RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBERS:  01-01763
            INDEX CODE 107.00
            COUNSEL:  None

            HEARING DESIRED:  No


_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

Award of the Aircraft Maintenance Badge  (AMB),  the  Air  Force  Good
Conduct Medal (AFGCM), the Air Force Achievement Medal (AFAM), and the
NCO Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon (NCO PMEGR).

[In his rebuttal (Exhibit G), the applicant withdrew his  request  for
the AFGCM and the AFAM. The NCO PMEGR  was  administratively  granted.
The applicant still asks for the AMB.]

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

The reasons the applicant believes the  records  to  be  in  error  or
unjust and the evidence submitted in support  of  the  appeal  are  at
Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant entered active duty on 19 Nov 81. He received an Article
15 on 11 Jun 84 for driving a passenger car while drunk at Kadena  AB,
Japan. Punishment was reduction from the grade of airman  first  class
to airman with 14 days of extra  duty.  The  reduction  was  suspended
until 27 Nov 84. Award of the AFGCM for the period ending  11  Jun  84
was denied. On 20 Feb 85, the applicant was selected for reenlistment.
On 16 Apr 86, award of the AFGCM for the period ending 20 Mar  86  was
denied; however, the available military records do not  indicate  why.
The applicant was released from active duty in the grade  of  sergeant
and transferred to the Air Force Reserves upon expiration of his  term
of active obligated service on 18 Jun 86.

He enlisted in the District of Columbia Air National Guard (DCANG)  on
13 Aug 87 and  was  released  in  the  grade  of  staff  sergeant  and
transferred to the Army National Guard on 14 Feb 90. He  is  currently
serving on active duty with the US Army in the grade of captain.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

HQ AFPC/DPPPR addressed only the NCO PMEGR  and  AFGCM  issues.   They
advised that the applicant is entitled to the  NCO  PMEGR,  which  has
been administratively added to his DD Form 214. He was advised of this
administrative correction by letter dated 16 Jul 01. However,  he  was
denied the AFGCM for the period 2-11 Jun 84, with a new start date  of
12 Jun 84, and again for the period 18 Nov 86-20 Mar 86 [sic]  with  a
new start date of 21 Mar 86. Therefore, he did not  have  3  years  of
exemplary service to qualify for that award.  Denial of the  AFGCM  is
recommended.

A complete copy of the evaluation, with attachments, is at Exhibit C.

HQ AFPC/DPSFM advises that the applicant previously held  the  Avionic
Inertial and Radar navigation Air Force Specialty Code from Nov 81  to
Jun 86. They could not find any documentation  certifying  eligibility
for awarding the AMB. The badge did not exist prior to 8 Aug  86  (the
effective date of AFR 900-66 which governed award of the AMB)  and  no
criteria had been established for award of the  badge  prior  to  that
date. Additionally, when the Air Force created new occupational badges
in 94 for all career fields, there were no provisions  made  to  award
them retroactively. Denial is recommend.

A complete copy of the evaluation is at Exhibit D.

ANG/DPFP indicates that neither the military  personnel  flight  (MPF)
nor  the  state  headquarters  was  able  to   provide   documentation
substantiating the applicant's claim for the AFAM.  The state also was
unable to locate anyone, current or former guardsmen, who  had  direct
knowledge of the  applicant's  contributions  for  the  AFAM.  Federal
decorations are not an inherent right but are  intended  to  recognize
superior performance or achievements. Denial is recommended.

A complete copy of the evaluation is at Exhibit E.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The applicant withdrew his requests for the AFGCM and  the  AFAM,  and
acknowledges the administrative correction regarding  the  NCO  PMEGR.
However, he contends he is eligible for the AMB.

A complete copy  of  applicant’s  response,  with  attachment,  is  at
Exhibit G.

_________________________________________________________________

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 error or injustice to warrant relief.  We  note  that
the NCO PMEGR was awarded administratively and the applicant  withdrew
his request for the AFGCM and the AFAM.  Therefore, the only remaining
issue  for  this  Board’s  consideration  pertains  to  the  AMB.   HQ
AFPC/DPSFM advises that  the  applicant’s  Air  Force  Specialty  Code
(AFSC) from Nov 81 to Jun 86 did not apply and the AMB did  not  exist
prior to 8 Aug 86. However, according to the NGB Form 22 submitted  by
the applicant, he served in the DCANG from 13 Aug 87 until 14 Feb  90,
after the AMB  was  created.  His  primary  AFSC  was  45551C-Avionics
Guidance and Control Systems Specialist. A Member of this Panel who is
familiar with the criteria for the AMB  advised  that  this,  together
with the applicant's grade and experience with F-4E and F-16 aircraft,
appears to make him eligible for the AMB.  We  therefore  believe  the
applicant should be given the benefit of the  doubt  and  awarded  the
AMB.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the  Department  of  the  Air  Force
relating to APPLICANT, be corrected to show that he  was  awarded  the
Aircraft Maintenance Badge on 13 Feb 90.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of  the  Board  considered  this  application  n
Executive Session on 7 May 2002 under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

                 Mr. Vaughn E. Schlunz, Panel Chair
                 Mr. Grover L. Dunn, Member
                 Mr. George Franklin, Member

The following documentary evidence relating to AFBCMR Docket Number 01-
01763 was considered:

   Exhibit A.  DD Form 149 (3), dated 19 Jun 01, w/atchs.
   Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
   Exhibit C.  Letter, HQ AFPC/DPPPR, dated 7 Sep 01, w/atchs.
   Exhibit D.  Letter, HQ AFPC/DPSFM, dated 5 Oct 01.
   Exhibit E.  Letter, ANG/DPFP, dated 11 Feb 02.
   Exhibit F.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 8 Mar 02.
   Exhibit G.  Letter, Applicant, dated 23 Mar 02.




                                   VAUGHN E. SCHLUNZ
                                   Panel Chair





AFBCMR 01-01763




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 he was awarded the
Aircraft Maintenance Badge on 13 February 1990.





   JOE G. LINEBERGER

   Director

   Air Force Review Boards Agency