RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  98-03176
            INDEX CODE:  107.00

            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO


_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

1.  He be awarded the Air  Force  Commendation  Medal  (AFCM)  covering  the
period 31 October 1994 through 6 November 1997.

2.  He be considered for supplemental promotion consideration to  the  grade
of technical sergeant for cycle 98E6.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

He believes the contested decoration should be considered in  the  promotion
process for cycle 98E6 based on the circumstances which caused the delay  in
the procession of the award.

Applicant's complete submission is attached at Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant is currently serving in the Regular Air Force in the grade  of
staff sergeant.

On 6 December 1997, a  Recommendation  for  Decoration  Printout  (RDP)  was
prepared on the applicant.

Promotion selections for cycle 98E6 were made on 21 May 1998  and  announced
on 4 June 1998.  The total promotion score required  for  selection  in  the
applicant’s Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC)  was  338.45.   The  applicant’s
total promotion score was 335.77.  The  Promotion  Eligibility  Cutoff  Date
(PECD) was 31 December 1997.

Headquarters, Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), Special Order G-
234, dated 15 July 1998, awarded the applicant the  Air  Force  Commendation
Medal, Third Oak Leaf Cluster ((AFCM, 3OLC) for the period 31  October  1994
to 6 November 1997.

Although the DECOR-6 was requested on 7 November 1997 it was not  signed  by
the applicant’s supervisor until 23 June 1998.  The certificate  was  signed
on 1 July 1998, and the orders published on 15 July 1998.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The  Chief,  Awards  and  Decorations  Section,  AFPC/DPPPRA,  reviewed  the
application  and  states  although  the  recommendation  package   was   not
submitted on the  day  the  DECOR-6  was  requested,  and  not  in  official
channels until June  1998,  the  decoration  was  awarded  well  within  the
required three-year limit.  They state the  reason  for  decorations  is  to
recognize superior performance by Air Force  members;  they  should  not  be
submitted at a specific time solely for the  purpose  of  promotion  points.
They state, since all the requirements of AFI 36-2803, regarding  timelines,
were met, no changes to the applicant's Air Force  Commendation  Medal  with
Third Oak Leaf Cluster for the period 31 October 1994 through    6  November
1997 should be made.  Therefore, they have no  recommendations  regarding  a
Supplemental Selection Board.

A complete copy of the evaluation is attached at Exhibit C.

The Chief, Inquiries/AFBCMR Section, AFPC/DPPPWB, reviewed  the  application
and states that:

    a.  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 (AFI 36-2502, Table 2.2,  Rule
5, Note 2) dictates that before a decoration  is  credited  for  a  specific
promotion cycle, the close-out date of the decoration must be on  or  before
the promotion eligibility cutoff date (PECD), and the date of  the  DECOR-6,
Request for Decoration Printout (RDP) 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 for promotion  in,
as well as which performance reports and decorations will  be  used  in  the
promotion consideration.  In addition, a 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.   This  also
includes a  decoration  that  was  disapproved  initially  but  subsequently
resubmitted and approved.

    b.  The decoration does not  meet  the  criteria  for  promotion  credit
during the 98E6 cycle because there is no tangible evidence  the  decoration
was placed into official channels prior to the date selections for the  98E6
cycle  were  made.   This  policy  was  initiated  28   February   1979   to
specifically  preclude  personnel   from   subsequently   (after   promotion
selections)  submitting  someone  for  a  decoration  with   a   retroactive
decoration effective date (close out) so as to put them over  the  selection
cutoff score.  Exceptions to the above policy are only considered  when  the
airman can support a previous submission with  documentation  or  statements
including conclusive evidence that the recommendation was officially  placed
in military  channels  within  the  prescribed  time  limit  and  conclusive
evidence  the  recommendation  was  not   acted   upon   through   loss   or
inadvertence.  In accordance with AFI 36-2803, paragraph  3.1  a  decoration
is considered to have been placed in official channels when  the  decoration
recommendation is signed by  the  initiating  official  and  indorsed  by  a
higher official in the chain of command.

    c.  Documentation included in  the  applicant's  case  file  reflects  a
recommendation package for the subject  AFCM  was  initiated,  there  is  no
indication the package was placed into official channel prior  to  the  time
selections for the 98E6 cycle were announced.  While they are acutely  aware
of the impact this recommendation has on the applicant's  career,  there  is
no tangible evidence  the  decoration  was  placed  into  official  channels
before  selections  for  the  98E6  cycle  were  made  as  they   previously
indicated.  To  approve  the  applicant's  request  would  not  be  fair  or
equitable to many others in the same situation who miss promotion  selection
by a narrow margin and  are  not  entitled  to  have  an  "after  the  fact"
decoration count in the promotion process. Therefore, they recommend  denial
of his request.

A complete copy  of  their  evaluation,  with  attachment,  is  attached  at
Exhibit D.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

On 14 December 1998, copies of the Air Force evaluations were  forwarded  to
the applicant for review and response within 30 days.  As of this  date,  no
response has been received by this office.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT:

1.    The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing  law  or
regulations.

2.    The application was timely filed.

3.    Sufficient relevant evidence has been  presented  to  demonstrate  the
existence of probable error or injustice.  In this  respect,  we  note  that
the applicant met the criteria for award of the AFCM while he  was  assigned
to  Headquarters  Air  Force  Special  Operations  Command;   however,   the
applicant’s Directorate  Chief  retired  after  ordering  the  DECOR  6  and
neglected to submit the award.  Upon realizing the mistake, the  applicant’s
present Directorate Chief reassessed applicant’s duty performance and  wrote
the AFCM.  Since the delay in the processing of the  award  was  through  no
fault of the applicant, and the actions performed were  completed  prior  to
selections being made for  cycle  98E6,  we  believe  the  award  should  be
considered  in  the  promotion  process  for  cycle  98E6.   Therefore,   we
recommend his records be corrected to the extent indicated below.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air  Force  relating
to APPLICANT, be corrected to show that the  Recommendation  for  Decoration
Printout for the Air  Force  Commendation  Medal,  Third  Oak  Leaf  Cluster
(AFCM, 3OLC) awarded for the period 31 October 1994 to 6 November 1997,  was
prepared on 6 December 1997, rather than 23 June 1998.

It  is  further  recommended  that  applicant   be   provided   supplemental
consideration for promotion to the  grade  of  technical  sergeant  for  all
appropriate cycles beginning with cycle 98E6.

If AFPC discovers any adverse factors during or subsequent  to  supplemental
consideration that are separate and  apart,  and  unrelated  to  the  issues
involved in  this  application,  that  would  have  rendered  the  applicant
ineligible for the  promotion,  such  information  will  be  documented  and
presented to the  board  for  a  final  determination  on  the  individual's
qualification for the promotion.

If  supplemental  promotion  consideration  results  in  the  selection  for
promotion to the higher grade, immediately after such promotion the  records
shall be corrected to show that applicant was promoted to the  higher  grade
on the date of rank established  by  the  supplemental  promotion  and  that
applicant is entitled to all pay, allowances, and benefits of such grade  as
of that date.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered this application in  Executive
Session on 19 August 1999, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

                  Mr. Thomas S. Markiewicz, Panel Chair
                  Mr. Grover L. Dunn, Member
                  Mr. Steven A. Shaw, Member
                  Ms. Phyllis L. Spence, Examiner (without vote)

All members voted to correct the records,  as  recommended.   The  following
documentary evidence was considered:



   Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 9 Nov 98, w/atchs.
   Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
   Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPRA, dated 17 Nov 98.
   Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPWB, dated 20 Nov 98, w/atchs.
   Exhibit E.  AFBCMR Letter, dated 14 Dec 98.




                                   THOMAS S. MARKIEWICZ
                                   Panel Chair




AFBCMR 98-03176




MEMORANDUM FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF

      Having received and considered the recommendation of the Air
Force Board for Correction of Military Records and under the authority
of Section 1552, Title 10, United States Code (70A Stat 116), it is
directed that:

      The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air
Force relating to APPLICANT be corrected to show that the
Recommendation for Decoration Printout for the Air Force Commendation
Medal, Third Oak Leaf Cluster (AFCM, 3OLC) awarded for the period 31
October 1994 to 6 November 1997, was prepared on 6 December 1997,
rather than 23 June 1998.

      It is further directed that applicant be provided supplemental
consideration for promotion to the grade of technical sergeant for all
appropriate cycles beginning with cycle 98E6.

      If AFPC discovers any adverse factors during or subsequent to
supplemental consideration that are separate and apart, and unrelated
to the issues involved in this application, that would have rendered
the applicant ineligible for the promotion, such information will be
documented and presented to the board for a final determination on the
individual's qualification for the promotion.

      If supplemental promotion consideration results in the selection
for promotion to the higher grade, immediately after such promotion
the records shall be corrected to show that applicant was promoted to
the higher grade on the date of rank established by the supplemental
promotion and that applicant is entitled to all pay, allowances, and
benefits of such grade as of that date.






            JOE G. LINEBERGER
            Director
            Air Force Review Boards Agency