RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER: 01-02559

            COUNSEL:  TEXAS VETS COMMISSION

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO


_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

The Air Force Commendation Medal, Second Oak  Leaf  Cluster  (AFCM,  2  OLC)
awarded for the period 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1999 be  considered  in  the
promotion process during cycle 00E7, and he be placed on  the  retired  list
in the grade of master sergeant.

_________________________________________________________________

THE APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

Had the processing of his AFCM, 2 OLC, not been  significantly  delayed  due
to command’s inattention to detail, the decoration would have been  approved
prior to selections for cycle 00E7 and  he  would  have  been  selected  for
promotion to the grade of master sergeant.

Despite his best efforts to remind his command of the need  for  expeditious
processing of the decoration,  it  was  not  done.   There  was  no  command
attention focused on the situation and it took  an  inordinately  long  time
for what should have been a routine matter.

In support of the appeal, applicant submits  a  statement  from  his  former
commander and supervisor, a letter from the Inspector General  (IG)  office,
and the orders and citation to accompany award of the AFCM, 2 OLC.

The applicant’s former commander states that due to a short notice  PCA  and
a turnover in unit personnel the decoration was not submitted  in  a  timely
manner.  A decoration Report of Individual Personnel  (RIP)  was  originally
ordered in September 1998 for a specific achievement that  was  incorporated
into the decoration awarded for his PCA which closed out in March 1999.

The applicant’s  former  supervisor  states  that  prior  to  the  applicant
departing on a Permanent Change of Assignment (PCA)  he  told  him  that  he
planned to retire within the year.  As such, rather than submitting him  for
an AFCM for PCA, he opted to defer this  so  that  his  gaining  unit  could
submit him for a  Meritorious  Service  Medal  (MSM)  upon  his  retirement.
However, after master sergeant selections were  released,  and  he  observed
that if an AFCM had been awarded, the applicant would  have  been  selected,
he submitted an AFCM recommendation on the applicant.  He never intended  to
withhold a decoration, but to enhance his  retirement  by  insuring  he  was
awarded an MSM.  Had he known the  applicant’s  intent  was  to  strive  for
promotion to the grade of master  sergeant,  he  would  have  submitted  the
decoration much earlier in the process.

Applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant enlisted in the Regular Air Force on 1 May  1980  and  entered
active duty.  He has been progressively promoted to the grade  of  technical
sergeant (E-6).

A  Recommendation  for  Decoration  Printout  (RDP)  was  prepared  on   the
applicant on 25 September 1998.

A Permanent Change of Assignment (PCA), effective 1 April  1999,  reassigned
the applicant from the Airborne Laser System Program  Office  to  the  377th
Civil Engineer Group.

On 11 April 2000, the applicant  applied  for  voluntary  retirement  to  be
effective 31 December 2000.

Promotion selections for cycle 00E7 were made on 31 May 2000  and  announced
on 8 June 2000.  The total weighted promotion score required  for  selection
in the  applicant's  Air  Force  Specialty  Code  (AFSC)  was  313.62.   The
applicant's total  weighted  promotion  score  was  311.66.   The  Promotion
Eligibility Cutoff Date (PECD) was 31 December 1999.

Headquarters Space and Missile Systems Center special  order  GG-190,  dated
15 December 2000, awarded the applicant the AFCM,  2  OLC,  for  meritorious
service during the period 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1999.  The AFCM is  worth
three points in the computation  of  a  member’s  total  weighted  promotion
score.

Effective 31 December 2000, the applicant was relieved from active duty  and
retired in the grade of technical sergeant (E-6) effective 1  January  2001.
He completed 20 years and 8 months of active service.

_________________________________________________________________





AIR FORCE EVALUATIONS:

AFPC/DPPPWB recommends the application be denied.   AFPC/DPPPWB  states,  in
part, that before a decoration is credited for a specific  promotion  cycle,
the close-out date of the decoration must be on or before the PECD, and  the
date of the RDP must be before the date  of  selections  for  the  cycle  in
question.  In  addition,  a  decoration  that  a  member  claims  was  lost,
downgraded, etc., must be fully documented and verified that it  was  placed
into official channels prior to  the  selection  date.   Exceptions  to  the
policy  are  only  considered  when  the  airman  can  support  a   previous
submission with documentation or statements  including  conclusive  evidence
that the recommendation was officially placed in  military  channels  within
the prescribed time limit and conclusive  evidence  the  recommendation  was
not acted upon through loss or  inadvertence.   There  is  no  evidence  the
decoration was submitted before the date of selections for cycle 00E7.

The AFPC/DPPPWB evaluation, with attachments, is at Exhibit C.

AFPC/DPPRRP states, in part, that if  the  Board  determines  the  applicant
should be promoted to the grade  of  master  sergeant  effective  1  October
2000, they will correct his records to reflect that he  held  the  grade  of
master sergeant on his last day of active duty and was retired in the  grade
of master sergeant effective 1 January 2001.

The AFPC/DPPPWB evaluation, with attachments, is at Exhibit D.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT’S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATIONS:

The applicant provided a response  and  an  additional  statement  from  his
former supervisor.

The applicant’s former supervisor states that  he  intended  to  submit  the
applicant for a decoration upon his PCA as evidenced by  the  Recommendation
for Decoration Printout (RDP), prepared prior to the  date  selections  were
made.

The applicant’s complete response, with attachments, is at Exhibit F.

_________________________________________________________________

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.  In this respect, we note that  in
support  of  the  appeal,  applicant  submits  statements  from  his  former
commander  and  supervisor.   These  statements  indicate   that   an   AFCM
recommendation package was initiated on the  applicant  in  September  1998;
however, due to a short notice PCA and a turnover  in  unit  personnel,  the
decoration was not submitted in a timely  manner.   In  view  of  this,  and
noting the statements from the applicant’s  chain  of  command,  we  do  not
believe he should be  penalized  because  the  original  recommendation  was
administratively delayed.  It appears that had the  original  recommendation
package not been untimely processed, it would have been  approved  prior  to
selections  for  cycle  00E7.   The  Chief  Inquiries/AFBCMR   Section   has
indicated that if the  decoration  had  been  considered  in  the  promotion
process  for  cycle  00E7,  the  applicant  would  have  been  selected  for
promotion, which would have been effective 1 October  2000.   Based  on  the
evidence provided, we find that the AFCM, 2 OLC, should have  been  included
in the promotion process for cycle 00E7 and that the applicant  should  have
subsequently retired  in  the  grade  of  master  sergeant.   Therefore,  we
recommend his 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:

      a.    The Recommendation for Decoration Printout  for  the  Air  Force
Commendation Medal, Second Oak Leaf Cluster (AFCM, 2 OLC)  awarded  for  the
period 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1999, was placed into official  channels  on
20 May 2000.

      b.    He was promoted to the grade of master sergeant,  effective  and
with a date of rank of 1 October 2000.

      c.    He was relieved from  active  duty  on  31  December   2000  and
retired in the grade of master sergeant effective 1 January 2001.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board  considered  Docket  Number  01-02559  in
Executive Session on 6 March 2002, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

                  Mr. Lawrence R. Leehy, Panel Chair
                  Mr. Mike Novel, Member
                  Mr. Thomas J. Topolski, Jr., Member




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

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 31 Aug 01, w/atchs.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPWB, dated 25 Sep 01, w/atchs.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPPRRP, dated 31 Oct 01, w/atchs.
      Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MIBR, dated 2 Nov 01.
      Exhibit F.  Letter, Applicant, dated 5 Dec 01, w/atchs.




                                   LAWRENCE R. LEEHY
                                   Panel Chair

AFBCMR 01-02559




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:

      a.    The Recommendation for Decoration Printout for the Air Force
Commendation Medal, Second Oak Leaf Cluster (AFCM, 2 OLC) awarded for the
period 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1999, was placed into official channels on
20 May 2000.

      b.    He was promoted to the grade of master sergeant, effective and
with a date of rank of 1 October 2000.

      c.    He was relieved from active duty on 31 December  2000 and
retired in the grade of master sergeant effective 1 January 2001.







JOE G. LINEBERGER

Director

Air Force Review Boards Agency