RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 
DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2012-01167 
IN THE MATTER OF: 
 
COUNSEL:  NONE 
(DECEASED) 
 
HEARING DESIRED:  NOT INDICATED 
(APPLICANT) 
 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 
 
His father’s records be corrected to reflect: 
 
  1.  He served in Vietnam. 
 
  2.  He  was  awarded  the  Vietnam  Service  Medal  (VSM)  and  the 
National  Defense  Service  Medal  (NDSM)  (administratively 
resolved). 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 
 
His father’s Vietnam service needs to be established in order for 
his father to receive the bronze burial marker. 
 
In  support  of  his  appeal,  the  applicant  provides  copies  of  his 
father’s DD Form 214, Armed Forces of the United States Report of 
Transfer or Discharge, and death certificate. 
 
The  applicant's  complete  submission,  with  attachments,  is  at 
Exhibit A. 
 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
STATEMENT OF FACTS: 
 
The deceased service member’s records reflect he contracted his 
initial enlistment in the Regular Air Force on 28 Dec 51.   
 
The service member’s AF Form 7,  Airman  Military  Record reflects 
he  had  foreign  service  in  England  from  5  Jun  52  through 
27 Jun 52. 
 
The  service  member’s  DD  Form  214,  dated  8  Dec  55,  reflects  he 
received  the  NDSM;  his  NGB  Form  22,  Report  of  Separation  and 
Record  Service,  dated  28  Jun  85,  also  reflects  he  received  the 
NDSM; and was honorable discharged and transferred to the Retired 
Reserve List and credited with 33 years, 6 months and 1 day of 
service. 
 

The  VSM  is  awarded  to  all  service  members  of  the  U.  S.  Armed 
Forces serving at any time between 4 Jul 65 and 28 Mar 73, in the 
area of eligibility (AOE).  The AOE is defined as: Vietnam, its 
contiguous  waters,  or  the  airspaces  there  over;  in  Thailand, 
Laos,  or  Cambodia,  their  contiguous  waters,  or  the  airspaces 
there-over, and in direct support of operations in Vietnam.  To 
be eligible, a service member must have served on temporary duty 
(TDY) for 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days. These time 
limitations  may  be  waived  for  personnel  who  participated  in 
actual combat operations.  A bronze service star denotes campaign 
participation and is awarded for at least 1 day served in each 
campaign phase. 
 
The  Armed  Forces  Expeditionary  Medal  (AFEM)  was  awarded  to 
service members of the U. S. Armed Forces who, after 1 Jul 58, 
participated  in  U.S.  Military  operations,  U.S.  operations  in 
direct support of the United Nations (UN), or U. S. operations of 
assistance for friendly foreign nations.  Executive Order 11231 
authorizes  Service  members  who  earned  the  AFEM  for  service  in 
Vietnam between 1 Jul 58 and 4 Jul 65, to elect to receive the 
VSM instead of the AFEM. However, no service member may be issued 
both medals for service in Vietnam. 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 
 
AFPC/DPAPP  recommends  denial  noting  a  review  of  the  service 
member’s personnel records and documentation submitted failed to 
substantiate foreign service time in Vietnam. 
 
The complete AFPC/DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit C. 
 
AFPC/DPSID recommends denial noting there is no evidence in the 
service member’s official records to support he served in the AOE 
for award of the VSM.  To grant relief would be an injustice to 
all other airman who were awarded the VSM and met the eligibility 
criteria.    However,  after  a  thorough  review  of  the  service 
member's official personnel record, entitlement to the NDSM with 
one Bronze Service Star (NDSM w/1 BSS) was verified.  The service 
member’s records will be updated accordingly. 
 
The  complete  AFPC/DPSID  evaluation,  with  attachment,  is  at 
Exhibit D. 
 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 
 
Copies  of  the  Air  Force  evaluations  were  forwarded  to  the 
applicant  on  28  Aug  12,  for  review  and  comment  within  30  days

 

2 

(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.  Insufficient  relevant  evidence  has  been  presented  to 
demonstrate  the  existence  of  an  error  or  injustice.  After  a 
thorough review of the applicant’s submission and the evidence of 
record  we  found  it  insufficient  to  conclude  that  the  service 
member  served  or  was  stationed  in  Vietnam.    In  addition,  there 
was  no  documentation  located  or  submitted  that  supports  the 
service  member  was  eligible  for  award  of  the  Vietnam  Service 
Medal.  Therefore, we agree with the opinions and recommendations 
of  the  Air  Force  offices  of  primary  responsibility  and  adopt 
their rationale as the basis for our decision the applicant has 
failed  to  sustain  his  burden  of  proof  of  the  existence  of  an 
error or injustice.  Therefore, in the absence of evidence to the 
contrary,  we  find  no  basis  to  recommend  any  corrections  to  the 
record beyond that which will be administratively resolved. 
 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT: 
 
The  applicant  be  notified  the  evidence  presented  did  not 
demonstrate  the  existence  of  material  error  or  injustice;  the 
application  was  denied  without  a  personal  appearance;  and  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  AFBCMR  Docket 
Number BC-2012-01167 in Executive Session on 4 Dec 12, under the 
provisions of AFI 36-2603: 
 
 
 
  
 

 
  Panel Chair 
     Member 
  Member 
 

 

3 

The  following  documentary  evidence  pertaining  to  AFBCMR  Docket 
Number BC-2012-01167 was considered: 
 
    Exhibit A.  DD Forms 149, dated 26 Mar 12, w/atchs. 
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records. 
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 12 Jul 12. 
    Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPSID, dated 11 Aug 12, w/atch. 
    Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 28 Aug 12. 
 
 
 
 
                                
                               Panel Chair 

 

4