RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  98-03192
            INDEX NUMBER:  107.00

            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO

___________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

The  Recommendation  for  Decoration  Printout  (RDP)  date  for   the
Meritorious Service Medal (MSM), awarded for  the  period  11  January
1994 to 30 June 1997, be adjusted and that the MSM  be  considered  in
the promotion process for cycle 98E8 to Senior Master Sergeant.

In her rebuttal to the Air Force evaluations  (Exhibit  F),  applicant
submitted an amended application and requested that the  date  of  the
commander’s indorsement on the DECOR-6 (Recommendation for  Decoration
Printout) (RDP) be changed from 18 May 1998  to  23 October  1997  and
that the MSM be considered in the promotion process for cycle 98E8  to
Senior Master Sergeant.

___________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

The original recommendation for the MSM was withdrawn in violation  of
AFI  36-2803  and  without  the  commander’s  approval  or  knowledge.
Following an investigation by the commander and  first  sergeant,  she
was awarded the MSM on 2 July 1998.

In support of her request, applicant provided  her  expanded  comments
and documentation associated with award of the MSM and her  subsequent
request for supplemental consideration for promotion to the  grade  of
senior master sergeant, which was denied by the  Air  Force  Personnel
Center.  Also included were statements  from  her  former  rater,  her
commander who signed the recommendation for award of the MSM, and  her
first sergeant.  (Exhibit A)

___________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

Information extracted from the Personnel Data  System  (PDS)  reflects
applicant’s Total Active Federal Military Service Date (TAFMSD) as  13
November 1980.  She is currently serving on active duty in  the  grade
of master sergeant, with a projected promotion to the grade of  senior
master sergeant.


A resume of applicant’s APRs/EPRs, extracted from the PDS, follows:

     PERIOD CLOSING    OVERALL EVALUATION

       31 Dec 87 9
        3 Nov 88 9
       23 Nov 89 9
       23 Nov 90 (EPR) 5
       23 Nov 91 5
       23 Nov 92 5
       23 Nov 93 5
       23 Nov 94 5
       28 Sep 95 5
        9 Aug 96 5
        9 Aug 97 5
       30 Sep 98 5

Applicant was awarded the  MSM  for  meritorious  service  during  the
period 11 January 1994 to 30 June 1997, per Special Order G-102, dated
2 July 1998.  On 7 July 1998, the RDP date on the  special  order  was
changed from 15 October 1997 to 18 September 1997.

The Recommendation for Decoration (DECOR-6) provided by the applicant,
dated 18 September 1997,  reflects  that  her  supervisor  signed  the
recommendation on 23 September 1997; the  commander  of  the  Military
Personnel Flight (MPF) indorsed it on 13 May 1998; and  the  commander
indorsed the recommendation on 18 May 1998.

The applicant’s total weighed promotion score for the 98E8  cycle  was
647.34 and the score required for selection in her Control  Air  Force
Specialty Code (CAFSC) was 647.90.

___________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The  Awards  and  Decorations  Section,  AFPC/DPPPRA,  reviewed   this
application and recommended denial,  stating  the  applicant  did  not
state a date to which the RDP date should be changed  or  provide  any
justification for changing the RDP date.  Any additional changes would
not have any effect on the selection process, as the current RDP  date
of 18 Sep 97 is prior to the selection date  of  20  Feb  98.   DPPPRA
found no merit in this application.  (Exhibit C)

The Enlisted Promotion Branch, AFPC/DPPPWB, reviewed this  application
and recommended denial.

DPPPWB stated the MSM does not meet the criteria for promotion  credit
during  the  98E8  cycle  because  although  the  recommendation   for
decoration printout date is 18 Sep 97, it was not placed into official
channels (signed by the commander) until 18 May 98 - after  selections
were made on 20 Feb 98 for the 98E8 cycle.  Although the applicant  is
requesting the RDP date be changed to a date earlier than 18  Sep  97,
this would not made the decoration eligible to be considered  for  the
98E8 cycle.  This policy was  initiated  28  Feb  79  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  the  governing  Air
Force Instruction, 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.

After an extensive review  of  the  circumstances  of  this  case,  to
include the documentation the applicant  has  provided,  there  is  no
evidence the decoration was placed into official channels  before  the
date of selections for the 98E8 cycle.

The complete evaluation is at Exhibit D.

___________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

In support of her appeal, applicant provided an  additional  statement
from  her  squadron  commander  concerning  the  processing   of   the
recommendation for the MSM, as well  as  a  statement  from  her  wing
commander.

Applicant’s complete response, with attachments, is at Exhibit F.

___________________________________________________________________

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.   Based  on  the  evidence
provided, it appears that the recommendation for the MSM may have been
inadvertently or improperly removed from official channels.   In  this
regard, applicant’s commander, who was the final  approval/disapproval
authority for the award, indicated that  this  was  done  without  his
knowledge and that this action denied him the opportunity  to  act  on
the decoration before the promotion eligibility cutoff date (PECD) and
the date of selections for  the  98E8  promotion  cycle.   He  further
stated that if he had been given the chance and advised of all of  the
facts when the RDP was originally signed in September 1997,  he  would
have signed the RDP without hesitation, as he did in May 1998 when all
the facts were known.  Having no  reason  to  question  the  facts  as
stated by the applicant’s commander, we believe that any doubt  should
be resolved in the applicant’s favor and recommend that her records be
corrected as 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  (RDP)  (DECOR-6),  for  the  award  of  the
Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) covering the period 11 January 1994-30
June 1997, was signed by the commander on 23 October 1997, rather than
18 May 1998.

It  is  further  recommended  that  she   be   provided   supplemental
consideration for promotion to the grade of senior master sergeant for
all appropriate  cycles  beginning  with  cycle  98E8,  with  the  MSM
covering the period 11 January  1994-30  June  1997  included  in  her
record.

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 qualifications 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 she was promoted to the higher
grade on the date of rank established by  the  supplemental  promotion
and that he 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 22 April 1999, under the provisions  of  AFI  36-
2603:

      Mr. Henry Romo Jr., Panel Chair
      Mr. Steven D. Shaw, Member
      Mr. Timothy A. Beyland, Member

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

     Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 7 Nov 98, w/atchs.
     Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
     Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPRA, dated 2 Dec 98.
     Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPWB, dated 2 Dec 98, w/atch.
     Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MIBR, dated 21 Dec 98.
     Exhibit F.  Datafax from Applicant, dated 22 Feb 99, w/atchs.




                                   HENRY ROMO JR.
                                   Panel Chair



AFBCMR 98-03192




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 (RDP) (DECOR-6), for the  award
of the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) covering the period  11 January
1994-30 June 1997, was signed by the commander  on  23  October  1997,
rather than 18 May 1998.

      It is further directed that she be provided supplemental
consideration for promotion to the grade of senior master sergeant for
all appropriate cycles beginning with cycle 98E8, with the MSM
covering the period 11 January 1994-30 June 1997 included in her
record.

      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 qualifications 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 she was promoted to the
higher grade on the date of rank established by the supplemental
promotion and that he is entitled to all pay, allowances, and benefits
of such grade as of that date.




            JOE G. LINEBERGER
            Director
            Air Force Review Boards Agency