RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER: 03-00454
            INDEX CODE:  110.00
      APPLICANT  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 his entitlement to all awards, ranks and schools.

_________________________________________________________________

THE APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

When he was separating at Travis AFB he asked about his DD Form 214 and  was
asked if he wanted to go home or not.  In 1992,  his  trip  to  the  Vietnam
Wall helped him get on the right  track  and  he  is  now  looking  for  his
awards.

In support of his appeal, applicant submits a personal statement; a copy  of
his two Extension Course Institute completion certificates; a  copy  of  his
Qualification  Score  Card;  a  copy  of  correspondence  between  him   and
AFPC/DPPPRA.

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 22 August 1961.  He was progressively promoted to  the  grade
of airman first class (E-4) effective 1 June 1964. Records reflect  overseas
service in Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Okinawa and Vietnam.

On 17 April 1963, nonjudicial punishment was offered to the applicant  under
Article 15, UCMJ for insubordination and disrespect  to  a  Non-commissioned
Officer.  On 18 April 1963, the applicant acknowledged receipt  and  elected
not to appeal the punishment.  The applicant was restricted  to  the  limits
of --- AFB, -- for a period of 30 days and ordered to forfeit $42.00 of  his
pay per month for a period of two months.

On 2 March 1965, he was honorably released from active duty,  having  served
3 years and 6 months and 11 days on active duty of which 11 months,  and  22
days was foreign service.  After having been released from active  duty,  he
was transferred to the Air Force Reserve  for  completion  of  his  military
service obligation, which occurred on 21 August 1967.

On 18 April 2003, during a records review, Headquarters Air Force  Personnel
Center  identified  an  error  in  Item  26,  Decorations,  Medals,  Badges,
Commendation, 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 Vietnam Service Medal w/ One Bronze Service Star,  National
Defense Service Medal,  Small  Arms  Expert  Marksmanship  Ribbon,  and  the
Republic  of  Vietnam  Campaign  Medal.   Additionally,  the  applicant  was
advised that his eligibility for the Purple Heart Medal,  Presidential  Unit
Citation, Good Conduct Medal, Air Force Overseas  Long  Tour  Ribbon,  Small
Arms Expert Marksmanship  Ribbon,  Republic  of  Vietnam  Presidential  Unit
Citation and the Combat Readiness  Medal,  could  not  be  verified  without
further documentation.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPR states that the applicant is not eligible for  any  other  awards
in addition to those already verified and added to his DD  Form  214.   None
of the units to which he was assigned earned any  unit  award  (Presidential
Unit Citation,  Air  Force  Outstanding  Unit  Award,  Republic  of  Vietnam
Presidential Unit  Citation).   DPPPR  states  that  the  applicant  is  not
eligible for award of the Good Conduct Medal, even if it  would  be  awarded
for one year’s service in a combat zone, because he received an  Article  15
in Vietnam.  DPPPR recommends denial for  award  of  the  Presidential  Unit
Citation, Air Force Outstanding unit Award, Good Conduct Medal, Republic  of
Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation and  the  Combat  Readiness  Medal.   The
AFPC/DPPPR evaluation, with attachments, is at Exhibit C.

The Board  staff  contacted  AFPC/DPPPR  concerning  the  comment  that  the
applicant received an Article 15 in Vietnam.  They  indicated  that  if  the
applicant’s record did not contain evidence of an Article 15  while  serving
in Vietnam, their assessment was in error.
_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT’S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Applicant states that he is not aware of receiving an Article  15  while  in
Vietnam.  However, he did receive an Article 15 in 1963 while at --- AFB  --
for insubordination.   Applicant’s letter 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.  Sufficient relevant evidence  has  been  presented  to  demonstrate  the
existence of error or injustice warranting partial relief  with  respect  to
the request for the Air Force Good Conduct Medal (AFGCM).  In reviewing  the
applicant’s overall record, it appears  that,  with  the  exception  of  the
Article 15 he received while at --- AFB --, there are  no  other  documented
Article 15’s in his record.  After thoroughly  reviewing  the  criteria  for
awarding the AFGCM, we believe the  applicant  meets  the  requirements  for
award of the AFGCM for a one-year  period  of  service  in  a  combat  zone.
Therefore, we recommend the applicant’s records be corrected to show he  was
awarded the AFGCM upon his return from Vietnam, 28 February 1965.

4.  In  regard  to  the  applicant’s  request  that  he   be   awarded   the
Presidential Unit Citation, Air Force Outstanding Unit  Award,  Republic  of
Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation and the Combat Readiness Medal,  we  note
that on 1 July 2003, he was advised by the Air Force Personnel  Center  that
a correction to his DD Form 214, Certificate of Release  or  Discharge  from
Active Duty, was accomplished to reflect the award of the  National  Defense
Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign  Medal,  Vietnam  Service  Medal
with One Oak Leaf Cluster and the Small  Arms  Expert  Marksmanship  Ribbon.
Therefore, action by this Board on this request is not required.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air  Force  relating
to APPLICANT be corrected to show that on 28 February 1965, he  was  awarded
the Air Force Good Conduct Medal.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board  considered  Docket  Number  02-00826  in
Executive Session on 9 October 2003, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

                 Mr. Gregory H. Petkoff, Panel Chair
                 Mr. James A. Wolffe, Member
                 Ms. Dorothy P. Loeb, Member

All members voted to correct the  records  as  recommended.   The  following
documentary evidence was considered for AFBCMR Docket Number 03-00454:

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 17 Mar 03, w/atchs.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 5 Jun 03, w/atchs.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 18 Jul 03.
      Exhibit E.  Letter, Applicant, undated.




                                   GREGORY H. PETKOFF
                                   Panel Chair


AFBCMR BC-2003-00454




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 APPLICANT be corrected to show that on 28 February 1965, he
was awarded the Air Force Good Conduct Medal.







  JOE G. LINEBERGER

  Director

  Air Force Review Boards Agency