AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

IN THE MATTER OF: 

DOCKET NUMBER:  98-01566 
COUNSEL:  NONE 
HEARING DESIRED: NO 

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Applicant requests his Self-Iniated Elimination package for T-41 
training at the United States Air Force Academy be removed from 
his permanent record.  Applicant's submission is at Exhibit A. 
The  appropriate Air  Force  office evaluated  applicant's request 
and provided an advisory opinion to the Board  recommending the 
application be  denied  (Exhibit C) 
The  advisory  opinion was 
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 
available  evidence of  record, we  find  insufficient evidence 
error or injustice to warrant corrective action.  The facts 
opinions stated in the advisory opinion appear to be based on 
evidence  o f   record  and  have  not  been  rebutted  by  applica 
Absent persuasive evidence applicant was denied rights to wh 
entitled,  appropriate  regulations  were  not  followed, 
appropriate  standards  were  not  applied,  we  find  no  basis 
disturb the existing record. 
Accordingly, applicant's request is denied. 
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. Rita  S .   Looney, Mr.  Terry A. Yonkers, 
and  Ms.  Patricia  D.  Vestal  considered  this  application  on 
26 January 1999  in accordance with  the provisions of Air Force 
Instruction 36-2603, and the 

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Panel Chair 

Exhibits: 
A.  Applicant's DD Form 149 
B.  Available Master Personnel Records 
C.  Advisory Opinion 
D.  AFBCMR Ltr Forwarding Advisory Opinion 

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE 
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY 

USAF ACADEMY. COLORADO 

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31 Jul98 

MEMORANDUM FOR AFBCMR 

FROM:  34 OSS/CC 

9206 Airfield Drive, Suite 1 
USAF Academy CO  80840-2060 

Military Records (DD Form 14 

1.  Applicant has submitted a request for correction of military records in regards to his self- 
initiated elimination (SIE) from T-4 1 training while attending the United States Air Force 
Academy (USAFA). 

2.  Applicant states he voluntarily disenrolled fiom T-41 training because it was not a graduation 
requirement and at the time he felt like he needed to focus more on academics. 

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3.  Applicant was enrolled in the T-41 class 94-04 at USAFA.  That would place the applicant in 
the T-41 program during the summer before his first class year (senior), more specifically 
summer period three during the Commandants summer military training program.  The applicant 
was only enrolled in the T-41 program and did not have any other competing academic classes. 
Applicant flew his first sortie on 20 Jul93 which was incomplete due to weather.  The second 
sortie followed on 21 Jul93 and the applicant received an excellent overall grade for the sortie. 
This is reflected by the ATC Form 860 in the applicant’s attached T-41 records.  The first 
documented indication of the applicant’s desire to a SIE from T-4 1 training came 2 1 Jul93, as 
evidenced by the ATC 803A in the applicant’s attached T-41 records.  In the 803A dated 21 Jul 
93, the applicant’s flight commander wrote, “Note:  (Applicant) stated he has a desire to SIE 
because of the following reasons - 1. He has other career plans and 2. Doesn’t enjoy flying at all - 
he feels very uncomfortable in the airplane.  (Applicant) has a fine attitude and has given this 
program a try - he just doesn’t enjoy it and would rather do something else for a career.”  On that 
same day 21 Jul93, the applicant was counseled by the 557 FTS squadron commander and 
applicant’s flight commander.  An ATC Form 126A dated 2 1 Jul93 was signed by the applicant 
and the 557 FTS squadron commander.  The applicant also signed on 22 Jul93 a letter of 
declination of Undergraduate Flying Training (UFT), where it was clearly spelled out that if the 
applicant was an SIE he would be ineligible to apply for UFT in the future.  The applicant’s T-41 
records were sent to the 54* Operations Group at USAFA for review, and the Operations Group 
commander who was the eliminating official signed the ATC Form 126A. The applicant was 
then classified as a SIE on the records maintained at the 34 OSS/OST, USAFA.  Both the ATC 
Form 126A and the 

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letter of declination of Undergraduate Flying Training are included in the applicant’s T-4 I 
records. 

4.  Starting with the USAFA Class of 1992, pilot training slots were severely cut due to the Air 
Force down sizing.  Prior to this time all medically qualified volunteers were eligible for UFT. 
The applicant’s graduating Class of 1994 had 520 eligible pilot candidates but only 225 available 
slots for UFT.  Only the top 43% of the Class of 1994 would be selected for UFT.  The selection 
process was conducted by a board using grade point average (GPA), military point average, 
physical education average, and performance in the T-4 1 program.  The applicant’s academic 
order of merit was 652 out of 1024, which placed the applicant in the top 37% of his class. If the 
applicant completed the T-41 program, he would have had an even shot for a UFT slot.  The 
applicant maintained a GPA around 2.6 as evidenced in the applicant’s attached grade transcript. 
The applicant signed a letter of declination of Undergraduate Flying Training on 22 Jul93.  Air 
Force Instruction 36-2205, figure 1.1 clearly states that those eliminated for self-initiated 
elimination (SIE) are ineligible for firther flying training.  The applicant’s SIE records were 
typical for that time frame and no major discrepancies were noted. 

not in jeopardy of failing out of USAFA for 
5. Recommendation:  Deny request-was 
grades.  Further more, he was enroIIed in the T-41 program during the summer where there was 
no competing interests with academics during the school year.  He also had an even shot at going 
Flying Training considering his class standing.  Concerns have been also raised 
stated reasons for his self-initiated elimination.  The flight commander noted 
he has a desire to SIE because of the following reasons - 1. He has othei 
nd 2. Doesn’t enjoy flying at all - he feels very uncomfortable in the airplane.’’ This 
a manifestation of apprehension for flying (fear of 
strong statement could indicat-as 
flying). I feel there is not sufficient justification to grant the relief  sought and that this course of 
action is in the best interest of the Air Force.  However, if the decision is to grant the relief 
sought, the declination of Undergraduate Flying Training letter dated 22 Jul93 and ATC Form 
126A dated 21 Jul93 should be removed fro- 
Air Force Academy T-41 training 
record. 

Commander 
34h Operations Support Squadron