RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  99-00265
            INDEX CODE:          131.00

            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO



APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

The Air Force Commendation Medal, First  Oak  Leaf  Cluster  (AFCM,  1  OLC)
awarded for the period 28 March 1995 to 20 October 1997,  be  considered  in
the promotion process for cycle 98E6.


APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

A Recommendation for Decoration Printout (RDP)  was  prepared  on  16 August
1997 and  the  recommendation  package  was  placed  in  official  channels;
however, through no fault of her own, the recommendation was  misplaced/lost
within the squadron and was not submitted for approval until 14 July 1998.

The applicant states that after searching for  the  recommendation  all  the
way up her chain of command, the recommendation package was found in a  desk
drawer of an individual who had been reassigned Permanent Change of  Station
(PCS).  The recommendation package was submitted and  approved  as  written.
However, her request for supplemental  promotion  consideration  was  denied
based on a misunderstanding that the request for decoration was  resubmitted
after the Promotion Eligibility Cutoff Date (PECOD).

In support of the appeal, applicant submits a statement from  her  commander
and a copy of the RDP.

The applicant’s commander states that after the applicant was  selected  for
an assignment, an RDP was  requested  on  the  applicant  and  a  decoration
recommendation  was  submitted.   However,  prior   to   approval   of   the
recommendation,  the   applicant’s   assignment   was   canceled.    Shortly
thereafter, AFPC notified them that applicant’s  assignment  was  reinstated
and a second RDP was requested.  While waiting for the  RDP  to  be  signed,
the applicant outprocessed.   Due  to  a  major  administrative  error,  the
accountability of the second  AFCM  package  was  lost  and  never  properly
submitted for approval.

The 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 (E-5).

On 16 August 1997,  a  Recommendation  for  Decoration  Printout  (RDP)  was
prepared on the applicant.

On 4 September 1997, the RDP was signed by the applicant’s supervisor.

Promotion selections for cycle 98E6 were made on 20 May 1998  and  announced
on 4 June 1998.  The total weighted promotion score required  for  selection
in the  applicant's  Air  Force  Specialty  Code  (AFSC)  was  337.27.   The
applicant's total  weighted  promotion  score  was  335.19.   The  Promotion
Eligibility Cutoff Date (PECD) was 31 December 1997.

On  14  July  1998,  the  commander  signed  the  RDP  and   submitted   the
recommendation for approval, with a letter explaining  the  late  submission
of the recommendation.

43rd Mission Support Squadron, Special Order  G-197,  dated  7 August  1998,
awarded the applicant the Air  Force  Commendation  Medal,  First  Oak  Leaf
Cluster (AFCM, 1 OLC) for the period 28 March 1995 to 20 October 1998.   The
AFCM  is worth 3 points in the  computation  of  a  members  total  weighted
promotion score.

43rd Mission Support Squadron, Special Order G-200,  dated  11 August  1998,
amended special order 197 to reflect inclusive dates of 28 March 1995 to  20
October 1997.

43rd Mission Support Squadron, Special Order G-201,  dated  12 August  1998,
amended special order G-197 to reflect an RDP date of 16 August 1997.

A similar request was considered and denied AFPC on 29 October 1998.

For a decoration to be eligible for consideration in a promotion cycle,  the
close-out date of the decoration must be on or  before  the  PECD,  and  the
date of the RDP must be before the date  of  selections  for  the  cycle  in
question.

Since the recommendation was not submitted until after selections for  cycle
98E6 were made, the decoration was not considered in the  promotion  process
for cycle 98E6.


AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The  Chief,  Awards  and  Decorations  Section,  AFPC/DPPPR,  reviewed   the
application and states the recommendation package was submitted in a  timely
manner, and the decoration was approved and  awarded  within  the  specified
time limit.  The initial orders were amended twice, to correct the  closeout
date  and  the  RDP  date  of  the  decoration.   The   approval/disapproval
authority has taken all possible steps to ensure the decoration was  awarded
within the required time limits  and  all  the  information  on  the  orders
correct.  There are no further corrections to be  made  to  the  decoration.
Therefore, they recommend denial of applicant’s request.

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

The Chief, Inquiries/AFBCMR Section, AFPC/DPPPWB, reviewed  the  application
and states 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  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.   Documentation  states  the
second AFCM package was lost and  never  properly  submitted  for  approval.
Therefore, the package was being resubmitted. 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. Therefore, they recommend denial of her request.

A complete copy of the Air Force evaluation is attached at Exhibit D.


APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

In support of the applicant’s request, her First  Sergeant  has  provided  a
statement indicating the commander’s letter clearly states  the  intent  was
there to recommend the applicant  for  the  decoration  prior  to  promotion
selections for cycle 98E6; however, administrative errors  caused  the  late
submission.   As  such,  the  applicant  should  not  be   penalized.    The
recommendation was definitely not an  after-the-fact  decoration  since  the
initiator signed the RDP prior to the date of selections for cycle 98E6.

The First Sergeant’s statement, with attachments, is attached 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.   The  applicant’s  commander  has
provided a statement indicating that after the applicant  was  selected  for
an assignment, an RDP was requested  and  a  decoration  recommendation  was
submitted.   However,  prior  to  approval  of   the   recommendation,   her
assignment was canceled.  Shortly thereafter, her assignment was  reinstated
and a second RDP was requested.  However, while waiting for the  RDP  to  be
signed, the applicant outprocessed and  due  to  administrative  error,  the
second AFCM package was lost and never properly submitted for  approval.  On
7 August 1998, the applicant was awarded the decoration. Since the delay  in
the processing of the decoration was through no fault of the applicant,  and
in view of the comments of her commander, we believe  the  award  should  be
considered  in  the  promotion  process  for  cycle  98E6.   Therefore,   we
recommend her 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 on 19 May 1998, she was awarded  the
Air Force Commendation Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster (AFCM, 1 OLC)  for  the
period 28 March 1995 to 20 October 1997.

It is further recommended that she 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 she was promoted to the higher grade on  the
date of rank established by the  supplemental  promotion  and  that  she  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 5 October 1999, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

                  Mrs. Barbara A. Westgate, Panel Chair
                  Mr. Edward H. Parker, Member
                  Mr. Patrick R. Wheeler, Member
                 Mr. Phillip E. Horton, Examiner (without vote)

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

      Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 19 Jan 99, w/atchs.
      Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
      Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 1 Feb 99, w/atchs.
      Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPWB, dated 4 Feb 99, w/atch.
      Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MIBR, dated 22 Feb 99.
      Exhibit F.  Letter, 32nd AOS/CCF, dated 4 Jun 99, w/atchs.




                                  BARBARA A. WESTGATE
                                  Panel Chair







AFBCMR 99-00265




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            , be corrected to show that on 19 May 1998, she was
awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster (AFCM, 1
OLC) for the period 28 March 1995 to 20 October 1997.

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





                                        JOE G. LINEBERGER
                                        Director
                                        Air Force Review Boards Agency