,  and
issued the applicant a DD Form 215, Correction to DD  Form  214,  reflecting
the award of the National Defense Service Medal.

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AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPR recommends the application  be  denied.  DPPPR  states  that  the
first order, TA-75, states that the purpose of the TDY was for an  exercise,
not a deployment in direct support of operations in Vietnam.   DPPPR  states
that during the TDY period, the applicant’s medical  records  show  that  he
was treated at Takhli RTAFB in Thailand on 2 March 1961.   In  order  to  be
eligible  for  the  AFEM,  the  appliant  had  to  be  in  Thailand  for  30
consecutive days and since he did not provide  a  travel  voucher  for  this
TDY, DPPPR states they cannot verify he was in  Thailand  for  the  required
period of time.  DPPPR states that the second  order,  TA-31,  was  for  the
purpose of performing a training  mission  with  Detachment  9,  2nd  ADVON;
however, without a travel voucher they cannot verify the  country  to  which
the applicant was TDY to or the duration of the TDY.

The AFPC/DPPPR evaluation, with attachments, is at Exhibit C.

_________________________________________________________________





APPLICANT’S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Applicant submits a copy  of  Special  Order  TA-31  and  explains  that  in
January 1962 he was dispatched to  Clark  Air  Base,  PI,  where  they  were
issued ID cards different from the military ID  cards.   He  states  he  was
transported to Bien Hoa Air  Base  in  South  Vietnam  where  his  team  was
responsible for security of the cantonment area where members of  the  Mobil
Strike Force were located.  Applicant states that his TDY  was  an  approved
emergency TDY and “Tools of the Trade” were authorized.   He  is  trying  to
put closure with his involvment in Vietnam and is asking that the Air  Force
help with his request and to acknowledge his time spent in Vietnam.

Applicant’s letter, with attachments, is at Exhibit E.
_________________________________________________________________

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.  Applicant’s contentions  are  duly  noted;
however,  we  do  not  find  these  uncorroborated  assertions,  in  and  by
themselves, sufficiently persuasive to override  the  rational  provided  by
the Air Force.  He has been asked to  provide  supporting  documentation  to
substantiate his deployment to Vietnam in direct support of  operations  but
has not responded.  Should the applicant  provide  more  expansive  evidence
demonstrating his deployment to Vietnam or Thailand for  30  consecutive  or
60 nonconsecutive days, we would be  willing  to  reconsider  his  petition.
Absent such evidence, we must agree  with  the  recommendation  of  the  Air
Force and adopt the rationale expressed as the basis for our  decision  that
the applicant has failed to sustain his burden that he has  suffered  either
an error or  an  injustice.   Therefore,  we  find  no  basis  to  recommend
granting the relief sought in this application.

_________________________________________________________________

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  Docket  Number  02-00826  in
Executive Session on 21 August 2002, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

                       Mr. Lawrence R. Leehy, Panel Chair
                       Mr. Mike Novel, Member
                       Ms. Marilyn Thomas, Member

The following documentary evidence was considered:

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 28 Feb 02, w/atchs.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 6 Jun 02, w/atchs.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 21 Jun 02.
      Exhibit E.  Letter, Applicant, undated w/atchs.




                                   LAWRENCE R. LEEHY
                                   Panel Chair