AIR FORCE BOARD FOR.CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

IN THE MATTER OF: 

DOCKET NUMBER:  96-03157 
COUNSEL:  NONE 
HEARING DESIRED:  YES 

' 

Applicant  requests  that  his  promotion  to  the  grade  of  master 
'sergeant be reinstated.  Applicant's submission is at Exhibit A .  
'The appropriate Air Force offices evaluated applicant's request 
-.'and provided  advisory  opinions  to  the  Board  recommending  the 
application be  denied  (Exhibit C).  The advisory opinions were 
forwarded to the applicant for review and response  (Exhibit D ) .  
As of this date, no response has been received by this office. 
After  careful 
consideration  of  applicant's  request  and  the 
available evidence of  record, we  find  insufficient evidence  of 
error or injustice to warrant corrective action.  The facts and 
opinions stated in the advisory opinions appear to be based  on 
the evidence of record and have not been rebutted by applicant. 
Absent persuasive evidence applicant was denied rights to which 
entitled,  appropriate  regulations  were  not  followed,  or 
appropriate  standards  were  not  applied,  we  find  no  basis  to 
disturb the existing record. 
Accordingly, applicant's request is denied. 
The applicant's case is adequately documented and it has not been 
shown  that  a  personal  appearance with  or without  counsel will 
materially  add  to  our  understanding  of  the  issues  involved. 
Therefore, the request for a hearing is not favorably considered. 
The Board staff is directed to inform applicant of this decision. 
Applicant should also be informed that this decision is final and 
will only be reconsidered upon the presentation of new relevant 
evidence  which  was  not  reasonably  available  at  the  time  the 
application was,.filed. 
Members  of  the  Board  Ms.  Charlene  M.  Bradley, Mr.  Richard  A. 
Peterson, and Mr. Henry Romo, Jr., considered this application on 
2 7   Jan  98  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  Air  Force 
Instruction 3 6 - 2 6 0 3   and the governing statute, 10 U.S.C. 1552. 

C-%ARLENE M. BRADLEY 
Panel Chair 

Exhibits : 
A.  Applicant's DD Form  149 
B.  Available Master Personnel Records 
C .   Advisory Opinions 
D.  SAF/MIBR Ltr Forwarding Advisory Opinions 

DEPARTMENT  OF THE AIR  F O R C E  

H E A D Q U A R T E R S   AIR  F O R C E   P E R S O N N E L C E N T E R  

R A N D O L P H   AIR  F O R C E   B A S E  T E X A S   B 

U.S. AIR FORCE 

2 3  JUN  1997 

MEMORANDUM FOR AFBCMR 

FROM:  HQ AFPC/DPPPWB 

550 C Street West, Ste 09 
Randolph AFB TX 78150-471 1 

1 9 4 7 -  1 9 9 7  

SUBJECT:  Application for Correction of Military Records 

Requested Action.  The applicant is requesting his demotion action under the provisions 

of AFR 39-30 be declared void and his former grade of master sergeant (E-7) be reinstated. 

Reason for Request.  The applicant believes that he had a medical problem that prevented 
him from maintaining his weight within the required Air Force standards.  Therefore, he believes 
his demotion from master sergeant to technical sergeant is unjust. 

Facts.  The applicant was demoted fiom master sergeant to technical sergeant in Oct 92 

based on his failure to maintain his weight within the required Air Force standards. 

Discussion.  There is limited documentation available in the applicant’s records concerning 
his demotion under the provisions of AFR 39-30.  While the applicant believes his demotion was 
a result of a medical condition, the Medical Consultant to the BCMR has reviewed this case and 
determined the applicant’s failure to maintain his weight was not due to a medical condition and 
has recommended denial of his request.  We defer to their recommendation.  However, should 
the AFBCMR set the demotion aside, effective date and date of rank to master sergeant was 1 
Sep 89. 

Recommendation.  See discussion paragraph above. 

%x*& 

R.MERRITT 

TO 
Chief, Inquiries/BCMR Section 
Airman Promotion Branch 

30 May 97 
96-03 I 57 

MEMORANDUM FOR AFBCMR 

From:  BCMR Medical Consultant 

1535 Command Drive, EE Wing, 3rd Floor 
Andrews AFB MD  20762-7002 

SUBJECT:  Application  for Correction of Military Records 

Applicant's entire case file has been reviewed and is forwarded with the following findings, 

conclusions and recommendations. 

REQUESTED ACTION:  The applicant retired for length of service on 1 Jun 93 after 20 

years, 8 days on active duty.  He now applies requesting the records be changed to restore him 
to rank of Master Sergeant which he lost through inability to maintain weight standards, a 
problem he feels may relate to later discovery of diabetes. 

FACTS: Applicant's record reveals three referral Enlisted Performance Reports (EPRs) in 
1986, 1987, and 1991, all noting unsatisfactory progress in the weight management program. 
He was promoted in 1989, but demoted on 23 Oct 92 after again failing to maintain standards. 
At the time of his retirement physical examination on I 2  Aug 92 (prior to his demotion) he 
weighed 172 pounds and was 66 inches tall.  Weights into the high 180s were found in his 
records. 

Within a year of his retirement (May 1994) he was found to have diabetes which has 

subsequently required treatment with insulin, thus falling into the Type I (or as he describes it, 
"childhood" category).  He apparently feels this categorization means he had the disease all 
along, when, in reality, any adult-onset diabetes may convert to Type I depending on severity of 
the disease, body weight, insulin needs, etc. 

DISCUSSION:  While no evidence of this disease was found during his 20-year career, he 
feels he may have had early symptoms, referencing his having drunk "a lot of water" during an 
acute episode of bronchitis in April I992 prior to his demotion (Letter of Rebuttal dated 29 May 
92).  While increased fluid intake can be a sign of diabetes, it is commonly recommended 
during any febrile illness such as bronchitis as would have likely happened here.  With no other 
references to this polydipsia (literally "many drinks") in his records, and no other findings (such 
as sugar in the urine) there was no indication that he had diabetes while in the Air Force, and 
his retirement physical was proper in finding him qualified for worldwide duty or retirement.  It  is 
not possible to connect later development of diabetes to his weight problems that surfaced well 
before his retirement and which were the cause of his demotion. 

Review of medical records does not disclose any evidence to support correction of records 
from length of service retirement to disability retirement or to link his demotion to a nonexistent 
(at the time) medical condition.  Evidence of record and medical examinations prior to 
retirement indicate the applicant was fit and medically qualified for continued military service, 
retention or appropriate separation and did not have any physical or mental defects which 
would have warranted consideration under the provisions of AFR 35-4.  Retirement for length of 
service is proper and in accordance with Air Force directives which implement the law. 

RECOMMENDATION:  The Medical Consultant is of the opinion that no change in the 

records is warranted and the application should be denied. 

FREDERICK W. HORNICK, Col., USAF, MC, FS 
Chief, Medical Consultant, BCMR 
Medical Advisor SAF Personnel Council