RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:	DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2012-05352

		COUNSEL:  NONE

		HEARING DESIRED:  NO

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APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His record be corrected to reflect he was awarded the following awards: 

a.  Kosovo Campaign Medal (KCM).

b.  Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM).

c.  Air Force Combat Action Medal (AFCAM).

d.  Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM).

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APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

He is eligible for several awards that were authorized subsequent to his retirement.  

The applicant’s complete submission is at Exhibit A.

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STATEMENT OF FACTS:

On 1 August 2002, the applicant retired from the Air Force and was credited with 21 years, 9 months, and 16 days of total active service. 

On 11 February 2013, AFPC/DPSID was able to verify the applicant’s entitlement to the following Air Force Medals and/or Ribbons and will correct his records administratively:  

a.  Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-E).

b.  Global War On Terrorism Service Medal (GWOT-S).

c.  Korean Defense Service Medal (KDSM).

d.  Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border (AFESR w/GB).


The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application are described in the letter prepared by the Air Force office of primary responsibility which is attached at Exhibit C.

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AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPSID recommends denial of the applicant’s request for award of the KCM, ACM, and the AFCAM.  The KCM was established to recognize military service performed in Kosovo from 24 March 1999 to a future date to be determined and the ACM may be awarded to members of the uniformed service of the United States who serve or who have served in Afghanistan (or its contiguous air space) in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM from 24 October 2001, to a date to be announced.  However, there is no documentation in the applicant’s submission or military personnel records indicating that he served in Kosovo or Afghanistan in support of the noted operations.  To grant the applicant KCM and/or ACM would be contrary to the eligibility criteria established by Department of Defense Manual (DoDM) 1348.33, Manual of Military Decorations and Awards.  

In regards to the AFCAM, there is no documentation to suggest the applicant participated in direct combat in accordance with the established criteria.  In addition, he has not exhausted all administrative avenues for the award and to allow for the validation of the award criteria.  He should process the request by having the AF IMT 3994, Recommendation for Decoration Deployment/Contingency Operations, submitted through appropriate channels, to the Commander, Air Force Forces (COMAFFOR) for proper disposition.  Upon final award authority decision, if not favorable, the applicant may re-submit a DD Form 149, Application for Correction of Military Record Under the Provisions of 10 USC § 1552, for consideration of the AFCAM.  

Lastly, in regards to his request for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM), it is annotated on his DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty; therefore, no action is required.  

A complete copy of the AFPC/DPSID evaluation is at Exhibit C.

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APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the applicant on 24 February 2013, for review and comment within 30 days (Exhibit D).  As of this date, this office has received no response.  

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THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT:

1.  The applicant has not 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.  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 to warrant award of the Kosovo Campaign Medal (KCM) or Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM).  As for his request related to the Air Force Combat Action Medal (AFCAM), we note the applicant has not provided any evidence of actions on his part to obtain the relief he seeks through the proper administrative channels for award of the AFACM.  The AFBCMR process is not intended as a substitute for the proper utilization of established channels, such as United States Central Command Air Forces (USCENTAF), who is the approval authority for all decoration nominations for the AFCAM.  Until such time as he has exhausted all available administrative remedies, we find no basis to recommend granting the relief requested.  We further note that AFPC/DPSID has verified the applicant’s entitlement to the Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-E), Global War On Terrorism Service Medal (GWOT-S), Korean Defense Service Medal (KDSM), and Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border (AFESR w/GB) and has been issued a DD Form 215, Correction to DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, to document the correction.  Further, the DD Form 214 issued in conjunction with his 1 August 2002 retirement, reflects his entitlement to the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM).  Therefore, in view of the above and in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we find no basis to recommend granting any relief beyond that rendered administratively.

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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.

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The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2012-05352 in Executive Session on 20 August 2013, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

	Panel Chair
	Member
	Member

The following documentary evidence was considered:

     Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 7 November 2012.
     Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
     Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPSID, dated 11 February 2013. 
     Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 24 February 2013.




                                   
                                   Panel Chair



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