RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  02-00141
            INDEX CODE:  102.07, 107.00
            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  Not Indicated

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

1.  Her date of rank (DOR) be changed to 2 Jun 99, rather than 13 Jul 01.

2.  She be awarded the Air Force  Organizational  Excellence  Award  (AFOEA)
that was awarded to the U.S Air Force Academy  (USAFA)  classes  of  1995  -
1998.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

The basis for her discharge from  active  duty  on  6  Aug  99  was  medical
conditions that were diagnosed as permanent.  However, she  has  since  been
commissioned based on the absence of medical problems.  She  had  a  history
of hypothyroidism and was put on thyroid medication.  Her physician  stopped
her medication in order to treat a spider bite.  She had  not  been  on  the
medication for nearly 9 months prior  to  her  discharge.   Her  history  of
microhemauria has only been present since her spider bite in July 1998.   It
has not affected her  health  or  day-to-day  functions.   Her  symptoms  of
plexopathy did not reappear in April 1998.  The  symptoms  have  never  been
documented as reappearing and did not in any way  hamper  her  abilities  to
complete all training requirements for graduation.  While a series of  tests
done in August/September 1998 showed some deficiency in the  left  shoulder,
further evaluations done in November 2000 showed  no  deficiency.   She  was
put on antidepressant medication in order to help  her  sleep  better.   She
was only on the medication for 6 weeks.  At the time of her  discharge,  she
was not  on  any  antidepressant  medication.  In  November  2000,  she  was
reevaluated and given a clean bill of health.

She was a member of the Class of 1998 at the timeframe of the award  of  the
AFOEA and completed Combat Survival Training during  her  second  summer  at
the Academy.

In support of her request, applicant provided a copy of  her  Cadet  Medical
Evaluation Board (CMEB) report, extracts from her medical records, a  letter
from her physician, a recommendation for award of the MOVSM, a copy  of  the
AFAM, a copy of her USAFA transcript,  and  a  copy  of  her  DD  Form  214,
Certificate  of  Release  or  Discharge  from  Active  Duty.   Her  complete
submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant entered the USAFA Class of 1998 on 30 Jun 94.   On  1 Sep  95,
she was involved in an automobile accident and  sustained  injuries  to  her
left arm and shoulder.  In October 1995, she  underwent  a  CMEB.   She  was
placed in "turn back" status (not actively enrolled and  going  to  classes)
for recovery.  She resumed her studies in the summer  of  1996  joining  the
class of 1999.  She was hospitalized from  17  -  21  July  1998  for  groin
injuries secondary to an arthropod bite.  Following her hospitalization  she
developed disabling pain about  her  right  hip  and  groin  that  persisted
through her senior year at the Academy.  In October 1998, she was  diagnosed
with Adjustment Disorder.   She  underwent  another  CMEB  in  May  1999  to
determine her fitness for  commissioning.   The  CMEB  found  her  medically
disqualified  for  commissioning  due  to  arthropod  bite,  hypothyroidism,
osteoarthritis of the right hip, plexopathy of  the  left  upper  extremity,
thin basement membrane disease, and reactive depression.   She  was  allowed
to graduate with a Bachelor's degree from the  USAFA  without  a  commission
and was medically discharged on 6 Aug 99.

Subsequent  to  her  discharge,  she  obtained  satisfactory  physical   and
psychiatry evaluations.  She was  reevaluated  in  November  2000,  given  a
clean bill of health, and reentered the USAFA.  She graduated  in  2001  and
was appointed a second lieutenant Reserve of the Air Force on 13 Jul 01.

Her request to receive the  Military  Outstanding  Volunteer  Service  Medal
(MOVSM), the Air Force Achievement Medal (AFAM), and credit  for  completing
Combat Survival Training has been administratively corrected.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The BCMR Medical Consultant recommends denial.  The Consultant  states  that
her last year at the USAFA was  marked  by  the  requirement  for  extensive
medical care for a variety of conditions that posed ongoing  limitations  to
duty  and  raised  concern  regarding  her  fitness  for  commissioning  and
continued service.  The three  conditions  that  appeared  most  problematic
were left arm plexopathy, right hip girdle and groin  pain,  and  adjustment
disorder.  Her left brachial plexopathy injury incurred in a  motor  vehicle
accident in September 1996 resulted in  persistent  left  arm  weakness  and
coordination difficulties with certain  activities.   Although  a  September
1998 examination  revealed  significant  weakness  of  her  left  hand  grip
strength and forearm rotation, there was  no  clear  documentation  to  what
extent she was limited by this condition other than pain and  numbness.   In
the summer of 1998 her neurologist felt her defect had stabilized showing  a
fixed impairment that would interfere  with  activities  requiring  strength
and coordination of the left arm.  In  the  summer  of  1998  she  developed
disabling right hip girdle  and  groin  pain  associated  with  an  apparent
spider bite that continued  to  prevent  her  from  participating  in  cadet
physical training activities at the time of  graduation.   In  October  1998
during her senior year  she  was  diagnosed  with  adjustment  disorder.   A
psychiatry examination of  May  1999  confirmed  ongoing  symptoms  of  this
disorder and recommended a course of  treatments  with  antidepressants  and
states her condition as disqualifying.  The consultant notes  that  she  was
able to complete her course of study to graduate  and  receive  her  degree,
notably on the Dean’s and Commandant’s  Honor  list.   Her  disabling  right
girdle and groin  pain  could  have  been  due  to  loin  pain  syndrome  as
suggested by the consulting nephrologist.  Loin pain syndrome  is  a  poorly
defined disorder characterized by loin (groin) pain mainly in  young  women.
Patients with  loin  pain  syndrome  are  reported  to  have  a  psychologic
component to their symptoms and are more likely to have unexplained  somatic
symptoms, a history of an adverse psychological event  preceding  the  onset
of pain and a history of greater analgesic ingestion.

In view of the presence of multiple conditions interfering  with  activities
required of a cadet, a decision  regarding  fitness  for  commissioning  and
continued military service had to be made.  For cadets who have completed  2
years, the medical standards in AFI 48-123, Attachment 2 are used.  In  view
of the uncertainty of the cause of her  primary  disabling  condition  (pain
involving the groin, hip and sacroiliac area) and the prolonged  nature  and
lack of improvement over a considerable period of observation,  it  did  not
appear that she was going to improve in any reasonable period  of  time,  if
at  all.   Her  other  medical  conditions,  although  each  alone  are  not
necessarily unfitting, added to the overall picture  of  an  individual  who
was not fit for commissioning and continued military service.  The  decision
to medically discharge rather than commission her at the  time  was  clearly
proper.  The Medical Consultant evaluation is at Exhibit C.

AFPC/DPPAO recommends denial.   DPPAO  states  that  the  applicant's  Total
Active Federal Military Service  Date,  Total  Active  Federal  Commissioned
Service Date, Total Federal Commissioned Service Date,  and  pay  date  were
established correctly.  The DPPAO evaluation is at Exhibit D.

AFPC/DPPPOO recommends denial.  DPPPOO states that by  law,  a  graduate  of
the USAFA is originally appointed a second lieutenant  upon  graduation  and
is not entitled to any service credit.  There are no provisions  of  law  to
have a date of rank prior to the date of her initial  appointment  into  the
Air Force.  The DPPPOO evaluation is at Exhibit E.

AFPC/DPPPR recommends denial  of  her  request  to  add  the  AFOEA  to  her
records.  She is not eligible to share in any  unit  awards  while  a  cadet
since she did not graduate during  that  period  of  time.   The  USAFA  has
specifically stated that only cadets who graduated from the  Academy  during
1993 - 1999 are authorized to share in the unit awards.  Since she  did  not
graduate until 2001, she is not eligible for any unit awards earned  by  the
Academy during 1993 - 1999.  The DPPPR evaluation is at Exhibit F.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Copies of the Air Force evaluations were forwarded to  the  applicant  on  6
Feb 03 for review and comment 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 timely filed.

3.  Sufficient relevant evidence  has  been  presented  to  demonstrate  the
existence of error or injustice that would warrant award of the  AFOEA.   In
this respect, we note that the established criteria for award of  the  AFOEA
indicates that cadets from the graduating classes of 1993 through  1998  are
authorized to wear the AFOEM.  The applicant entered the USAFA in  1994,  as
a member of the graduating class of  1998.   However,  after  a  1995  Cadet
Medical Evaluation Board determination, she  was  temporarily  placed  in  a
"turn back" status until she was able to resume her  studies  in  1996  with
the graduating class of 1999.  The applicant was assigned  and  attached  to
the  graduating  class  of  1998  and  contributed  to   the   mission   and
accomplishments of that class, thus it is our opinion  that  she  should  be
authorized to wear the AFOEA.  Accordingly, we recommend  that  her  records
be corrected to the extent indicated below.

4.  Regarding her request  that  her  DOR  be  changed  to  2  Jun  99,  her
contentions are duly noted; however, we agree with the opinions of  the  Air
Force offices of primary responsibility that her DOR and service dates  were
computed correctly upon her graduation and that she is not entitled  to  any
service credit.  Therefore, we adopt their rationale as the  basis  for  our
conclusion that she has not been the victim of  an  error  or  injustice  in
this matter.  In the absence of persuasive  evidence  to  the  contrary,  we
find no compelling  basis  to  recommend  favorable  consideration  of  that
portion of her request.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air  Force  relating
to APPLICANT be corrected to  show  that  she  was  awarded  the  Air  Force
Organizational Excellence Award, in accordance with  Special  Order  GB-091,
dated 3 May 1995.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board  considered  Docket  Number  02-00141  in
Executive Session on 12 Mar 03, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

      Mr. Michael K. Gallogly, Panel Chair
      Mr. Gregory A. Parker, Member
      Ms. Brenda L. Romine, Member

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

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 16 Oct 01, w/atchs .
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, BCMR Medical Consultant, dated 9 May 02.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPPAO, dated 30 Aug 02, w/atch.
    Exhibit E.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPOO, dated 9 Oct 02.
    Exhibit F.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 23 Jan 03, w/atchs.
    Exhibit G.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 6 Feb 03.




                             MICHAEL K. GALLOGLY
                                             Panel Chair

AFBCMR 02-00141




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 she was awarded the Air
Force Organizational Excellence Award, in accordance with Special Order GB-
091, dated 3 May 1995.








  JOE G. LINEBERGER

  Director

  Air Force Review Boards Agency