RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS
IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2014-00951
COUNSEL: NONE
HEARING DESIRED: NO
APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:
His records be corrected to reflect military service in Vietnam.
APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:
He was part of a mobility medical team that was sent to Clark
AFB, PI in June 1965. In August of 1965 he was sent on a
temporary duty (TDY) assignment to Vietnam to take care of
wounded military and get them ready to send back to the hospital
at Clark AFB.
The applicants complete submission, with attachments, is at
Exhibit A.
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
The applicant initially entered the Regular Air Force on
10 Nov 60.
According to the applicants military personnel records, he
performed a TDY assignment to SEA for 140 days during the
period 19 Aug 65 through 2 Jan 66.
On 30 Nov 80, the applicant was relieved from active duty and
retired, effective 1 Dec 80, and was credited with 20 years, and
21 days of active service, which included 2 years, 11 months,
and 2 days of foreign service. According to his DD Form 214,
Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, the
applicant was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM) and the
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal (RVCM).
The VSM is awarded to service members of the Armed Forces who
served at any time between 4 Jul 65 and 28 Mar 73, in Vietnam,
its contiguous waters, or airspace thereover; or in Thailand,
Laos, or Cambodia, or the airspaces thereover. To be eligible,
a service member must be: (1) attached or regularly serving for
one, or more, days with an organization participating in or
directly supporting ground (military) operations, (2) attached
to or regularly serving for one, or more, days aboard a naval
vessel directly supporting military operations, (3) actually
participate as a crew member in one or more aerial flights
directly supporting military operations, or (4) serve on
temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive
days, time limitations 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: 1) Served for six months in South Vietnam during the
period 1 Mar 61 and 28 Mar 73; or served outside the
geographical limits of South Vietnam and contributed direct
combat support to the 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 AFEM (Vietnam) or VSM
during the period of service required are considered to have
contributed direct combat support to the RVN Armed Forces.
AIR FORCE EVALUATION:
AFPC/DPAPP recommends denial indicating there is no evidence of
an error or an injustice. A review of the Master Personnel
Records and documentation submitted failed to provide any
documents that substantiate foreign time in Vietnam.
A complete copy of the AFPC/DPAPP evaluation is at Exhibit C.
APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:
A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the
applicant on 25 Jul 14 for review and comment within 30 days
(Exhibit D). 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 an injustice. After a thorough
review of the evidence of record and the applicants complete
submission, we believe that corrective action is warranted.
While we note the comments of AFPC/DPAPP indicating that relief
should be denied because the applicants records do not contain
documentation indicating the location of his TDY assignment to
SEA from Aug 65 to Jan 66, we believe it is more likely than
not the applicant served in the Republic of Vietnam. In this
respect, we note the applicant was awarded the Vietnam Service
Medal (VSM) and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal (RVCM).
While it is certainly possible for the applicant to have earned
these awards by serving in other areas of Southeast Asia, such
as Thailand, in view of the fact that the Department of Veterans
Affairs (DVA) granted the applicant agent orange exposure, we
find it reasonable to conclude the applicant served in the
Republic of Vietnam as he contends. Therefore, we recommend the
applicants records be corrected as indicated below.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:
The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air
Force relating to the APPLICANT be corrected to show that he had
boots-on-the-ground in the Republic of Vietnam.
The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket
Number BC-2014-00951 in Executive Session on 18 Dec 14, under
the provisions of AFI 36-2603:
All members voted to correct the records as recommended. The
following documentary evidence was considered:
Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 3 Mar 14, w/atchs.
Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
Exhibit C. Memorandum, AFPC/DPAPP, dated 14 Apr 14.
Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 28 Jul 14.
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