RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:            DOCKET NUMBER:  01-00360
                 INDEX CODE:  131.01
                 COUNSEL:  NONE

                 HEARING DESIRED:  NO

___________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His Joint Service Commendation Medal (JSCM) (3 OLC) for the period 2 Sep  95
through 3 Oct 98 be counted for promotion cycle 00E7.
___________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

The decoration was not counted towards his promotion points for cycle  00E7.
 It was submitted into official channels prior to the promotion  eligibility
cut off date (PECD) of 31 Dec 99, but was not acted upon or finalized  in  a
timely  manner.   Had  the  decoration   been   properly   processed   after
submission, he would have received the decoration before the PECD  date  and
would have been selected for promotion.  His total promotion score  for  the
00E7 cycle was 320.28 and the score required for selection in his  specialty
was 321.13.  He had no control over the administrative procedures,  but  has
been penalized because of them.

In support of his request, the  applicant  provided  a  personal  statement,
copy of the JSCM  citation,  and  documents  related  to  the  events  under
review.  The applicant’s submission is at Exhibit A.

___________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant contracted his initial enlistment in the Regular Air Force  on
9 February 1984.  He has continued to serve on  active  duty,  entering  his
most recent enlistment on 7 February 2000, when he reenlisted for  a  period
of four years.  He is currently serving in the grade of technical  sergeant,
having been promoted to that grade with an effective  date  and  a  date  of
rank of 20 December 1996.

The relevant facts  pertaining  to  this  application,  extracted  from  the
applicant's military records, 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 Inquires/AFBCMR Section, AFPC/DPPPWB, indicates that current  Air  Force
promotion policy 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
DÉCOR-6, Recommendation for Decoration Printout (RDP), must  be  before  the
date of selections for the cycle in question.  The PECD  for  the  promotion
cycle in question was 31 December 1999.  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.  Official  channels  is  defined  as  the  first  indorsement  to  the
decoration recommendation -- usually the commander’s indorsement.

DPPPWB states that this decoration does not meet the criteria for  promotion
credit during the 00E7 cycle because  there  is  no  tangible  evidence  the
decoration was placed into official channels prior to 31 May  00,  the  date
selections for the 00E7 cycle were made.  As documented by HQ  AIRNORTH  the
recommendation met the decoration board on 7 Jul 00 and the Permanent  Order
207-05, is dated 25 Jul 00.  The applicant’s request to have the  decoration
included in the promotion process for this cycle as an exception  to  policy
was disapproved by the Promotion Management Section at AFPC. DPPPWB  concurs
with that action and recommends the applicant’s current  request  be  denied
(Exhibit C).

___________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Applicant reviewed the Air Force evaluation and  reiterated  and  elaborated
on his initial contentions.  He further contends that his request is not  an
“after the fact” decoration, but rather a valid timely submission that,  due
to no fault of his own,  was  not  processed  in  a  timely  manner.   After
submitting the decoration and having been told that it  would  be  processed
and approved, he did not pursue the matter any further as he had full  trust
in the system and continued to do  his  job  to  the  best  of  his  ability
(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   error   or   injustice.    After   reviewing   the
documentation submitted and in particular the letter  from  the  applicant’s
former commander/supervisor, we believe  that  the  intent,  direction,  and
desire of the applicant’s immediate chain of command was to have  the  award
placed into proper channels in sufficient time to be considered in the  00E7
promotion cycle.  We are also of the opinion that  the  untimely  processing
of the decoration was beyond the applicant’s control.  In view of the  above
and in order to resolve any injustice to the applicant,  we  recommend  that
his records be corrected in the following manner.
_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air  Force  relating
to APPLICANT be corrected to show that his Joint Service Commendation  Medal
(JSCM) (3 OLC) for the period 2 September 1995 through 3  October  1998  was
placed into official channel on 1 May 2000.

It is further recommended that he  be  provided  supplemental  consideration
for promotion to the grade of master sergeant for promotion cycle 00E7.

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 this 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 any 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 11 April 2001, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

      Mrs. Barbara A. Westgate, Chair
      Mrs. Carolyn J. Watkins, Member
      Mr. Clarence D. Long, III, Member

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

     Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 17 Jan 01 w/atchs.
     Exhibit B.  Applicant’s Master Personnel Records
     Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPWB, dated 20 Feb 01 w/atchs.
     Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MIBR, dated 9 Mar 01.
     Exhibit E.  Applicant’s Response, dated 19 Mar 01.



                                  BARBARA A. WESTGATE
                                  Chair
AFBCMR 01-00360




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 Joint Service
Commendation Medal (JSCM) (3 OLC) for the period 2 September 1995 through 3
October 1998 was placed into official channels on 1 May 2000.

It is further directed that he be provided  supplemental  consideration  for
         promotion to the grade of  master  sergeant  for  promotion  cycle
         00E7.

      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 this 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 any 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.








  JOE G. LINEBERGER

  Director

  Air Force Review Boards Agency