RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  01-01234
            INDEX NUMBER:  131.00

      XXXXXXXXXXX      COUNSEL:  None

      XXXXXXXXXXX      HEARING DESIRED:  No

_______________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

She  be  promoted  to  staff  sergeant  (SSgt)  effective   her   first
eligibility in 1998 (98E5 Cycle).

_______________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

She was selected for promotion to SSgt twice, but never promoted due to
weight problems and placement on the Weight Management  Program  (WMP),
problems that were later determined to be medical in nature  (diagnosed
with severe narcolepsy).

In support of her appeal, applicant has provided a copy of a  statement
in which her section commander had requested through  command  channels
that her promotion be reinstated due to inaccurate and incomplete  data
in her records.  He stated in his memorandum  that  the  applicant  was
diagnosed with narcolepsy in March  1999  and  that  medical  authority
stated that this condition and prescribed medication  were  responsible
for her weight fluctuation and was a major factor  in  her  ability  to
maintain Air Force weight standards.

Applicant’s complete submission is at Exhibit A.

_______________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant’s Total Active Federal Military Service Date (TAFMSD)  is
1 Apr 92.  A review of all  her  Enlisted  Performance  Reports  (EPRs)
indicates overall ratings of “5.”

The relevant facts pertaining to this application,  extracted  from
the applicant’s military records, are contained in  the  memorandum
prepared by the appropriate office of the Air Force.   Accordingly,
there is no need to recite these  facts  in  this  section  of  the
Record of Proceedings.

_______________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The BCMR Medical Consultant evaluated this application  and  recommends
that the applicant’s request be denied.

The applicant was filling a notable career when she developed signs and
symptoms of disorder dating from 1992, but more significantly in  1996,
that would eventually be diagnosed as narcolepsy and which  would  lead
to her discharge.  Also late in 1996/early 1997 she began  experiencing
weight fluctuations and was entered into the weight management  program
(WMP) in July 1997 and  subsequently  lost  two  promotion  selections.
Based on a letter written by her care  provider,  the  applicant  feels
that her weight fluctuations were the result of side effects of various
medications she was given in trials to control her narcolepsy, none  of
which she stayed on for any significant period of  time.   In  general,
the medications included stimulants,  which  have  effects  of  causing
weight loss rather than weight gain, and the brief time she was on  any
given medication very likely  had  no  effect  on  her  overall  weight
problem.  Even a trial on thyroid replacement therapy did  nothing  for
her weight situation and this was discontinued when it  was  determined
that she did not have a glandular dysfunction.  It is also noted on her
EPR closing out 9 Apr 98 that she was “making  excellent  progress”  on
the  WMP.   When  the  narcolepsy  became  unduly  problematic  in  her
workplace, she was presented to the disability evaluation system  where
the  recommendation  for  separation  was  made  and  rebutted  by  the
applicant to the Secretary of the Air Force Personnel Council who, on 8
November  1999,  concurred  with  the  earlier  Board  in  finding  the
disability rated no more than 20 %.

There is no factual evidence that the applicant’s weight problems  were
in  any  way  related  to  her  prescribed  medications.   Indeed,  the
medications would have had an overall  effect  to  cause  her  to  lose
weight.  It is also noted that the applicant weighed 154 pounds at  the
time of a physical examination in 1993 and her enlistment weight of 138
pounds was within 10 pounds of her  maximum  allowable  of  146.    All
indications are that the applicant had a long-standing  weight  problem
that  was  unrelated  to  her  diagnosed  narcolepsy  or  any  of   the
medications she was prescribed.

The complete evaluation is at Exhibit C.

The Chief, Inquiries/AFBCMR Section also evaluated this application and
recommends denial of the applicant’s request.

Individuals who are making unsatisfactory progress on  the  Weight  and
Body Fat Management Program (WBFMP) are  automatically  ineligible  for
promotion  consideration  in  accordance  with  applicable  Air   Force
instructions.  If a member is making  unsatisfactory  progress  on  the
WBFMP on or after the Promotion Eligibility Cutoff Date (PECD) for  the
respective cycle, they are ineligible for the entire cycle.   When  the
applicant made unsatisfactory progress on the WMP on  13  Nov  98,  she
became automatically ineligible for promotion.  Her  section  commander
subsequently requested reinstatement of her selection that  was  to  be
effective  1  Apr  99.   This  request  was  based  on  inaccurate  and
incomplete data in her records (her inability to meet weight  standards
based on her medical condition and prescribed medication).   The  Staff
Judge Advocate  reviewed  the  request  and  did  not  concur  and  the
promotion selection was not reinstated.

The applicant was subsequently selected for promotion to SSgt  for  the
next cycle, 99E5.  Her projected promotion would have been effective  1
Feb 00, not 1 Dec 99 as reflected in her Chronological List of  Events.
On 8 Nov 99, however, the applicant was found to  be  physically  unfit
for continued service by the  Secretary  of  the  Air  Force  Personnel
Council (SAFPC) and directed  to  be  discharged  with  severance  pay.
SAFPC’s  determination  automatically  rendered  her   ineligible   for
promotion IAW AFI 36-2502, Table 1.1, Rule 7, irrespective of the  fact
that her name was on a promotion list, and resulted in her discharge in
the grade of senior airman (SrA).

The complete evaluation is at Exhibit D.

_______________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Copies of the Air Force evaluations were mailed to the applicant on  27
Jul 01 for review and comment within 30 days.  To date, a response  has
not been received.

_______________________________________________________________

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.  We  were  persuaded  by  the
efforts of the applicant’s commander  at  the  time  to  reinstate  her
promotion.  Of significant note is his statement that had he been aware
of the applicant’s medical problems, he would never  have  entered  her
into the  weight  management  program.   Although  the  AFBCMR  Medical
Consultant opines that the applicant’s weight problems  were  unrelated
to her medication and  diagnosed  narcolepsy,  the  treating  physician
during the actual timeframe states that the applicant was  on  multiple
medications  from  December  1996  forward   that   may   have   caused
fluctuations in her weight. These conflicting views create  doubt  that
we believe should be resolved in favor of the applicant.  Therefore, we
recommend that the record 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:

        a.  She was promoted to the grade of staff sergeant (SSgt)  (E-
5) with a date of rank and effective date of 1 April 1999.

        b.  She was discharged on 18 January 2000 under  the  authority
of AFI 36-3212 in the grade of SSgt vice senior airman (E-4).

_______________________________________________________________

The following members of  the  Board  considered  this  application  in
Executive Session on 5 September 2001, under the provisions of AFI  36-
2603:

      Mr. Gregory H. Petkoff, Panel Chair
      Mr. Clarence D. Long, III, Member
      Ms. Nancy W. Drury, Member

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

     Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 20 Mar 01, w/atchs.
     Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
     Exhibit C.  Memorandum, BCMR Medical Consultant,
                 dated 29 May 01.
     Exhibit D.  Memorandum, AFPC/DPPPWB, dated 21 Jun 00
                 w/atchs.
     Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MIBR, dated 27 Jul 01.




                                   GREGORY H. PETKOFF
                                   Panel Chair



AFBCMR 01-01234




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 XXXXXXXXXX, XXX-XX-XXXX, be corrected to show
that:

            a.  She was promoted to the grade of staff sergeant  (SSgt)
(E-5) with a date of rank and effective date of 1 April 1999.

            b.  She  was  discharged  on  18  January  2000  under  the
authority of AFI 36-3212 in the grade of SSgt vice senior airman (E-4).






            JOE G. LINEBERGER
            Director
            Air Force Review Boards Agency