RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  02-00615
            INDEX CODE:  107.00

            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO


_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His records be corrected to reflect award of the Navy  Expert  Handgun
Marksmanship Medal, Navy Expert Rifle  Marksmanship  Medal,  and  Navy
Rangemaster Certification.

He be authorized to wear the United States Marine Corps (USMC) Support
device affixed to the Vietnam Service Medal.

His records be corrected to reflect award of  the  Special  Experience
Identifier (SEI) for Stinger Missiles to  Security  Police  Personnel,
and the United States Air Force (USAF) Missile Badge.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

He recently applied for a position as a Federal Sky Marshall and it is
imperative that his official  records  indicate  actual  training  and
awards he earned while on active duty.

In support of his appeal, the applicant provided an expanded statement
and extracts from his military personnel records.

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

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

Applicant enlisted in the United States Navy on 28 Dec 65.  On  23 Oct
69, he was released from active duty and  transferred  to  the  United
States Naval Reserve.

On 7 Jan 72, the applicant enlisted in the Regular  Air  Force  for  a
period of four years in the grade of staff sergeant.  He was  relieved
from active duty on 31 Mar 92 and retired effective, 1 Apr 92, in  the
grade of master sergeant.  He was credited with 24 years and  24  days
of active duty service.

Applicant’s DD Form 214, Certificate  of  Release  or  Discharge  from
Active  Duty,  indicates  that  while  serving  on  active  duty,  the
applicant held  the  primary  specialty  codes  of  T75370,  Technical
Training Instructor, Combat Arms Training Maintenance Technician,  for
nine (9) years, and 29370, Ground Radio Technician, for  14 years,  10
months.

A DD Form 215, Correction to DD Form 214, Certificate  of  Release  or
Discharge from Active Duty, indicates  that  the  applicant’s  records
have been corrected administratively  to  reflect  Small  Arms  Expert
Marksmanship  Ribbon,  with   One   Bronze   Star;   Security   Police
Identification  Badge;  Senior  Communications-Electronics   Equipment
Maintenance Badge;  Small  Arms  Specialist,  and  Technical  Training
Instructor Course.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPSFM indicated that after a thorough review of the record,  they
have  determined  the  applicant  previously  held  the  Ground  Radio
Communication Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) from 12 Feb 74 to 30 Sep
82, the Combat Arms AFSC from 1 Oct 82 to 18 Dec 85,  and  the  Combat
Arms, Formal Training Instructor AFSC from 19 Dec 85  to  31  Mar  92.
During that time, the badges  authorized  for  wear  were  the  Senior
Security  Police  Identification  and   the   Senior   Communications-
Electronics Equipment Maintenance Badges.

According to AFPC/DPSFM, the criteria for award of the  Basic  Missile
Badge are completion of formal missile training or missile  on-the-job
training (OJT) resulting in award of a primary  missile  AFSC  at  the
three (3) skill level, and completion of 12 months cumulative duty  in
a non-training status.  A member must have 48 months within a  primary
missile AFSC or designated senior duty  position  to  be  awarded  the
Senior Missile Badge.  The applicant was awarded a Special  Experience
Identifier (SEI), not the AFSC for the missile career field.   He  was
not authorized to wear the badge.

AFPC/DPSFM recommended that the applicant’s records  be  corrected  to
reflect award of the Senior Security Police Identification  Badge  and
the Senior Communications-Electronics Equipment Maintenance Badge.

A complete copy of the AFPC/DPSFM evaluation is at Exhibit C.

AFPC/DPPPR recommended denial of the applicant’s request to  have  his
records  corrected  to  reflect  award  of  the  Navy  Expert  Handgun
Marksmanship Medal and Navy Expert  Rifle  Marksmanship  Medal.   They
indicated  that  the  applicant  was  not  eligible   for   any   Navy
marksmanship awards, as he was not on active duty with  the  Navy;  he
was in the Air Force.  Each branch of service has its own criteria for
award of marksmanship awards and, although any service member may fire
weapons on any military firing  range,  Air  Force  members  may  only
qualify for Air Force awards.

A complete copy of the AFPC/DPPPR evaluation, with attachments, is  at
Exhibit D.

AFPC/DPPAC recommended denial of the applicant’s request for award  of
the SEI for Stinger Missiles to Security Police Personnel.   According
to AFPC/DPPAC, the SEI 316, Stinger Missile System, was established as
an  authorized  identifier  in  the  enlisted  classification   system
effective 30 April 1986, and deleted 31 Oct 97.   Award  of  this  SEI
required completion of course L5AZA81150-004, Stinger Weapon Training,
recommendation of unit commander and six (6) months experience.  AFSCs
authorized for award of SEI 316 were 811X0 (Security Police) and 81199
(Security Police Superintendent).

AFPC/DPPAC indicated that a thorough review of applicant’s records did
not reveal that he ever possessed an AFSC authorized SEI 316.   During
the period applicant taught Stinger Missile training,  his  duty  AFSC
was T75370 - Instructor, Combat Arms Training and Maintenance  (CATM).
They could find no source  documents  indicating  the  applicant  ever
possessed AFSC 811X0.  Having never possessed an authorized AFSC, been
recommended by the commander, or obtained six  (6)  months  experience
with the Stinger Missile performing 811XO duties,  the  applicant  was
never eligible for award of SEI 316.

A complete copy of the AFPC/DPPAC evaluation is at Exhibit E.

AFPC/DPPPR  recommended  denial  of  the   applicant’s   request   for
authorization to wear the USMC Support device on his  Vietnam  Service
Medal, noting that DoDM 1348.33, Manual of  Military  Decorations  and
Awards, does not  identify  a  “USMC  Support  device.”   Only  bronze
service stars are authorized to be worn on the Vietnam  Service  Medal
to denote unit credit for participation in specified  campaigns.   The
applicant would only be authorized a bronze service star  if  he  were
assigned or attached to a unit assigned to the  Republic  of  Vietnam.
Since he was TDY, he was not authorized a bronze service star.

AFPC/DPPPR indicated that the applicant did not identify the  “support
device” he asked to wear on his Vietnam Service  Medal,  and  no  such
item can be identified in the reference material  available  in  their
office.  Since the applicant was on active duty in the Air  Force,  he
would not be authorized to wear another service’s  devices  on  awards
earned while in the Air Force.  The applicant’s records reflect  award
of the Vietnam Service Medal with  three  (3)  Bronze  Service  Stars.
They could not verify any other devices that could  be  worn  on  this
medal.

A complete copy of the AFPC/DPPPR evaluation, with attachments, is  at
Exhibit F.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Copies of the Air Force evaluations were forwarded to applicant  on  2
Aug 02 for review and response.  As of this date, no response has been
received by this office (Exhibit G).

_________________________________________________________________

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 warranting any corrective action.

      a.  Applicant requests that his records be corrected to  reflect
award of the Navy Expert Handgun Medal, Navy Expert Rifle Marksmanship
Medal, Navy Expert Rifle  Marksmanship  Medal,  and  Navy  Rangemaster
Certification.  However, we note that each service branch has its  own
criteria for award of marksmanship awards.  Although the applicant was
on a Navy range when he was firing the weapons, he was  an  Air  Force
resource and as such, he was not eligible to earn any Navy medals.  In
view of the foregoing, and in the absence of  sufficient  evidence  to
the contrary, the applicant’s requests are not favorably considered.

       b.  With  regard  to  the  applicant’s  requests  that  he   be
authorized to wear the USMC Support  device  affixed  to  the  Vietnam
Service Medal, and awarded the Air Force Missile Badge and an SEI  for
the Stinger Missile,  we  took  notice  of  the  applicant's  complete
submission in judging the merits of the requests;  however,  we  agree
with the opinions and recommendations of  the  Air  Force  offices  of
primary responsibility (OPRs) and adopt their rationale as  the  basis
for our conclusion that the applicant has not been the  victim  of  an
error or injustice.  Therefore, in the absence of sufficient  evidence
to  the  contrary,  the  applicant’s  requests   are   not   favorably
considered.  However, concerning his request pertaining  to  the  USMC
Support device, we suggest that the applicant contact the Marine Corps
regarding his eligibility wear the device.

      c.  We note that the applicant’s request for award  of  the  Air
Force Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Medal, with  one  Bronze  Service
Star, as well as the recommendation by AFPC/DPSFM that the applicant’s
records be corrected to reflect award of  the  Senior  Communications-
Electronics    Equipment    Maintenance    Badge,    was     corrected
administratively.  AFPC/DPSFM’s recommendation  that  the  applicant’s
records be corrected to reflect award of the  Senior  Security  Police
Identification Badge was also corrected administratively, but excluded
the word “Senior.”  However, it appears that it was an  administrative
error and the applicant’s records are being corrected to  reflect  the
word “Senior.”  In view of  the  foregoing,  and  in  the  absence  of
evidence to the contrary, no further action by the Board is  necessary
concerning these issues.

_________________________________________________________________

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 AFBCMR Docket Number 02-
00615 in Executive Session on 3 Dec 02, under the provisions of AFI 36-
2603:

      Mr. Joseph G. Diamond, Panel Chair
      Ms. Brenda Romine, Member
      Mr. James W. Russell III, Member

The following documentary evidence was considered:

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 15 Feb 02, w/atchs.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPSFM, dated 17 Apr 02.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 6 Jun 02, w/atchs.
    Exhibit E.  Letter, AFPC/DPPAC, dated 28 Jun 02.
    Exhibit F.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 22 Jul 02, w/atchs.
    Exhibit G.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 2 Aug 02.




                                   JOSEPH G. DIAMOND
                                   Panel Chair