AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

IN THE MATTER OF: 

DOCKET NUMBER:  9 5 - 0 2 7 0 1  
COUNSEL:  NONE 

HEARING DESIRED:  NO 

2-5’1997 

APPLICANT REOUESTS THAT: 

The closeout date of the Air Force Commendation Medal  (AFCM) be 
changed from 4 Apr 95  to an unspecified date in Mar 95,.  and that 
the AFCM  be  considered in the promotion process  for cycle 9535 
for promotion to the grade of staff sergeant. 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

The  closeout  date  of  4  Apr  95  is  incorrect. 
Performance Report  (EPR) closed out 1 5   Mar 95  and his llofficialll 
departure  date  from  England  was  30  Mar  9 5 .  
closeout date of the AFCM should have been in Mar 95. 
In support of  his appeal, the applicant provided  copies of  the 
special order awarding him  the AFCM, the AFCM  certificate, and 
his EPR closing 1 5   Mar 95  (Exhibit A). 

His  Enlisted 
Therefore,  the 

STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

I 

Applicant  contracted his  initial enlistment  in the  Regular Air’ 
Force on 22 Mar 91. 
By Special Order, dated 22 Feb 95,  the applicant was awarded the 
AFCM  for  meritorious  service  during  the  period  1  Aug  9 1   to 
4 Apr 95. 
Applicant  is no  longer on  active  duty.  Information extracted 
from  the  Personnel Data System  (PDS) indicates that, effective 
2 Nov  96,  he was assigned to the Air Force Reserve in the grade 
of  senior  airman  (E-4).  His  Total  Active  Federal  Military 
Service  Date  was  1 7   Jun  9 0 .  
He  was  credited  with  6 years, 
4 months, and 1 5   days of satisfactory Federal service. 

, 

AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

- 

The  Recognition  Programs  Branch,  AFPC/DPPPRA,  reviewed  this 
application and  recommended denial.  DPPPRA indicated  that, on 
5  Oct  9 5 ,   the applicant was requested to provide a copy of  his 
original Recommendation for Decoration Printout (DECOR-6) showing 
his  projected  departure  date  and/or  a  copy  of  his  permanent 
change  of  station  (PCS)  orders. 
According  to  DPPPRA,  the 
applicant did not provide any documentation to justify his claim 
that  his  original  departure  date  was  3 0   Mar  9 5 ,   nor  did  he 
respond  to  a  request  for  such  documentation.  Since  the  AFCM 
certificate was  signed  on  22  Feb  9 5 ,   with  a  closeout date  of 
4  Apr 9 5 ,   it seems reasonable to believe that his departure date 
was 5 Apr 95  and that it was known in advance.  DPPPRA does not 
believe the applicant's claim that his Military Personnel Flight 
(MPF) told him that there is no document in his files showing his 
official departure date  from Royal Air  Force  (RAF) 
DPPPRA stated that when he processed into his new duty station, 
he had to have provided copies of his permanent change of station 
(PCS) orders to his new unit and to the Transportation Office to 
claim his household goods from- 
Since the AFCM received 
was an  I1end-of-touri1 award, the closeout date would  be  the day 
prior  to the date he  actually departed the area  (England).  He 
departed on 5 Apr 9 5 ;   therefore, the closeout date of 4 Apr 95 is 
correct.  The applicant has  not provided  any  justification for 
his  claim  of  a  Ifmixed up1' departure  date  or  for  changing  the 
closeout date of his AFCM. 
A complete copy of the DPPPRA evaluation is at Exhibit C. 

The  Airman  Promotion  Branch,  AFPC/DPPPWB,  reviewed  this 
application and  deferred  to  the  recommendation  of  AFPC/DPPPRA. 
DPPPWB noted that the applicant's total weighted promotion score 
for  the  9 5 3 5   cycle  was  300.31  and  the  score  required  f o r  
selection  in his  Control Air  Force  Specialty  Code  (CAFSC) was 
3 0 1 . 2 9 .   According to DPPPWB, if the decoration is counted in the 
applicant's total score, he would become a selectee for promotion 
pending  a  favorable  data  verification  check  and  the 
recommendation of his  commander.  Promotion selections for this 
cycle were made on 28 Jul 95  and announced on 9  Aug 9 5 .  
DPPPWB  indicated  that  the policies  regarding the approval  of  a 
decoration and the credit of a decoration for promotion purposes 
are  two  separate  and  distinct  policies. 
Current  Air  Force 
promotion policy  dictates that  before  a  decoration  is credited 
for  a  specific  promotion  cycle,  the  closeout  date  of  the 
decoration must be on or before the promotion eligibility cutoff 
date  (PECD), and the date of the DECOR-6, must be before the date 
of  selections for the  cycle in question.  Each promotion cycle 
has an established PECD which is used to determine what Air Force 
Specialty Code  (AFSC) or Chief  Enlisted  Manager  (CEM) Code  the 
member  will  be  considered as weas- 
PECD for the cycle in question was  31 Mar  9 5 .  

promotion consideration.  The 
In addition, a 

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decoration that a member claims was lost, downgraded, etc. , must 
be fully documented and verified that it was placed into official 
channels prior to the selection date. 

According to the DPPPWB, the AFCM did not meet  the criteria for 
promotion  credit  during  the  9535  cycle,  as  evidenced  by  the 
special order awarding the decoration, because the closeout date 
was 4  Apr 95, which was after PECD of 31 Mar 95. 
A complete copy of the DPPPWB evaluation, with attachments, is at 
Exhibit D. 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

Applicant believes that he has provided  substantial information 
regarding his  request, particularly  the  attached  letter, dated 
18 Dec 95.  This was his first time testing for staff sergeant, 
and he missed it by less than a point.  He is not trying to get 
around  the  system. 
However,  he  feels  he  has  a  legitimate 
complaint and  should not be punished  or penalized  for mistakes 
over which he had no control. 
Applicant's complete response is at Exhibit F. 

THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT: 

The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing 

1. 
law or regulations. 
2 .   The application was timely filed. 
3.  Insufficient  relevant  evidence  has  been  presented  to 
demonstrate  the  existence of  probable  error  or  injustice.  We 
took notice of the applicant's complete submission in judging the 
merits of the case, including the statement from the applicant's 
first  sergeant.  However,  we  did  not  find  it  sufficient  to 
override  the  rationale  expressed  by  the  respective Air  Force 
offices of primary responsibilityc 
Specifically, the applicant 
did not provide copies of those documents cited by the Air Force 
as necessary to establish that a change to the closeout date of 
the award is appropriate.  Therefore, in the absence of evidence 
which  shows to our satisfaction that  the  closeout  date  of  the 
AFCM  was  erroneous,  we  find  no  compelling basis  to  recommend 
granting the relief sought in this application. 

THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT: 

The  applicant be  notified  that  the  evidence  presented  did  not 
demonstrate  the  existence  of  probable  material  error  or 
injustice;  that  the  application was  denied  without  a  personal 
appearance; and  that  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 this application in 
Executive Session on 13 March  1997,  under the provisions of AFI 
36- 2603 : 

Mr. David C. Van Gasbeck, Panel Chairman 
Mr. Joseph G. Diamond, Member 
Mr. Gary Appleton, Member 

The following documentary evidence was considered: 

Exhibit A.  DD Form 149,  dated 16 Aug 95,  w/atchs. 
Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records. 
Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPRA, dated 28  Dec 95. 
Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPWB, dated 22  Jan 96,  w/atchs. 
Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MIBR, dated 5 Feb 96. 
Exhibit F.  Letter, applicant, dated 11 Feb 96,  w/atchs. 

\--.  Pard Chairman