RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS
IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: 99-03262
INDEX NUMBER: 107.00
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX COUNSEL: None
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX HEARING DESIRED: No
___________________________________________________________________
APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:
The Air Force Commendation Medal (AFCM) he was awarded for
permanent change of station (PCS) with a closeout date of
1 June 1999 be changed to an extended tour award with a closeout
date of 1 December 1998.
___________________________________________________________________
APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:
His supervisor submitted him for an extended tour AFCM in August
1998 with a closeout date of 1 December 1998.
He found out in December 1998 that the award recommendation was
being held to be submitted as a PCS award. He then got his
immediate chain of command involved and got an agreement to have
the award changed back to the original closeout date of
1 December 1998. He did not realize that this was not done until
4 June 1999 when he received the results of his test for promotion
to Technical Sergeant (TSgt) (E-6). Since he missed the promotion
cutoff score by .54, he checked to see if his decoration had been
updated. It had not.
The applicant’s complete submission is at Exhibit A.
___________________________________________________________________
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
Information taken from the Personnel Data System reflects the
applicant’s Total Active Federal Military Service Date as 4 Dec 86.
The applicant is currently serving on active duty in the grade of
SSgt with a date of rank and effective date of 1 Nov 95.
A resume of the applicant’s Enlisted Performance Reports follows:
Period Closing Overall Evaluation
12 Jul 91 4
12 Jul 92 4
12 Jul 93 3
12 Jul 94 5
14 Jan 95 5
24 Nov 95 5
24 Nov 96 5
24 Nov 97 5
24 Nov 98 5
02 May 99 5
02 May 00 5
The applicant tested for promotion to TSgt during cycle 99E6 and
scored .43 of a point below the cutoff. An AFCM is worth 3
weighted promotion points.
___________________________________________________________________
AIR FORCE EVALUATION:
The Awards and Decorations Section, AFPC/DPPPR, evaluated this
application. They recommend denial of the applicant’s request.
The applicant and his supervisor state that sometime in Aug 98, the
applicant’s supervisor ordered a Request for Decoration (RDP) in
order to award the applicant an Extended Tour Decoration with a
closeout date of 1 Dec 98. On 29 Dec 99, AFPC/DPPPR requested that
the applicant provide a copy of the RDP and a copy of the response
from the original approval/disapproval authority. The applicant
stated that an official copy of the RDP could not be located and he
was also not able to provide a copy of the response from the
original approval/disapproval authority. Therefore it cannot be
verified that a request to change the closeout date was, in fact,
submitted to the original approval/disapproval authority for
determination.
The complete evaluation is at Exhibit C.
The Inquiries/BCMR Section, AFPC/DPPPWB, also evaluated this
application.
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 closeout date of the decoration and
the date of the RDP must be on or before the promotion eligibility
cutoff date (PECD). The PECD for the promotion cycle in question
was 31 Dec 98. In addition, a decoration that a member claims was
lost, downgraded, etc., must be verified and fully documented that
it was placed into official channels prior to the selection date.
AFPC/DPPPWB defers to the recommendation of AFPC/DPPPR and supports
their recommended denial.
The complete evaluation is at Exhibit D.
___________________________________________________________________
APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:
Copies of the Air Force evaluations were forwarded to the applicant
on 17 March 2000 for review and comment within 30 days. As of this
date, this office has not received a response.
__________________________________________________________________
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 Board was
persuaded by the support provided to the applicant from his rating
chain that action was initiated before 1 December 1998 to change
the award from a Permanent Change of Station award to an Extended
Tour award. Although, the applicant was not able to produce a copy
of the RDP, it is not conclusive that an RDP was not requested. We
feel that any doubt should be resolved in favor of the applicant.
Accordingly, we recommend that the 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 closeout date
for award of the Air Force Commendation Medal (AFCM) was 1 December
1998, rather than 1 June 1999; that the Recommendation for
Decoration Printout (RDP) (DÉCOR-6) date was 1 August 1998, rather
than 29 January 1999; and that the award was an Extended Tour
decoration, rather than a Permanent Change of Station decoration.
It is further recommended that he be provided supplemental
consideration for promotion to the grade of technical sergeant (E-
6) beginning with cycle 99E6 with the AFCM covering the period 2
December 1992 to 1 December 1998 included in his 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 he 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 31 May 2000, under the provisions of AFI 36-
2603:
Ms. Rita S. Looney, Panel Chair
Mr. Roger E. Willmeth, 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, 5 Dec 99, w/atchs.
Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
Exhibit C. Memorandum, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 18 Feb 00.
Exhibit D. Memorandum, AFPC/DPPPWB, dated 24 Feb 00, w/atchs.
Exhibit F. Letter, SAF/MIBR, dated, 17 Mar 00.
RITA S. LOONEY
Panel Chair
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