RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 

 

IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-03695 
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 entitlement to the 
following awards and decorations, commemorative medals, badges 
and beret crest earned but not awarded prior to being honorably 
discharged: 

 

1. National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) – Already Annotated on 
DD Form 214 dated 3 December 1970. 

 

2. Bronze Star Medal with Valor and one Oak Leaf Cluster (BSM 
w/V& 1 OLC) - ADMINISTRATIVELY CORRECTED. 

 

3. Combat Readiness Medal (CRM) 

 

4. Air Force Combat Action Medal (AFCAM) 

 

5. Air Force Good Conduct Medal (AFGCM) – Already Annotated on 
DD Form 214 dated 3 December 1970. 

 

6. Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) – Already Annotated on DD Form 
214 dated 3 December 1970. 

 

7. Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal (RVCM) – ADMINISTRATIVELY 
CORRECTED. 

 

8. Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (SAEMR) – Already 
Annotated on DD Form 214 dated 3 December 1970. 

 

9. Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) - ADMINISTRATIVELY 
CORRECTED 

 

10. Commemorative Medals: Combat Service, Special Operations, 
Overseas Service, American Defense, Republic of Vietnam Service, 
United States Air Force, Honorable Service, Armed Forces Expert 
Marksman, USAF Outstanding Unit. 

 

11. Badges: Senior Parachutist, Combat Action, Parachute 
Riggers, Republic of Vietnam Senior Parachutist, Air Traffic 
Control, Aircrew Member, Republic of Vietnam HALO. 

 

12. Combat Control Team (CCT) Beret Crest. 


________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

 

He is requesting review and authorization of awards, decorations 
and badges he believes he is qualified to receive and display 
based on his active duty service. He was assigned to Forbes Air 
Force Base (AFB) Kansas, Howard AB, Republic of Panama, and Tan 
San Nhut AB, Republic of Vietnam. 

 

He was discharged upon completion of a one year combat duty tour 
in Vietnam. He left active military service before his records 
were updated. 

 

He is proud of his service as a Combat Controller then, and even 
more so now. While he was on the Combat Control Team they were 
admonished to remain incognito because of the secret nature of 
their missions. He was required to sign a non-disclosure form 
of secrecy upon his discharge. 

 

He recently discovered the Combat Controllers new role in 
today’s active military service and the Combat Control 
Association. He went in search of his military records and 
found documents to verify his service and activity while in the 
Republic of Vietnam. 

 

In support of his request, the applicant provides a personal 
statement, copies of his citations and special orders for the 
BSM w/V & 1 OLC, a copy of his DD Form 214, copies of his 
assignment orders, and various other supporting documents 
extracted from his military personnel record. 

 

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

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

 

The applicant is a former member of the Regular Air Force who 
served from 8 May 1967 to 3 December 1970. He served as an Air 
Traffic Control Operator and was progressively promoted to the 
rank of Staff Sergeant (SSgt) with a pay grade of (E-5) 
effective 1 December 1970. He was released from active duty 
with an honorable characterization of service and was credited 
with 3 years, 10 months and 10 days of active duty service. 

 

The applicant’s DD Form 214 does not reflect award of the BSM 
w/V& 1 OLC, the CRM, the AFCAM, or the PUC. 

 

By letter dated 15 November 2011 (Exhibit B), AFPC/DPSIDRA 
advised the applicant they had made a thorough review of his 
official military personnel record and provided documents and 
verified his entitlement to the AFGM, the NDSM, the VSM and the 


SAEMR as already annotated on his DD Form 214 dated 3 December 
1970; therefore no update of these awards was required. 
Additionally, they were able to verify his entitlement the 
BSM w/V& 1 OLC, the PUC, one Silver Service Star for his 
previously awarded VSM (VSM w/1SSS) the Republic of Vietnam 
Gallantry Cross with Palm (RVNGC w/P)and the RVCM. They were 
unable to determine the applicant’s entitlement to the CRM. 

 

Commemorative medals are primarily celebratory display medals 
rather than official awards or decorations of the United States 
Air Force (USAF) and Department of Defense (DoD). They were 
unable to verify the applicant’s entitlement to commemorative 
medals. These medals cannot be updated to the DD Form 214 as 
they are not official USAF or DoD awards or decorations; however 
the applicant can purchase the commemorative medals through 
commercial sources. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

AIR FORCE EVALUATIONS: 

 

AFPC/DPSIM recommends partial relief. DPSIM states: update the 
applicant’s DD Form 214 to reflect the wear of the Parachute 
Badge the Air Traffic Control Basic Badge, the basic Aircrew 
Member Badge, and the Parachute Riggers Badge. 

 

The Combat Action Badge (CAB) may be awarded by any commander 
delegated authority by the Secretary of the Army during wartime 
or the CG, US Army Human Resources Command and will be announced 
in permanent orders. In addition, AFI 36-2903, Dress and 
Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel, outlines the wear of 
sister-service badges and does not authorize permanent wear of 
the CAB. The CAB is worn only while permanently assigned to and 
performing duties with other services when awarded; upon 
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) to an Air Force unit the 
member will remove it. Deny award of the CAB. In addition, AFI 
36-2903, does not address the wear of a CCT Beret Crest. 

 

The HALO badge is now called the Basic Military Free Fall (MFF) 
Parachutist Badge. Per AFI 11-402, Aviation and Parachutist 
Service, Aeronautical Ratings and Badges, to be awarded the MFF 
badge; member must be a graduate of the U.S. Army MFF Course or 
a service approved MFF course. The course completion 
certificate and Army order are used for award of the basic 
parachutist and basic military free-fall badge. The applicant 
did not provide any qualifying documentation to substantiate his 
claim for a Basic Military Free Fall Badge. 

 

The complete AFPC/DPSIM evaluation is at exhibit C. 

 

AFPC/DPSIDRA recommends denial. DPSIDRA states they were able 
to verify the applicant’s entitlement to all but one of the 
requested federal awards and decorations. Through separate 
correspondence (see Exhibit B) the applicant was advised he was 


ineligible for entitlement to the AFCAM as well as where to 
obtain commemorative medals. 

 

The CRM is awarded for sustained individual combat or mission 
readiness or preparedness for direct weapon-system employment. 
Specifically, a service member must meet the following criteria: 
be a member of a unit subject to combat readiness reporting, be 
individually certified as combat and/or mission ready and been 
subject to a continuous individual positional evaluation 
program, according to major command or higher headquarters 
standards, complete 24 months of sustained combat and/or mission 
readiness with no more than a 120 calendar-day break. 

 

AFPC/DPSIDRA recommends disapproval for entitlement to the CRM. 
The applicant did not provide official documentation nor were 
any located in his official military record verifying he served 
in a combat ready position for 24 months and was awarded or 
recommended for award of the CRM by his assigned base. 

 

The complete AFPC/DPSIDRA evaluation is at Exhibit D. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

Copies of the Air Force evaluations were forwarded to the 
applicant on 9 December 2011 for review and comment within 30 
days (Exhibit E). As of this date, no response has been 
received by this office. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

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 to warrant 
partial relief. We are in agreement with AFPC/DPSIM’s 
recommendation to award the applicant entitlement to wear the 
Parachute Badge, Air Traffic Control Basic Badge, Parachute 
Riggers Badge and the Aircrew Member Badge and recommend his 
records be corrected as indicated below. However, with respect 
to the applicant’s remaining requests, the applicant has not 
provided any documentary evidence to substantiate his claim that 
he meets the criteria for these awards; therefore, we agree with 
the opinion and recommendation of the Air Force offices of 
primary responsibility and adopt their rationale as the basis 
for our conclusion that relief beyond that already granted 
administratively is not warranted. 


 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT: 

 

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air 
Force relating to APPLICANT be corrected to reflect that Item 
24, Decorations, Medals, Badges, Commendations, Citations, and 
Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized, of the DD Form 214, 
Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or 
Discharge issued in conjunction with his 3 December 1970 release 
from active duty, be amended to include the Parachute Badge, 
the Air Traffic Control Basic Badge, Parachute Riggers Badge and 
the Aircrew Member Badge. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

The following members of the Board considered this application 
BC-2011-03695 in Executive Session on 26 April 2012, under the 
provisions of AFI 36-2603: 

 

 , Panel Chair 

 , Member 

 , Member 

 

The following documentary evidence was considered: 

 

 Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 15 September 2011, w/atchs. 

 Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records. 

 Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPSIM, dated 21 October 2011. 

 Exhibit D. Letter, AFPC/DPSIDRA, dated 15 November 2011. 

 Exhibit E. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 9 December 2011. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Panel Chair