IN THE CASE OF:	  

		BOARD DATE:	  10 March 2011

		DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20100022052 


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 correction of DD Form 214 (Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer or Discharge) to show additional awards of the Air Medal.

2.  The applicant states he received approximately 27 awards of the Air Medal for his service as a crew chief on board U.S. Army helicopters in Vietnam.

3.  The applicant provides his DD Form 214.

CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:

1.  Title 10, U.S. Code, section 1552(b), provides that applications for correction of military records must be filed within 3 years after discovery of the alleged error or injustice.  This provision of law also allows the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) to excuse an applicant’s failure to timely file within the 3-year statute of limitations if the ABCMR determines it would be in the interest of justice to do so.  While it appears the applicant did not file within the time frame provided in the statute of limitations, the ABCMR has elected to conduct a substantive review of this case and, only to the extent relief, if any, is granted, has determined it is in the interest of justice to excuse the applicant’s failure to timely file.  In all other respects, there are insufficient bases to waive the statute of limitations for timely filing.


2.  The applicant enlisted in the Regular Army on 11 July 1966.  He completed his training and he was awarded military occupational specialty 67A (aircraft maintenance crewman).  He was promoted to the rank/grade of specialist five (SP5)/E-5 on 19 August 1968.

3.  His DA Form 20 (Enlisted Qualification Record) shows he served in Vietnam during the period 18 October 1967 to 13 November 1968.  This form also shows the initial award of the Air Medal.

4.  He was honorably released from active duty on 10 July 1969 and he was transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) Control Group (Reinforcement) to complete his remaining Reserve obligation.  He completed 3 years of total active service.

5.  Item 24 (Decorations, Medals, Badges, Commendations, Citations, and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized) of his DD Form 214 shows the:

* National Defense Service Medal
* Air Medal
* Vietnam Service Medal with four bronze service stars
* Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
* Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge with Pistol Bar
* Expert Marksmanship Qualification Badge Rifle Bar

6.  A review of the Awards and Decorations Computer-Assisted Retrieval System (ADCARS) maintained by the Military Awards Branch of the United States Army Human Resources Command, which is an index of general orders issued during the Vietnam era between 1965 and 1973, failed to reveal any orders for additional awards of the Air Medal pertaining to the applicant.

7.  His available records contain no flight logs or other documents showing how many or what categories of missions he flew.

8.  Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards) provides that the Air Medal is awarded in time of war for heroism and for meritorious achievement or service while participating in aerial flight.  This award is primarily intended for personnel on flying status.  As with all personal decorations, formal recommendations, approval through the chain of command and announcement in orders is required.

9.  U.S. Army Vietnam (USARV) Regulation 672-1 (Decorations and Awards) provided 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.  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:

	a.  Combat missions were divided into three categories.

		(1)  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.

		(2)  A category II mission was characterized by support rendered a friendly force immediately before, during, or immediately following a combat operation.

		(3)  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.

	b.  To be recommended for award of the Air Medal, an individual must have completed a minimum of 25 category I missions, 50 category II missions, or
100 category III missions.  Since various types of missions would have been completed in accumulating flight time toward award of an Air Medal for sustained operations, different computations would have had to be made to combine category I, II, and III flight times and adjust it to a common denominator.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant contends he was awarded approximately 27 Air Medals for his service as a crew chief on board helicopters in Vietnam.  Regrettably, there are no flight logs or other evidence in his available records or provided by him to verify the number by categories of any missions he flew while serving in Vietnam.  As such, there is insufficient evidence upon which to base award of any additional Air Medals.

2.  In view of the foregoing, there is no basis to grant the applicant's request.


BOARD VOTE:

________  ________  ________  GRANT FULL RELIEF 

________  ________  ________  GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF 

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

__X_____  ____X___  ____X___  DENY APPLICATION

BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

The evidence presented does not demonstrate the existence of a probable error or injustice.  Therefore, the Board determined that the overall merits of this case are insufficient as a basis for correction of the records of the individual concerned.



      _________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)                                         AR20100022052



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ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)                                         AR20100022052



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