RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:                       DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2003-03892
                                       INDEX CODE:  107.00
      XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX               COUNSEL: NONE

      XXXXXXXXXXX                            HEARING DESIRED:  NO

_________________________________________________________________
APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His DD Form 214, Report of Separation From  Active  Duty,  be  corrected  to
reflect his award of the Airman’s Medal (AM), Air Force  Commendation  Medal
(AFCM),  Small  Arms  Expert  Marksmanship   Ribbon   (SAEMR),   Air   Force
Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA), Air Force  Organizational  Excellence  Award
(AFOEA), and the Air Force Good Conduct Medal (AFGCM).   In  addition,  item
16b of his DD  Form  214  be  corrected  to  reflect  his  related  civilian
occupation was Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) instead of Nurse Aide.
_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

He  was  ill  and  taking  psychiatric  medications  at  the  time  of   his
separation; therefore, he was unaware of the errors  made  on  his  DD  Form
214.

In support of his application, the applicant provides a copy of his DD  Form
214, his Airman Performance Report for the period  9 April  through  7  July
1975 and an AFPC/DPPPRA letter,  dated  26 September  2003,  confirming  his
entitlement and correction to his records for the National  Defense  Service
Medal (NDSM).  The applicant’s complete submission with  attachments  is  at
Exhibit A.
_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

On 4 June 1974, the applicant enlisted in the Regular Air Force at  the  age
of 18 for a period of four years in the rank of airman basic (E-1).  He  was
trained as a medical services technician and was progressively  promoted  to
the grade of senior airman (E-4) effective and with a  date  of  rank  of  1
February 1977.   The  applicant  received  two  airman  performance  reports
closing 7 July 1975 and 7 July 1976, both with overall ratings of nine.

In  January  1976,  the  applicant  was  diagnosed   with   acute   paranoid
schizophrenia.  He was hospitalized  and  treated  with  medications,  which
resulted in a fairly quick remission of the condition.  In  April  1976,  he
was hospitalized and treated for a reoccurrence due  to  poor  adherence  of
taking his medications.   On  31  December  1976,  the  applicant  presented
himself to the mental health clinic for reevaluation of  his  condition  and
was found unqualified for worldwide duty and approved for presentation to  a
medical evaluation board (MEB).  On 4  February  1977,  the  MEB  found  the
applicant competent and recommended an evaluation by a  physical  evaluation
board (PEB).  On 16 February 1977, the PEB found  the  applicant  unfit  for
continued military service due to his diagnosis  of  Paranoid  Schizophrenia
and recommended a temporary retirement with a 30%  compensable  rating.   On
23 February 1976, the applicant agreed with the findings and  recommendation
of the PEB.  On  3  March  1977,  the  PEB’s  recommendation  to  place  the
applicant on the Temporary  Disability  Retired  List  (TDRL)  effective  24
March 1977 was approved by the Secretary of  the  Air  Force.   On  23 March
1977, the applicant was honorably released from active duty  and  placed  on
the TDRL the next day.  He had served a total of 2 years, 9  months  and  20
days on active duty.

On 5  February  1981,  a  periodic  PEB  found  the  applicant’s  disability
permanent and  recommended  him  for  a  permanent  retirement  with  a  50%
compensable  rating.   On  3  March  1981,   after   reviewing   the   PEB’s
recommendation, the  applicant  disagreed  with  their  findings,  waived  a
formal hearing, and submitted a written rebuttal.  On  16  March  1981,  the
Physical Review Council concurred with  the  PEB’s  recommendation.   On  23
March  1981,  the  Secretary  of  the   Air   Force   approved   the   PEB’s
recommendation to place the applicant on the  Permanent  Disability  Retired
List (PDRL).  On 19 April 1981, the applicant was permanently  retired  with
a 50% disability rating.

The applicant’s DD Form  214  does  not  reflect  any  decorations,  medals,
badges,  commendations,  citations  or  campaign  ribbons  were  awarded  or
authorized.  On 6 October 2003, a DD Form 215, Correction to  DD  Form  214,
was issued to correct the applicant’s records to reflect his  award  of  the
NDSM.
_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPR recommends  disapproval  of  the  applicant’s  requests  for  the
Airman’s  Medal,  Air  Force   Commendation   Medal,   Small   Arms   Expert
Marksmanship Ribbon, and the Air Force Good  Conduct  Medal.   DPPPR  states
that on 1 March 2004, they wrote the applicant that they could  only  verify
his entitlement to the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award  and  asked  him  to
withdraw all of  his  other  requests.   On  5  March  2004,  the  applicant
withdrew his request for the  Air  Force  Organizational  Excellence  Award;
however, he would not withdraw his requests for award of the Airman’s  Medal
or the Air  Force  Good  Conduct  Medal.   The  applicant  did  not  address
withdrawal of the Air Force Commendation Medal  or  the  Small  Arms  Expert
Marksmanship Ribbon and did not provide any  documentation  to  substantiate
any of his claims.

DPPPR states the applicant was not assigned to  any  unit  that  earned  the
AFOEA; therefore he is not entitled to this award.  The applicant’s  records
do not indicate that he qualified as an expert with the M-16 or  his  unit’s
handgun, and he did not provide any  document  showing  his  entitlement  to
this award; therefore he is not eligible for award of the SAEMR.   There  is
no indication in his record that he was recommended for the  AFCM,  and  the
applicant did not provide a copy of  a  recommendation  package;  therefore,
they are unable to verify his eligibility for this decoration.  There is  no
indication in his records that he  performed  any  act  qualifying  him  for
award of the AM,  there  is  no  indication  he  was  recommended  for  this
decoration, and the applicant did  not  provide  any  details  or  documents
(date, eyewitness statement) to substantiate his claim; therefore, they  are
unable to verify his eligibility for the AM.  Since the  applicant  did  not
serve three years on active duty, he  is  not  eligible  for  award  of  the
AFGCM.  The DPPPR evaluation is at Exhibit C.

AFPC/DPPAC recommends denial of the applicant’s  request  to  changed  block
16b on his DD Form 214 from Nurse Aide to LPN.  DPPAC  states  that  at  the
time of the applicant’s retirement in 1977, the Dictionary  of  Occupational
Titles listed Nurse Aide, Ward Attendant, Medical Assistant, or  Orderly  as
related civilian occupations.  The member’s related  occupation  was  listed
on the DD Form 214 as a guide to help civilian hiring authorities  associate
the kind of duties  military  service  provided.   The  applicant’s  records
substantiate he was awarded a primary Air Force  Specialty  Code  of  90250,
Medical Services Technician, and the related civilian occupation  was  Nurse
Aide.  The DPPAC evaluation is at Exhibit D.
_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

He has no other proof of his entitlement to the decorations  in  question.
The records verifying his entitlement to these awards must have been lost.
 He does not want anything he did not earn, as it was his honor  to  serve
his country.  A copy of the applicant’s rebuttal is at Exhibit F.
_________________________________________________________________

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 AFOUA.  We note the opinion of the Air Force  office  of
primary responsibility that they have verified the  applicant’s  entitlement
for the award of the AFOUA based on his unit of assignment.   Therefore,  we
recommend the applicant’s records be corrected to show he  was  awarded  the
AFOUA in 1977.

4.  Insufficient relevant evidence has been  presented  to  demonstrate  the
existence of an error or injustice warranting  the  award  of  the  Airman’s
Medal  (AM),  Air  Force  Commendation  Medal  (AFCM),  Small  Arms   Expert
Marksmanship Ribbon  (SAEMR),  Air  Force  Organizational  Excellence  Award
(AFOEA), or the Air Force Good Conduct  Medal  (AFGCM).   In  addition,  the
applicant’s request that his  DD  Form  214  be  corrected  to  reflect  his
related civilian occupation as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)  instead  of
a Nurse Aide is without merit.  We took notice of the  applicant's  complete
submission in judging the merits of this case; however, we  agree  with  the
opinion  and  recommendation  of   the   Air   Force   office   of   primary
responsibility 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  evidence  to  the  contrary,  we  find  no
compelling basis to recommend granting the relief sought  in  this  part  of
the application.
________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air  Force  relating
to APPLICANT be corrected to show his DD  Form  214,  Report  of  Separation
From Active Duty, was amended in Section 26 to reflect he  was  awarded  the
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in 1977.
________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered this application in  Executive
Session on 11 May 2004, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

            Mr. John L. Robuck, Panel Chair
            Ms. Olga M. Crerar, Member
            Ms. Martha J. Evans, Member

All members voted to correct the records, as  recommended.   The  following
documentary evidence for AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2003-03892 was considered:

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 12 Nov 03, w/atchs.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 22 Mar 04.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPPAC, dated 27 Feb 04.
    Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 26 Mar 04.
    Exhibit F.  Letter, Applicant’s Review, dated 30 Mar 04.




                                   JOHN L. ROBUCK
                                   Panel Chair



AFBCMR BC-2003-03892




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 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, be corrected to show his DD Form 214,
Report of Separation From Active Duty, was amended in Section 26 to
reflect he was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in 1977.





JOE G. LINEBERGER

Director

Air Force Review Boards Agency