RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  01-01221
            INDEX CODE:  110.02
            COUNSEL:  American Red Cross

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

Her undesirable discharge be upgraded to honorable.
_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

She entered the Air Force with a verbal agreement from  her  recruiter  that
she would be assigned to a medical  unit.   However,  upon  entry,  she  was
assigned to a communications job.  Against the directions of her  commander,
she attempted  to  retrain  into  the  medical  field  through  the  medical
commander which led to  her  being  reprimanded  and  receiving  Article  15
punishment.  After a  hearing of her grievances, the  Formal  Faculty  board
eventually approved her request for reassignment  into  the  medical  field.
While she was waiting for orders she was continually  being  called  on  the
carpet for minor infractions and was eventually offered a fast  way  out  of
the Air Force with an undesirable discharge.   In retrospect,  she  believes
that the work she did while in the service was excellent and feels that  she
should have done things differently, however, she would have  still  pursued
assignment in the medical field.

In support of her request applicant provided personal statements;  character
reference statements; her Formal Faculty  board  proceedings;  and,  her  DD
Form  214,  Armed  Forces  of  the  United  Stated  Report  of  Transfer  or
Discharge.  Her complete submission is at Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

Applicant enlisted in the Regular Air Force on 2  November  1955.   She  was
progressively promoted to the grade of airman third class.   On  8  November
1956, she received an undesirable discharge from the  Air  Force  under  the
provisions of AFR 39-17 after serving 1 year and 7  months  active  military
service.

Additional 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.

Examiner’s note: Pursuant to the Board’s request for information, the FBI
indicated that, on the basis of the evidence provided, they  were  unable
to locate an arrest record pertaining to the applicant.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The Assistant NCOIC, Separation  Procedures  Section,  AFPC/DPPRS,  reviewed
applicant’s request and states that based on the documentation in the  file,
they believe the discharge was consistent with  procedural  and  substantive
requirements  of  the  discharge  regulation  and  was  within   the   sound
discretion of the discharge authority.  The applicant has not  provided  any
new evidence or identified any errors or injustices  that  occurred  in  the
discharge processing.  However, considering the discharge was over 44  years
ago and the type of offenses  committed,  clemency  is  recommended.   DPPRS
recommends that the  discharge  be  upgraded  to  general  (under  honorable
conditions)(see Exhibit C).

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the applicant on 15  Jun
00 for review and response within 30 days.  As of  this  date,  this  office
has received no response.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT:

1.  The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided  by  existing  law  or
regulations.

2.  The application was not timely filed; however, it is in the interest  of
justice to excuse the failure to timely file.

3.  Sufficient relevant evidence  has  been  presented  to  demonstrate  the
existence of probable injustice.   In  spite  of  the  multiplicity  of  the
offenses alleged against her, it is our opinion  that  the  characterization
of her service as less than honorable was excessively  harsh.   In  view  of
the evidence provided, we believe that she has been a productive  member  of
society since her discharge and that it would be an  injustice  for  her  to
continue  to  suffer  the  adverse  effects  of  an  undesirable  discharge.
Therefore on the basis of clemency, we believe an upgrade of  her  discharge
to general (under honorable  conditions)  is  warranted.   Her  request  for
upgrade to honorable was considered; however, based on her  overall  record,
we  do  not  believe  that  a  fully  honorable  discharge   is   warranted.
Accordingly 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  8  November  1956,  she  was
discharged  with  service  characterized   as   general   (under   honorable
conditions).

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered this application in  Executive
Session on 15 Aug 01, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

      Mr. Joseph G. Diamond, Panel Chair
      Mr. Grover L. Dunn, Member
      Mr. John E. B. Smith, Member

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

     Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 8 Nov 76, w/atchs.
     Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
     Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPRS, dated 21 May 01.
     Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MIBR, dated 15 Jun 01.




                                  JOSEPH G. DIAMOND
                                  Panel Chair


AFBCMR 01-01221




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 on  8  November  1956,  she  was
discharged  with  service  characterized   as   general   (under   honorable
conditions).









  JOE G. LINEBERGER

  Director

  Air Force Review Boards Agency