IN THE CASE OF:	  

		BOARD DATE:	  15 July 2010

		DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20100007027 


THE BOARD CONSIDERED THE FOLLOWING EVIDENCE:

1.  Application for correction of military records (with supporting documents provided, if any).

2.  Military Personnel Records and advisory opinions (if any).


THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE:

1.  The applicant requests reconsideration of an earlier appeal to correct his DD Form 214 (Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge) for the period ending 11 November 1968 to show 11 awards of the Air Medal. 

2.  The applicant states, in effect, that he is submitting additional documentation to support his request for 11 awards of the Air Medal.  

3.  The applicant provides:

* DA Form 759-1 (Individual Flight Record and Flight Certificate – Army) covering the period 3 May 1968 through 3 July 1968
* Standard Form (SF) 88 (Report of Medical Examination), dated 4 May 1968
* SF 89 (Report of Medical History), dated 4 May 1968
* certificate for award of the Air Medal, dated 28 June 1968
* citation for award of the Air Medal for the period 4 May 1968 through 
17 May 1968
* certificate for award of the Air Medal (1st through 10th Oak Leaf Cluster), dated 18 November 1968
* citation for award of the Air Medal (1st through 10th Oak Leaf Cluster) for the period 18 May 1968 through 21 October 1968




CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:

1.  Incorporated herein by reference are military records which were summarized in the previous consideration of the applicant's case by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) in Docket Number AR20090008723 on 19 November 2009.

2.  The applicant now provides new evidence in support of his previous request that requires reconsideration.  

3.  On 8 April 1966, the applicant enlisted in the Regular Army and successfully completed basic training and advanced individual training.  He was awarded military occupational specialty (MOS) 11B (Light Weapons Infantryman).  He was later awarded MOS 67A (Door Gunner) and 67U (CH-47 Helicopter Repairman).

4.  Records show the following assignments in the Republic of Vietnam (RVN):

* 10 March 1967, A Company, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry, 101st Airborne Division as a senior rifleman
* 15 January 1968, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) as a senior rifleman
* 5 May 1968, 180th Assault Support Helicopter Company (ASHC) as a door gunner and helicopter mechanic

5.  The applicant provided a DA Form 759-1, Sheet Number 1, covering the period 4 May 1968 to 3 July 1968, which shows, in pertinent part, the dates, aircraft type, mission category, duty position, and flight hours accrued by the applicant.  The document show that, while assigned to the 180th ASHC, the applicant apparently served as door gunner and helicopter mechanic, flying combat missions on CH-47As, Chinook helicopters, and accrued a total of 205.9 flight hours during this period.

6.  The applicant provided a certificate for award of the Air Medal (1st through 10th Oak Leaf Cluster), dated 18 November 1968, for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight during the period 18 May 1968 through 
21 October 1968.

7.  On 9 October 1968, the applicant departed the RVN.  On 11 November 1968, he was honorably released from active duty.


8.  Item 24 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Commendations, Citations and Campaigns Ribbons Awarded Authorized) of the applicant's DD Form 214 shows he was awarded the Air Medal.  

9.  There are no orders in the applicant's service personnel records that show 
11 awards of the Air Medal.

10.  In his previous case, the ABCMR corrected the applicant's DD Form 214 to add:

* Vietnam Service Medal with one silver service star
* Army Good Conduct Medal
* Presidential Unit Citation
* Meritorious Unit Commendation
* Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge (Rifle Bar)
* Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge (Machine Gun Bar)
* Marksman Marksmanship Qualification Badge (Automatic Rifle Bar)
* Army Commendation Medal (1st Oak Leaf Cluster) with "V" Device 
* Service in Vietnam from 10 March 1967 to 7 November 1968

11.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) provides, in pertinent part, that the Air Medal is awarded in time of war for heroism and for meritorious achievement or service while participating in aerial flight.  This regulation also provides that Arabic numerals are now used instead of oak leaf clusters for the second and succeeding awards of the Air Medal.  The numeral 2 denotes the second award of the Air Medal.

12.  U.S. Army Vietnam (USARV) Regulation 672-1 (Decorations and Awards) provided, in pertinent part, guidelines for award of the Air Medal.  It defined terms and provided guidelines for the award based upon the number and types of missions or hours.  This document defined a mission as the departure of an aircraft from a base camp to a nonsecure landing zone and return and that an additional mission may be credited for each additional landing zone used.  Twenty-five category I missions (air assault and equally dangerous missions) and accrual of a minimum of 25 hours of flight time while engaged in category I missions was the standard established for which sustained operations were deemed worthy of recognition by an award of the Air Medal.  However, the regulation was clear that these guidelines were considered only a departure point.



13.  Combat missions were divided into three categories.  A category I mission was defined as a mission performed in an assault role in which a hostile force was engaged and was characterized by delivery of ordnance against the hostile force, or delivery of friendly troops or supplies into the immediate combat operations area.  A category II mission was characterized by support rendered a friendly force immediately before, during or immediately following a combat operation.  A category III mission was characterized by support of friendly forces not connected with an immediate combat operation, but which must have been accomplished at altitudes which made the aircraft at times vulnerable to small arms fire, or under hazardous weather or terrain conditions.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  There are no orders in the applicant's service personnel records that show he was awarded 11 awards of the Air Medal.  However, the applicant provided a certificate awarding him 11 awards of the Air Medal while assigned to the 180th ASHC for participating in aerial flight during the period 18 May 1968 through 
21 October 1968.  

2.  The applicant's DA Form 759-1 confirms that while he was assigned to the 180th ASHC, he accumulated a total of 209 flight hours while serving as a door gunner and mechanic on combat missions during the period 4 May 1969 to 3 July 1968.

3.  The confirming evidence provided by the applicant is accepted as sufficient to show he was awarded 11 Air Medals while assigned to the 180th ASHC in the RVN.  Therefore, his DD Form 214 should be amended to show 11 awards of the Air Medal.


BOARD VOTE:

___X____  __X_____  ___X____  GRANT FULL RELIEF

________  ________  ________  GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION




BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

The Board determined that the evidence presented was sufficient to warrant amendment of the ABCMR’s decision in Docket Number AR20090008723, dated 19 November 2009.  As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by:

* deleting from item 24 of the applicant's DD Form 214 the Air Medal
* amending his DD Form 214 to add the Air Medal with Numeral "11"




      __________X__________
       	     CHAIRPERSON
      
I certify that herein is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in this case.



ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)                                         AR20100007027





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ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

 RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


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ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont