RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  02-01455
            INDEX CODE:  107.00  131.01

            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO


_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His records to include the award of the  Defense  Meritorious  Service
Medal (DMSM) citation for the period 18 May 1996 to      7 June  1999,
be considered for promotion to the  grade  of  lieutenant  colonel  by
Special Selection Board (SSB) for  the  Calendar  Year  2001B  (CY01B)
Central Lieutenant Colonel Selection Board.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

In August 2001, he reviewed his  Officer  Selection  Record  (OSR)  in
preparation for the CY01B  Lieutenant  Colonel  AF  Central  Selection
Board—his IPZ board.  Despite his efforts to ensure his  records  were
complete and accurate, a copy  of  his  1999  DMSM  citation  was  not
included in  his  “As  Met”  records  from  the  aforementioned  board
constituting a material error in his records.

In support of the appeal, applicant submits a copy of  the  1999  DMSM
citation.

Applicant's complete submission is attached at Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant is currently serving on  extended  active  duty  in  the
grade of major.

Applicant was considered and not selected for promotion to  the  grade
of lieutenant colonel by the CY01B Central Lieutenant Colonel Board.

Applicant’s Officer Performance Reports (OPRs) from 1996 through  2002
reflect meets standards on all performance factors.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPO states that the purpose of having a  citation  included  in
the record is not to allow board members to review the comments on the
citation, although they may do so if they are  so  inclined.   Rather,
the purpose is to make them aware of the level of the decoration.  The
military personnel data system (MilPDS), and consequently the  officer
selection brief (OSB), did reflect the DMSM.

Central boards  evaluate  the  entire  OSR  (including  the  promotion
recommendation   form,   officer    performance    reports,    officer
effectiveness  reports,  training  reports,  letters  of   evaluation,
decorations, and officer  selection  brief),  assessing  whole  person
factors such as job performance,  professional  qualities,  depth  and
breadth of  experience,  leadership,  and  academic  and  professional
military education.  Although the citation was not present in his  OSR
for the board’s review, the selection board  had  his  entire  officer
selection record at their disposal, including the OSB  reflecting  the
DMSM, during promotion consideration.  Additionally,  the  discrepancy
letter filed on top of the OSR would have indicated to  the  promotion
board there was a citation missing and the level  of  the  decoration.
They are  not  convinced  the  missing  citation  contributed  to  the
applicant’s promotion nonselection.  Therefore, they recommend  denial
of applicant’s request.

A complete copy of the evaluation is attached at Exhibit C.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Applicant reviewed the Air Force evaluation and states  that  he  does
not concur with the advisory opinion.  The fact that his DMSM citation
was not included in his OSR reflects that the board did not  have  his
entire OSR.  Secondly, DPPPO states  that  a  discrepancy  letter  was
placed on top of his OSR to indicate to the board that  this  citation
was missing.  This fact is immaterial to his  appeal.   In  fact,  the
very existence of a discrepancy letter could lead a  board  member  to
believe that he did not care  enough  about  the  selection  board  to
ensure  his  records  were  complete,  thus   potentially   negatively
affecting their evaluation of his record.   Finally,  he  takes  great
exception to DPPPO’s statement, “we  are  not  convinced  the  missing
citation  contributed  to  his  promotion  nonselection.”   While   he
realizes they are obligated to offer an opinion, the central selection
board, and the board alone, make the determination of who is  and  who
is not selected and the reasons for their decision.

He believes that his actions prior to the board to ensure his  records
were complete and correct, and the fact that the citation to his  1999
DMSM was not included in his “As Met” records, constituted a  material
error in his records, and  is  grounds  for  forwarding  his  complete
records to an SSB for consideration  to  lieutenant  colonel  (in-the-
zone).  He believes failure to do so would contradict the  letter  and
intent of governing Air Force directives and policies.

Applicant's  complete  response,  with  attachments,  is  attached  at
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 error or injustice warranting favorable action on the
applicant’s request for SSB consideration.  In this respect,  we  note
that the Air Force agrees that  his  OSR  did  not  contain  the  DMSM
citation for the period 18 May 1996 to 7 June 1999.  While  it  cannot
be conclusively determined whether or not the absence of  the  missing
citation  was  the  sole  reason  for  applicant’s  nonselection   for
promotion by the Board in question, a majority of the  board  believes
that it served to deprive him of full and fair consideration.  In view
of the foregoing and in an effort to  remove  any  possibility  of  an
injustice to the applicant, a majority of the  Board  recommends  that
his record,  to  include  the  missing  citation,  be  considered  for
promotion to the grade of lieutentant  colonel  by  Special  Selection
Board for the CY01B Central Lieutenant Colonel Selection Board.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the  Department  of  the  Air  Force
relating to APPLICANT,  to  include  the  citation  to  accompany  the
Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM) for the period 18 May 1996 to
7 June 1999, be considered for promotion to the  grade  of  lieutenant
colonel by Special Selection Board for the Calendar Year 2001B Central
Lieutenant Colonel Selection Board.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the  Board  considered  this  application  in
Executive Session on 27 August 2002, under the provisions of  AFI  36-
2603:



            Ms. Peggy E. Gordon, Panel Chair
            Mr. James W. Russell, III, Member
            Mr. Albert J. Starnes, Member

By a majority vote,  the  Board  voted  to  correct  the  records,  as
recommended.  Ms. Peggy Gordon voted to deny applicant's request,  but
does not  desire  to  submit  a  Minority   Report.    The   following
documentary evidence was considered:

      Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 25 Apr 02, w/atchs.
      Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
      Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPO, dated 28 Jun 02.
      Exhibit D.  Letter, AFBCMR, dated 9 Jul 02.
      Exhibit E.  Applicant’s Letter, dated 19 Jul 02, w/atchs.




                                   PEGGY E. GORDON
                                   Panel Chair



AFBCMR 02-01455
INDEX CODE:  107.00




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, to include the citation to accompany the Defense
Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM) for the period 18 May 1996 to 7 June
1999, be considered for promotion to the grade of lieutenant colonel
by Special Selection Board for the Calendar Year 2001B Central
Lieutenant Colonel Selection Board.







                             JOE G. LINEBERGER
                             Director
                             Air Force Review Boards
Agency