RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 

IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-00026 

 COUNSEL: NONE 

 HEARING DESIRED: NO 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 

 

His DD Form 214, Armed Forces of the United States Report of 
Transfer or Discharge, be corrected to reflect the following: 

 

 1. Entitlement to the Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze 
Service Stars (VSM w/2BSS). 

 

 2. Foreign Service in Vietnam. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

 

He was sent on temporary duty (TDY) on two occasions to Vietnam 
from Sep 67 to Mar 68 and Sep 68 to Mar 69. 

 

He flew over 40 combat missions and received combat pay during 
both deployments. 

 

He should be credited with over 12 months of Foreign Service. 

 

In support of his request, the applicant provides copies of his 
Honorable Discharge Certificate, DD Form 214, an Airman 
Performance Report (APR) and medal criterion from the internet. 

 

The applicant's complete submission, with attachments, is at 
Exhibit A. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

 

The applicant served on active duty in the Air Force from 4 Apr 
66 to 3 Feb 70. During this period the applicant served in Japan 
from 20 Sep 67 to 22 Mar 68. 

 

His DD Form 214 covering this period reflects six months and four 
days of Foreign Service. 

 

AFPC/DPAPP verified the applicant served at Kadena Air Base (AB), 
Japan, from 20 Sep 67 to 22 Mar 68, for a total of six months and 
four days. DPAPP was unable to verify any additional Foreign 
Service other than what is already reflected on his DD Form 214. 

 


The applicant was asked to provide source documents with his name 
on them to support his claim, i.e., travel vouchers, evaluation 
reports, letters of evaluation, decorations, or some other 
official military document that reflects this information. 

 

On 2 Mar 11, the applicant responded to DPAPP’s letter, and 
provided a copy of his APR for the period 4 Apr 67 to 3 Apr 68, 
which indicates he completed 19 combat missions during his 67-68 
deployment, and a Letter of Appreciation, which indicates he 
completed 73 missions during his 68-69 deployment. 

 

The VSM is awarded to all service members of the Armed Forces 
who, between 4 Jul 65 and 28 Mar 73, served in the following 
areas of Southeast Asia: in Vietnam and the contiguous waters and 
airspace; in Thailand, Laos or Cambodia or the airspace thereof 
and in the direct support of military operations in Vietnam. A 
service member must have served on TDY for 30 consecutive or 
60 nonconsecutive days to be eligible for award of the VSM. 
These time limitations may be waived for personnel participating 
in actual combat operations. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

AFPC/DPAPP recommends denial. DPAPP states a review of the 
applicant’s master personnel records (MPR) and documentation 
submitted failed to provide any documents that would substantiate 
Foreign Service in Vietnam. DPAPP further states the 
documentation provided by the applicant in response to their 
22 Feb 11; does not substantiate service in the Republic of 
Vietnam. 

 

The complete DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit B. 

 

AFPC/DPSIDR recommends denial. DPSIDR states based on the 
assessment of DPAPP and the criteria for award of the VSM; they 
found no evidence to support award of the VSM w/2BSS. The 
applicant’s performance reports covering the period 10 Jun 68 and 
2 Apr 69, both mention the applicant’s direct support of 
operations in Southeast Asia; however, the exact location is not 
identified. 

 

The complete DPSIDR evaluation is at Exhibit C. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

The documentation provided to date clearly shows flight time 
during both TDYs, in 67-68 and 68-69. The missions were 
Operation Young Tigers and Operation Arc Light. During his TDYs, 
he spent a considerable amount of time flying out of Kadena AB, 
Japan; Clark AB, Philippines; Andersen AFB, Guam; U-Tapao AB, 


Thailand; and Ching Chuan King AB, Taiwan. In addition, during 
all these periods he received flight pay and hazardous duty pay. 
He was with the 99th Bomb Wing, 99 OMS, and was a KC-135 crew 
chief. Someone must know KC-135 crew chiefs flew with their 
aircraft on most missions at that time. He has photos of his 
airplane aerial refueling fully loaded B-52’s, but of course that 
would not show what part of the globe they were flying over, 
despite all the ordinance hanging under the wings of those 
aircraft being refueled. The Air Force should know that KC-135s 
flying out of those bases were refueling aircraft in support our 
mission in South East Asia in air space defined in the VSM 
Executive Order 11212, 8 Jul 65. 

 

The applicant’s complete response is at Exhibit D. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

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. After a 
thorough review of the evidence of record and the applicant’s 
submission, we are not persuaded that his records should be 
corrected to reflect award of the VSM w/2 BSS. The applicant’s 
contentions are duly noted; however, we do not find his 
assertions and the documentation provided in support of his 
appeal sufficiently persuasive to override the rationale provided 
by the Air Force offices of primary responsibility (OPR). 
Without official documentation showing specific times and 
locations of duty in Vietnam, we are unable to verify that he 
served in Vietnam. We note the applicant’s performance reports 
indicate he supported operations in Southeast Asia; however, this 
does not confirm service was, in fact, performed in Vietnam. In 
view of the foregoing, and in the absence of sufficient evidence 
to the contrary, we agree with the opinions and recommendations 
of the Air Force OPRs, and adopt their rationale as the basis for 
our conclusion that the applicant has not been the victim or an 
error or injustice. Accordingly, 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 
BC-2011-00026 in Executive Session on 29 Jun 11, under the 
provisions of AFI 36-2603: 

 

 , Panel Chair 

 , Member 

 , Member 

 

The following documentary evidence was considered: 

 

 Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 31 Dec 10, w/atchs. 

 Exhibit B. Letter, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 7 Mar 11. 

 Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPSIDR, dated 26 Apr 11. 

 Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 6 May 11. 

 Exhibit E. Letter, Applicant, dated 12 May 11. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Panel Chair