RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:	DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2014-02701
		COUNSEL:  NONE
		HEARING DESIRED:  NO 

________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

1.  His records be corrected to reflect award of the Air Force 
Combat Action Badge.

2.  His records be corrected to reflect award of the Afghanistan 
Campaign Medal (ACM).

3.  His records be corrected to reflect award of the Iraq 
Campaign Medal (ICM).

4.  His records be corrected to reflect award of the Global War 
on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOT-E). (Already recorded on 
his DD Form 215, Correction to DD Form 214, Certificate of 
Release or Discharge from Active Duty, dated 26 Sep 07.)

5.  His records be corrected to reflect award of the Global War 
on Terrorism Medal Service Medal (GWOT-S). (Already recorded on 
his DD Form 215.)

6.  His records be corrected to reflect award of any other 
applicable medals and certificates based on his time of service. 

________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

He retired before any of these medals were approved but believes 
he is entitled to these awards.

The application provides no reason as to why the Board should 
find it in the interest of justice to excuse his failure to 
timely file.

In support of his requests, the applicant provides copies of his 
DD Forms 214 and orders transferring him to the USAF Reserves.

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

________________________________________________________________




STATEMENT OF FACTS:

According to the applicant’s military personnel records, on 
27 Jan 82, he enlisted in the Air Force Reserves (AFRES) and 
served until 16 Aug 83, then transferred to the Air National 
Guard (ANG).  

According to Special Order AD-4, dated 4 Oct 04, the applicant 
was honorably discharged from the ANG and transferred to the 
USAF Reserve.  He was credited with 22 years, 9 months and 
3 days of total service.

According to his DD Form 215, Correction to DD Form 214, 
Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, dated 
26 Sep 07, the applicant’s military personnel records were 
corrected to reflect the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon 
with Gold Border (AFESR w/GB), GWOT-E, Air Force Overseas Ribbon 
– Short Tour (AFOR-ST), and GWOT-S.

The ACM is authorized for direct support of Operation ENDURING 
FREEDOM (OEF) retroactive to 24 Oct 01 and is active until a 
date to be determined. A servicemember must be assigned or 
attached to a unit participating in OEF for 30 consecutive days 
or for 60 nonconsecutive days in Afghanistan or meet one of the 
following criteria: 

	Be engaged in actual combat against the enemy and under 
circumstances involving grave danger of death or serious bodily 
injury from enemy action, regardless of the time in Afghanistan.

	While participating in OEF or on official duties, 
regardless of time, is killed, wounded or injured requiring 
medical evacuation from Afghanistan. 

	While participating as a regularly assigned aircrew member 
flying sorties into, out of, within, or over Afghanistan in 
direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom; each day that one 
or more sorties are flown in accordance with these criteria 
shall count as one day towards the 30 consecutive or 
60  nonconsecutive day requirement.

Servicemembers who qualified for the GWOT-E by reason of service 
in Afghanistan between 24 Oct 01 and 30 Apr 05 shall remain 
qualified for that medal. However, any servicemember who wishes 
to do so may be awarded the ACM in lieu of the Global War on 
Terrorism Expeditionary Medal for that service. No servicemember 
shall be entitled to both the GWOT Medal and the ACM for the 
same act, achievement, or period of service. 

The ICM is awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces 
who served in Iraq between 19 Mar 03 and 31 Dec 11.  Service 
members must have been permanently assigned, attached or 
detailed to a unit that operated within the AOE for 
30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days.  The AOE is 
defined as all land area of the country of Iraq, the contiguous 
water area out to 12 nautical miles, and all air spaces above 
the land area of Iraq and above the contiguous water area out to 
12 nautical miles. Under most circumstances, no personnel or 
unit should receive the ICM, the GWOT-E, the GWOT-S, the ACM or 
the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) for the same 
deployment, action or period of service. However, should an 
individual be forward-deployed from a primary deployment 
location, the individual must provide source documentation 
(i.e., performance report, decoration, letter of evaluation, 
travel voucher, etc.) to substantiate multiple deployment 
locations and minimum deployment days were indeed met and 
confirmed by home deployment location and the individual. 
Entitlement to ICM does not disqualify entitlement to other DoD 
service or Air Force achievement awards. 

________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

NGB/A1PS recommends denial of the applicant’s request for the 
Combat Action Badge, ACM, or ICM.   The badge can only be 
awarded if a narrative explanation on the AF Form 3994, 
Recommendation for Decoration Deployment/Contingency Operation, 
is submitted by a person with first-hand knowledge of the 
incident to the first colonel (O-6) in their operational chain 
of command.  The combat conditions are met when: Individual(s) 
deliberately go outside the defended perimeter to conduct 
official duties – either ground or air, and come under enemy 
attack by lethal weapons while performing those duties and are 
at risk of grave danger or individual(s) are defending the base 
(on the defended perimeter), and come under fire and engage the 
enemy with direct and lethal fire, and are at risk of grave 
danger, also meet the intent of combat conditions for the award.  
Additionally, personnel in ground operations who actively engage 
the enemy with direct and legal fire may qualify even if no 
direct fire is taken – as long there was risk of grave danger 
and other criteria are met.  The applicant does not qualify as 
he has not provided supporting documentation.  There is no 
supporting documentation that shows that an AF Form 3994 was 
submitted and approved by the Commander of Air Force Forces 
(COMAFFOR).

The applicant has not provided supporting documentation to show 
that he was deployed and participated in a “designated area” for 
30 days consecutive or 60 days nonconsecutive in order to be 
awarded the ACM and ICM.  His DD Form 214 shows that he was in 
an active duty mobilization status from 2 Mar 03 through 17 Mar 
04 in support of Operation Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom and 
Iraqi Freedom but there is no supporting documentation to show 
where he performed his duty during this time frame.


The applicant is requesting any other applicable medals and 
certificates but without supporting documentation to show what 
acts were performed at the time of service, there is no 
justification to award any other medals or certificates.

The complete A1PS evaluation is at Exhibit C.

________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

In further support of his request, the applicant provides copies 
of certificates for award of the Air Medal and Air Medal with 
one oak leaf cluster, AMC Forms 41, Flight Authorization, Air 
Medal and Aerial Achievement Medal Mission Information – 
Justification Sheets, Member Mission Reports, AFTO Forms 781, 
Arms Aircrew/Mission Flight Data Document, and various other 
documents associated with his requests (Exhibit E).

________________________________________________________________

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 to warrant award 
of the Air Force Combat Action Badge, ACM, and ICM.  In this 
respect, we note the applicant provides his flight records and 
Air Medal to support his request for award of the Combat Action 
Badge; however, we do not find it sufficiently persuasive to 
grant the requested relief.  Additionally, while the applicant 
may meet the criteria for the ACM and ICM, based on his 
previously awarded GWOT medals he is not eligible.  However, if 
the applicant provides source documentation to substantiate he 
was forward deployed to multiple deployment locations and 
minimum deployment days were indeed met or wishes to be awarded 
the ACM in lieu of the GWOT Medal for his service, we would be 
willing to reconsider his request.  As such, we conclude the 
applicant has failed to sustain his burden of proof that he has 
been the victim of an error or injustice.  We note that the 
GWOT-E and GWOT-S is already recorded in his records so we find 
no basis to act on this portion of his request.  Therefore, we 
find no basis to recommend granting the additional relief sought 
in this application.

________________________________________________________________



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-2014-02701 in Executive Session on 17 Mar 15, under 
the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

	                  , Panel Chair
	                  , Member
	                  , Member

The following documentary evidence was considered:

	Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 26 Jun 14, w/atchs.
	Exhibit B.  Applicant's Available Master Personnel Records
	Exhibit C.  Letter, NGB/A1PS, dated 11 Aug 14.
	Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 25 Aug 14.
	Exhibit E.  Supporting Documents, Applicant, undated.