RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2003-00274
            INDEX CODE:  107.00

            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO


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APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer  or  Discharge  (DD
Form 214) reflect award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM).

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

On 15 November 1996 he received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal  (AFEM)
for his service in Taiwan during March  1958  through  June  1959.   He  was
assigned to ATF-13 Compound and was paid in War Zone  (Quemoy  and  Matsue);
however, he has no official documentation to show for it  nor  was  it  ever
included in section #26 of his DD Form 214.

In support of his appeal, the applicant provided a copy of his DD Form  214,
and other documentation.

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

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STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant enlisted in the Regular Air Force on 2 November  1956  in  the
grade of airman basic for a period of four years.

On 28 April 1960 the applicant was honorably  discharged  in  the  grade  of
airman  second  class   (A2C),   under   the   provisions   of   AFR   39-16
(Unsuitability).  He served 3 years, 5 months, and 27 days of  total  active
military service.




According to the applicant’s DD  Form  214  he  was  awarded  the  following
medal:  Air Force Good Conduct Medal (AFGMC).

The AFEM is  awarded  to  Service  members  of  the  7th  Fleet,  Air  Force
Composite Air Strike Force, and Marine MAG-11 for deployment to  the  Quemoy
and Matsu Islands during the period 23 August 1958 through 1 June  1963  and
to the Taiwan Straits during the periods 23 August 1958  through  1  January
1959.

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AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPR recommended denial.  They indicated that on 3  March  2003,  they
informed the applicant that the AFEM was  sent  to  him  in  error,  without
being verified by their office.  He was provided documentation  showing  the
criteria for award of the medal for  deployment  to  the  Quemoy  and  Matsu
Islands and Taiwan Straits, and that he did not meet the criteria.   He  was
asked to withdraw his application, since he is not eligible, but he did  not
respond.  The applicant’s records show that he was informed in 1990 that  he
was not eligible  for  the  National  Defense  Service  Medal;  in  1996  he
requested issuance of the AFEM and the  National  Personnel  Records  Center
had it sent to him in error, but again informed him he was not eligible  for
the National Defense Service Medal; and in 1998 he was informed he  was  not
eligible for a unit citation or commendation medal.  His records  have  been
thoroughly reviewed, and the only medal to which he is entitled is the  Good
Conduct Medal.  He has not provided any documentation showing  that  he  was
deployed to the Quemoy or Matsu Islands or to the Taiwan Straits in  support
of the operations to prevent a Communist invasion of the Republic of  China.
 Therefore, they cannot verify  his  eligibility  for  award  of  the  Armed
Forces Expeditionary Medal.

The evaluation, with attachments, is at Exhibit C.

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APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

On 3 June 2003, a copy of the Air Force  evaluation  was  forwarded  to  the
applicant for review and response within 30  days.   As  of  this  date,  no
response has been received by this office.

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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.    Insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to  demonstrate  the
existence of an error or an injustice.  The applicant contends  that  on  15
November 1996 he received the Armed Forces Expeditionary  Medal  (AFEM)  for
service in Taiwan during March 1958 through June 1959.  He was  assigned  to
the ATF-13 Compound and was paid in War Zone (Quemoy and  Matsue);  however,
he has no official documentation to show for it nor was it ever included  in
section #26 of his DD Form 214.  We took notice of the applicant's  complete
submission in judging the merits of the case; however,  we  agree  with  the
opinion and recommendation of the Air Force and  adopt  their  rationale  as
the basis for our conclusion that the applicant has not been the  victim  of
an error or injustice.  It is noted that the AFEM  was  awarded  to  service
members of the 7th Fleet, Air Force Composite Air Strike Force,  and  Marine
MAG-11 for deployment to the Quemoy and Matsu Islands during the  period  23
August 1958 through 1 June 1963 and to the Taiwan Straits during the  period
23 August 1958 through 1 January 1959.  The applicant was informed  by  AFPC
that he was not eligible  for  award  of  the  AFEM  and  was  provided  the
criteria for the award.  Unfortunately, in 1996, he  requested  issuance  of
the AFEM through the National Personnel Record Center (NPRC)  and  based  on
his letter requesting the medal as a replacement, NPRC  apparently  sent  it
to him in  error.   However,  the  applicant  has  not  provided  persuasive
documentation showing that he was deployed to Quemoy or Matsu Islands or  to
the Taiwan Straits in support of  the  operations  to  prevent  a  Communist
invasion of the Republic of China and is entitled to the award.   Therefore,
in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we find no compelling  basis  to
recommend granting the relief sought in this application.

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THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT:

The applicant be notified that the evidence presented  did  not  demonstrate
the existence of an error or an 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.

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The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number  BC-2003-
00274 in Executive Session on 10 July 2003, under the provisions of AFI  36-
2603:

                 Mr. Wayne R. Gracie, Panel Chair
                 Ms. Cheryl Jacobson, Member
                 Ms. Jean A. Reynolds, Member

The following documentary evidence was considered:

   Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 23 January 2003, w/atchs.
   Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
   Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 30 May 2003, w/atchs.
   Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 3 June 2003.




                       WAYNE R. GRACIE
                       Panel Chair