RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  99-00187
            INDEX CODE:  134.00

            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  YES



_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

The Air Education and Training Command (AETC)  Form  125A,  Record  of
Administrative Training Action, dated 6 Oct 98  be  removed  from  his
record.
_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

He would like the AETC Form 125A removed from his records so  that  he
could reapply for Officer Training School (OTS).

He is a former UH-60 flight  instructor  and  Chief  Warrant  Officer,
having completed over 9 years of service in the  United  States  Army.
In 1997, he applied for a position as a helicopter pilot  in  the  Air
Force.  After being accepted by the Special Flying Programs Office, he
then applied to attend OTS and was accepted to  attend  class  99-02B,
beginning on 28 Sep 98.  He simultaneously applied for the position of
Special Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  After one
week in the OTS program, the FBI applicant  coordinator  informed  him
that he could expect to attend the academy within a couple of  months.
Due to time and availability  constraints,  he  had  to  make  a  very
difficult  decision,  fast  (USAF  vs.  FBI)  -  he  chose  the   FBI.
Unfortunately, on 19 Dec  98,  he  received  a  letter  from  the  FBI
rescinding his conditional  appointment  and  that  he  would  not  be
attending the FBI  Academy.   After  receiving  this  information,  he
contacted the Special Flying Programs Office to explain the  situation
and his intense desire to still serve as an Air  Force  officer.   The
Helicopter Assignments Officer and the Special Flying Programs  office
recommended  approval  of  his  accession  waiver;  however,  it   was
disapproved by the approval authority.

He is a good  officer  and  his  military  background,  education  and
dedication to duty and country will prove to be valuable assets to the
Air Force if his request is granted.

In support of his request, applicant submits a personal statement  and
a copy of a letter from the FBI (Exhibit A).

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant was a member of the United States Army from  29  Nov  90
until his honorable discharge in the grade of chief warrant officer on
27 Sep 98.  He was assigned the primary specialty code of 153DC (UH-60
Pilot).  The applicant had completed 7 years, 9 months and 29 days  of
active service at the time of his separation from the U.S. Army.

Applicant enlisted in the Regular Air Force  in  the  grade  of  staff
sergeant (E-5) on 28 Sep 98 and was voluntarily  ordered  to  extended
active duty (EAD) for a period  of  120  days.   He  was  assigned  to
Officer Training School (OTS), Maxwell AFB, AL, to  attend  OTS  Class
9902B, beginning 28 Sep 98, in AFSC 11H2E  (helicopter  pilot)  for  a
period of 13.5 weeks.

On 5 Oct 98, the applicant  submitted  a  request  for  Self-Initiated
Elimination (SIE) from OTS.  His request  was  approved  by  the  24th
Training Squadron commander on 7 Oct 98.  On 7 Oct 98,  the  applicant
was  honorably  discharged  from  the  Regular  Air  Force  under  the
provisions of  AFI  36-3208  (Failure  to  Complete  Commissioning  or
Warrant Program).  He had completed a  total  of  10  days  of  active
service at the time of his discharge.

The relevant facts pertaining to this application are contained in the
letter  prepared  by  the  appropriate  office  of  the   Air   Force.
Accordingly, there is no need to recite these facts in this Record  of
Proceedings.
_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The commander, 24th Training Squadron, AETC 24TS/CC, stated  that  the
applicant left OTS at the  earliest  possible  date  to  pursue  other
interests.  He clearly indicated  on  his  Self-Initiated  Elimination
(SIE) letter that  he  no  longer  wished  to  deal  with  the  unique
challenges of military life.  Selection to OTS is very competitive and
only two of ten qualified applicants  are  selected  to  attend  Basic
Officer Training.  The applicant voluntarily left OTS after only seven
training days.  His actions prove he neither has the  commitment,  nor
dedication,  to  complete  this   challenging   program.    By   Self-
Eliminating, he also took a training slot away from another  qualified
applicant who could have completed OTS.  The AETC  24TS/CC  stands  by
the 6 Oct 98 recommendation that the applicant “not be considered  for
reinstatement into this course at a later date.”   He  strongly  urges
the Board to deny the applicant’s request for removing the  AETC  Form
125A (Exhibit C).
_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The applicant reviewed the advisory opinion and indicated that he  was
proud and excited to be a student at the Officer Training  School  and
was eagerly looking forward to the challenges, not only  of  OTS,  but
also of becoming an Air Force officer.  When he was notified  (4  days
after he began OTS) of  an  impending  FBI  academy  class  date,  his
decision became more difficult.  After consulting with his spouse, and
some of his OTS flight mates, he made the decision to leave OTS for  a
career with the FBI.  This was, without a doubt,  the  most  difficult
decision he has ever had to make, and is the one moment in his  life’s
history that he would change, if he could.

When he wrote his memorandum for Self-Initiated Elimination (SIE),  he
did not express himself in the manner he had hoped.  While it is  true
that a career with the FBI would allow him to spend more time with his
family, his intent was to illustrate the differences between  the  two
lifestyles.  Statement three on his SIE request states that  he  fully
realizes that the SIE request may preclude him from obtaining  further
training leading to a  commission,  it  does  not  say  that  it  will
“prohibit” future training or even a return to OTS.

He is a qualified  and  experienced  military  officer,  aviator,  and
flight  instructor  in  the  Blackhawk  (H-60)  helicopter.   He   was
originally brought into the Air Force by  the  Helicopter  Assignments
Officer at the AFPC during their attempt to transfer qualified  pilots
from the other services.

He has provided additional documents in support of his request,  which
include a statement from the  former  Helicopter  Assignments  Officer
(Major Douglas G---).  A complete copy of this response is appended at
Exhibit E.
_________________________________________________________________

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 injustice.  In this  respect,  we  reviewed  the
circumstances of this case and noted the  statement  from  the  Chief,
Special Flying Programs, who  supports  the  applicant’s  request  and
believes “he would be a valuable,  experienced  and  highly  motivated
asset for the Air Force.”  Taking into consideration  the  applicant’s
outstanding military record and the support  from  the  individual  in
charge of the Helicopter Pilot Interservice Transfer Program,  we  are
convinced that the applicant would be a  valuable  asset  to  the  Air
Force and therefore should be provided another chance to serve the Air
Force.  In view of the foregoing, we recommend the  applicant’s  self-
initiated  elimination  request  from  the  OTS  program,   with   all
attachments, be removed from his record.  We believe  this  correction
will render the applicant eligible to reapply for the OTS  program  as
he so indicated.  In addition, we note that since the age  requirement
for pilot and navigator training has been changed from 27½ to 30 years
of age, effective 1 October 1999, approval of an age  waiver  for  the
applicant is unnecessary.
_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the  Department  of  the  Air  Force
relating to APPLICANT be corrected to show that the  AETC  Form  125A,
Record of Administrative Training Action, approved on 7 October  1998,
with attachments, be declared  void  and  removed  from  his  military
record.
_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the  Board  considered  this  application  in
Executive Session on 13 July 1999, under the  provisions  of  AFI  36-
2603:

                  Ms. Cathlynn Sparks, Panel Chair
                  Dr. Gerald B. Kauvar, Member
              Mr. George Franklin, Member

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

   Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 12 Jan 99, w/atchs.
   Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
   Exhibit C.  Letter, AU (AETC), 24TS/CC, dated 19 Mar 99,
               w/atchs.
   Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MIBR, dated 12 Apr 99.
   Exhibit E.  Letters from applicant, dated 14 Apr 99, w/atchs,
               and 30 Apr 99, w/atch.




                                   CATHLYNN SPARKS
                                   Panel Chair



AFBCMR 99-00187




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 AETC Form
125A, Record of Administrative Training Action, approved on 7 October
1998, with attachments, be, and hereby is, declared void and removed
from his military record.




            JOE G. LINEBERGER
                                        Director
                                        Air Force Review Boards Agency