RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 

IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-04635 

 COUNSEL: NO 

 HEARING DESIRED: NO 

 

______________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 

 

1. He be entitled to the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM). 

 

2. He be entitled to the Air Force Combat Action Medal (AFCAM). 

 

3. He be entitled to the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal 
(RVCM). 

 

______________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

 

He and his unit were in direct support of sea operations during 
and after the Vietnam conflict and were not recognized. 

 

In support of his request, the applicant submits copies of his 
DD Form 214, Report of Separation from Active Duty; AF Form 702, Individual Physiological Training Record; AF Form 1072, Medical 
Recommendation for Flying Duty; AF Form 528, Geneva Convention 
Identification Card; AF Form 1274, Physiological Training Card; 
AF Form 973, Request and Authorization for Change of 
Administrative Orders; Permanent Change of Station (PSC) orders, 
Temporary Duty (TDY) orders, Special Orders, Aeronautical 
Orders, a letter of appreciation, and AF Forms 910, TSgt, SSgt 
and Sgt Performance Report. 

 

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

 

______________________________________________________________ 

 

STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

 

The applicant served on active duty in the Regular Air Force 
from 26 May 1970 to 13 Mar 1974. He was assigned to the 376th 
Organizational Maintenance Squadron (OMS), Kadena Air Base, 
Okinawa, from 12 Mar 1972 to 26 Aug 1973. 

 

The Vietnam Service Medal (VSM), created on 8 Jul 1965, is 
awarded to all service members of the Armed Forces who, between 
4 Jul 1965 and 28 Mar 1973, served in the following areas of 
Southeast Asia: in Vietnam and the contiguous waters and 
airspace; in Thailand, Laos or Cambodia or the airspace there 
over in the direct support of military operations in Vietnam. 
The specific eligibility criteria requires a member to be 
either: 


 

Attached to or regularly serving for one, or more, days 
with an organization participating in or directly supporting 
ground (military) operations, 

 

Attached to or regularly serving for one, or more, days 
aboard a naval vessel directly supporting military operations, 

 

Actually participate as a crew member in one or more aerial 
flights directly supporting military operations, or 

 

Serve on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 
60 nonconsecutive days, which may be waived for personnel 
participating in actual combat operations. 

 

The RVCM is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United 
States who: served for six months in South Vietnam during the 
period 1 March 1961 and 28 March 1973; or served outside the 
geographical limits of South Vietnam and contributed direct 
combat support to the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) Armed Forces for 
an aggregate of six months. Only members of the Armed Forces of 
the United States who meet the criteria established for the 
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or VSM during the period of 
service required are considered to have contributed direct 
combat support to the RVN Armed Forces. 

 

On 15 Mar 2007, the Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) approved 
establishment of the AFCAM to recognize any military member of 
the Air Force who actively participated in combat (ground or 
air). An individual must have been under direct and hostile 
fire while operating in unsecured space (outside the defended 
perimeter), or physically engaging hostile forces with direct 
and lethal fire. The AFCAM may be awarded for qualifying 
service from 11 Sep 2001 to a date to be determined. 
Retroactive awards prior to 11 Sep 2001 are not authorized. 

 

______________________________________________________________ 

 


AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

HQ AFPC/DPAPP recommends denial of his request for service time 
in Vietnam. DPAPP states a review of the applicant’s master 
personnel records and documentation submitted failed to provide 
any documents that substantiated foreign service time in 
Vietnam. 

 

The complete DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit B. 

 

HQ AFPC/DPSIDR recommends denial of his request for entitlement 
to the VSM and the RVCM. DPSIDR states there is no evidence the 
applicant served in the Area of Operation for 30 consecutive or 
60 non-consecutive days. 

 

DPSIDR verified the applicant is entitled to the Air Force 
Outstanding Unit Award with V device and one Oak Leaf Cluster 
(OLC) and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross (RVNGC) with 
Palm for his service with the 376th OMS, Kadena Air Base, 
Okinawa, from 12 March 1972 to 26 August 1973. The applicant’s 
record will be updated by another office accordingly. 

 

The applicant provided travel orders that indicated he was to 
make 24 round trips monthly from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa to U-
Tapao Air Base Thailand. However, there are no travel vouchers 
or other official documentation verifying the travel actually 
took place. In any event, the order was for the period 17 April 
1972 to 31 June 1972, a period of 2.5 months. If the travel 
actually took place, it is unclear whether it would reach the 60 
non-consecutive days required for the VSM. 

 

DPSIDR was unable to locate any official documentation verifying 
the applicant provided direct support to the RVN Armed Forces 
for an aggregate of six months; with the possible exception of 
the flights into U-Tapao noted above, should it be determined 
those trips actually took place. Therefore, the applicant is 
ineligible for award of the RVCM. 

 

The applicant was released from active duty on 13 March 1974, 
before the effective date of the award of the AFCAM, and is 
therefore ineligible for the award. The applicant’s request for 
recognition for his unit is appropriately addressed by the RVNGC 
with Palm and the AFOUA with V device and one OLC as noted 
above. 

 

The complete DPSIDR evaluation is at Exhibit C. 

 

______________________________________________________________ 

 


APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

On 10 Feb 2012, copies of the Air Force evaluations were 
forwarded to the applicant for review and comment within 
30 days. To date, a response has not been received (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. 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 office of primary responsibility and adopt its 
rationale as the basis for our conclusion the applicant has not 
been the victim of an error or injustice. Therefore, in the 
absence of evidence to the contrary, 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 this application 
in Executive Session on 31 May 2012, under the provisions of AFI 
36-2603: 

 

 , Panel Chair 

, Member 

 , Member 

 

The following documentary evidence was considered in AFBCMR BC-
2011-04635: 

 

 Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 14 Nov 2011, w/atchs. 

 Exhibit B. Letter, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 9 Jan 2012. 

 Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPSIDR, dated 23 Jan 2012. 

 Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 10 Feb 2012.