RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:	DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2013-03553
	XXXXXXX	COUNSEL:  NONE
		HEARING DESIRED:  NO

________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His records be corrected to reflect his service in Vietnam.

________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

His DD Form 214, Armed Forces of the United States Report of 
Transfer or Discharge, reflects 4 months and 19 days of Foreign 
Service, which is the amount of time he spent in Vietnam. 

In support of his request, the applicant provides copies of his 
DD Form 214 and AF Form 626, Temporary Duty Order – Military.

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

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STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant’s DD Form 214 for the period 11 Jul 1960 through 
10 Jul 1964 reflects 4 months and 19 days of Foreign and/or Sea 
Service.

The applicant provided a copy of AF Form 626, dated 30 Sep 1963, 
ordering him to 142 days of Temporary Duty (TDY) to participate 
in “Classified Training Mission (RANCH HAND),” with the 309th 
Troop Carrier Squadron, APO 143.

The applicant’s AF Form 7, Airman Military Record, reflects that 
on 28 Oct 1963, he went TDY for 139 days.

The AFEM may be awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the 
United States who after 1 Jul 1958 participate, or have 
participated as members of the U.S. military units in a U.S. 
military operation in which Service members of any Military 
Department participate, in the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of 
Staff, in significant numbers.  Encounter during such 
participation foreign armed opposition, or are otherwise placed, 
or have been placed, in such position that, in the opinion of 
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hostile action by foreign armed 
forces was imminent even though it did not materialize.  Be 
engaged in direct support for 30 consecutive days in the area of 
operations (or for the full period when an operation is less 
than 30 days duration) or for 60 nonconsecutive days provided 
this support involves entering the area of operations.

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.

Service members who earned the AFEM for service in Vietnam 
between 1 Jul 1958 and 3 Jul 1965 may elect to receive the VSM 
instead of the AFEM.  However, no service member may be issued 
both medals for service in Vietnam.

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AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPAPP recommends denial of the applicant’s request to 
reflect service in Vietnam.  DPAPP states that a review of the 
applicant’s Master Personnel Records and documentation submitted 
failed to provide any documents that substantiate Foreign 
Service time in Vietnam.

The complete DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit C.

AFPC/DPSID recommends denial of the VSM.  DPSID states that the 
Air Force Personnel Center, Directorate of Assignments was 
unable to verify the applicant's Foreign Service time in 
Vietnam.  There is no official documentation verifying the 
applicant met the criteria for awards for service in Vietnam.  
To grant relief would be contrary to the criteria established by 
DoD Manual 1348.33, Manual of Military Decorations and Awards, 
the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff, and/or the War 
Department.

The complete DPSID evaluation is at Exhibit D.

________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF THE AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

He is participating in a 20-year health study relating to 
herbicide exposure during his four months in Tan Son Nhut, 
Vietnam.

In further support of his request the applicant provides copies 
of his AF Form 7, Airman Military Record; DD Form 214, AF Form 
75, USAF Airman Performance Report; Reserve Order Number CA-
O29624 and Ranch Hand Herbicide Exposure Questionnaire (First 
Tour).
His complete response, with attachments, is at Exhibit F.

________________________________________________________________

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 evidence has been presented to demonstrate the 
existence of an error or an injustice.  While we note the 
comments of the Air Force offices of primary responsibility 
indicating they were unable to verify the applicant’s service in 
Vietnam, we believe a preponderance of the evidence indicates 
that corrective action is warranted.  In this respect, we note 
the applicant has provided copies of the TDY orders assigning 
him to the 309th Troop Carrier Squadron to participate in a 
training mission called “OPERATION Ranch Hand” effective 28 Oct 
1963 for 142 days.  Additionally, his AF Form 7 reflects that on 
28 Oct 1963, he went TDY for 139 days.  While the orders and the 
AF Form 7 do not list the specific location of the applicant’s 
deployment, the Air Force Historical Research Agency has 
substantiated that the 309th Troop Carrier Squadron was deployed 
to Tan Son Nhut AB, Republic of Vietnam to conduct herbicide 
spraying missions in South Vietnam from Nov 1963 thru Apr 1964.  
Moreover, the applicant’s TDY orders and the Foreign and/or 
Service time reflected on his DD Form 214 match up perfectly.  
In view of this, we find the evidence is sufficient to conclude 
the applicant more likely than not served in the Republic of 
Vietnam.  Although not requested by the applicant, based on our 
determination that he was assigned in Vietnam for 139 days, he 
now qualifies for award of the AFEM.  As noted above, service 
members who earned the AFEM for service in Vietnam between 1 Jul 
1958 and 3 Jul 1965 may elect to receive the VSM instead of the 
AFEM.  However, no service member may be issued both medals for 
service in Vietnam. Therefore, if the applicant prefers to 
receive the VSM for his service in Vietnam instead of the AFEM, 
he must complete Standard Form 180, Request Pertaining to 
Military Records.  In Section II, Item 1 of the form, he should 
enter “Exchange AFEM for VSM, AFBCMR BC-2013-03553 Correction” 
in the “Other (Specify)” section.  Although the Standard Form 
180 will instruct the applicant to send the form to the National 
Personnel Records Center, he should instead send the form 
directly to AFPC/DPSIDR, 550 C Street West, Ste 12, JBSA 
Randolph AFB TX 78250-4714 to expedite his request. In view of 
the above, we recommend his records be corrected as set forth 
below.

_______________________________________________________________


THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air 
Force relating to APPLICANT be corrected to show that he had 
boots-on-the-ground in, Vietnam, from 28 October 1963 through 
14 March 1964 and was awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary 
Medal.

_______________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR 2013-
03553 in Executive Session on 6 May 2014, under the provisions 
of AFI 36-2603:

, Panel Chair
, Member
, Member

All members voted to correct the record as recommended.  The 
following documentary evidence was considered:

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 22 Jul 2013, w/atchs.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant’s Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 20 Nov 2013.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPSID, dated 7 Feb 2014.
    Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 17 Feb 2014.
    Exhibit F.  Letter, Applicant, undated, w/atchs.




                                   
                                   Panel Chair