Can anyone help?

[crate78]

There is an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal that was issued in 1961 with qualifying dates of 1958 to present. Criteria is participation in military operations not covered by a specific war.

Among other areas designated are: Quemoy and Matsu Islands from 23 August, 1958 to 1 June, 1963, and Taiwan Straits 23 August 1958 to 1 January, 1959.

I was a member of MAG-11 deployed to a Nationalist Chinese Air Force Base at PingTung, Taiwan from August 1958 to April 1959, and I've always wondered if members of MAG-11, myself included, qualified for the medal. My DD214 for that hitch gives years, months, and days of foreign or sea service for that hitch, but doesn't give specific dates and/or operations.

I checked with my county VSO and he gave me a copy of DD149, Application for Correction of Military Record, but I'm a bit unsure of what to state and how. I think on Line 5, "I Request the Followin Error or Injustice in the Record be Corrected" I would enter something like requesting the dates and venue of the operations on Taiwan to be entered on my DD214, and on Line 6 for justification state something like "for determination of eligibilty for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal".

Has anyone else done something like this? I'm not putting down my VSO, he's sharp otherwise and has been a big help in other areas. He just said this is the first time he's run into this.

crate

[Phantom Blooper]

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal


<CITE>Paragraph 2-12, Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards)
25 Febuary 1995</CITE>
a. The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) was established by Executive Order 10977, dated 4 December 1961 (DA Bull. 1, 1962) and Executive Order 11231, 8 July 1965. This medal is authorized for U.S. military operations, U.S. operations in direct support of the United Nations, and U.S. operations of assistance for friendly foreign nations. Operation, area of operations, and direct support are defined in the glossary.
b. The AFEM is awarded for service after 1 July 1958, meeting the qualifications indicated below:

(1) Personnel must be a bona fide member of a unit and engaged in the operation, or meet one or more of the following criteria:

(2) Rescinded. (a) Have served not less than 30 consecutive days in the area of operations.
(b) Be engaged in direct support of the operation for 30 consecutive days or 60 nonconsecutive days, provided this support involves entering the area of operations. The qualifying criteria for non-unit direct support personnel in Grenada is 6 consecutive days or 12 nonconsecutive days.
(c) Serve for the full period where an operation is less than 30 days duration.
(d) Be engaged in actual combat, or duty which is equally as hazardous as combat, during the operation with armed opposition, regardless of time in the area.
(e) Participate as a regularly assigned crewmember of an aircraft flying into, out of, within, or over the area in support of the military operation.
(f) Be recommended, or attached to a unit recommended, by the chief of a service or the commander of unified or specified command for award of the medal, although the criteria above have not been fulfilled. Such recommendations may be made to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) for duty of such value to the operation as to warrant particular recognition.
c. The designated U.S. military operations, areas, and dates are as follows:
(1) Quemoy and Matsu Islands. From 23 August 1956 to 1 June 1963.
(2) Lebanon From 1 July 1958 to 1 November 1958.
(3) Taiwan Straits. From 23 August 1958 to I January 1959.
(4) Berlin. From 14 August 1961 to 1 June 1963.
(5) Cuba. From 24 October 1962 to I June 1963.
(6) Congo. From 23 to 27 November 1964.
(7) Dominican Republic. From 28 April 1965 to 21 September 1966.
(8) Korea. From 1 October 1966 to 30 June 1974.
(9) Cambodia (Evacuation of Cambodia-Operation EAGLE PULL). From 11 to 13 April 1975.
(10) Vietnam (Evacuation of Vietnam-Operation FREQUENT WIND). From 29 to 30 April 1975.
(11) Mayaguez Operation. 15 May 1975.
(12) Grenada Operation URGENT FURY. From 23 October 1983 to 21 November 1983. The qualifying criteria for non-unit direct support personnel in Grenada is 6 consecutive days or 12 nonconsecutive days.
(13) Libya-Operation ELDORADO CANYON. From 12 April 1986 to 17 April 1986.
(14) Persian Gulf Operation EARNEST WILL. From 24 July 1987, the date of the Bridgeton incident, to 1 August 1990. The area of operations is the area from 20 degrees north latitude northward to 30 degrees, 30 minutes, north latitude and from 46 degrees, 36 minutes, east longitude eastward to 63 degrees east longitude. These geographical limits include the Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Kuwait, the Gulf of Oman and most of Saudi Arabia.
(15) Panama-Operation JUST CAUSE. From 20 December 1989 to 31 January 1990.
d. Designated U.S. operations in direct support of the United Nations: Congo. From 14 July 1960 to 1 September 1962.
e. Designated U.S. operations of assistance for a friendly foreign nation are as follows:
(1) Laos. From 19 April 1961 to 7 October 1962.
(2) Vietnam. From 1 July 1958 to 3 July 1965.
(3) Cambodia From 29 March 1973 to 15 August 1973.
(4) Thailand (only those in direct support of Cambodia operations). From 29 March 1973 to 15 August 1973.
(5) Lebanon. From 1 June 1983 to I December 1987.
f. One bronze service star is worn to denote subsequent award of the AFEM. To be eligible for additional awards, service must be rendered in more than one of the designated areas and dates specified in c, d, and e above. No two awards will be made for service in the same designated area. (Service stars are described in chap 6.)

http://www.americal.org/awards/afem.htm

[yellowwing]

(3) Taiwan Straits. From 23 August 1958 to I January 1959.
Wow, not meaning to stray off the topic... But I just looked up that above action. Marines stepping up while China and Taiwan were actually shooting at each other. Wow!

I never learned about this one before. Looks like it could have got really ugly.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Yeah, no kiddin. Little known part of Marine Corps history there!

I would say that if you were in the area defined as the Taiwan Straights, you rate the award.

The application you are filling out is a long gummint-ese way of asking them to correct your records, specifically your DD-214, by issuing a correction, which is a DD-215, basically.

You can also go to various and sundry websites and download that form. When you send it in, provide notarized COPIES (never send originals) of your documentation that you were there.

Expect a response in about 6 months, give or take.