RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2002-02877

                       COUNSEL:  NONE

                       HEARING DESIRED:  NO


_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

He be considered for promotion to the grade of lieutenant  colonel  by
Special Selection Board (SSB) for the Calendar Years 2000A (CY00A) and
2001B Lieutenant  Colonel  Selection  Boards  with  the  inclusion  of
Professional Military Education on his corrected  officer  performance
reports (OPRs) closing out 17 June 1999 and 17 June 2000.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

The Evaluation Reports Appeals Board (ERAB) approved his  request  for
correction  of  two  OPRs.   The  correction  entailed  changing   PME
recommendation from “ISS” to “SSS” in both his June 1999 and June 2000
OPRs.  However, the ERAB denied  his  request  for  SSB  consideration
since they determined that the corrections were not significant enough
to warrant reconsideration.  He contends that the corrections made are
significant enough to  have  made  a  difference  in  these  promotion
boards.

In support of his appeal, the applicant submits a  copy  of  the  ERAB
decision, copies of corrected 1999 and 2000 OPRs, and  the  guide  for
writing effective OPRs and PRFs.

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

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

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

On 25 July 2002, the Evaluation Reports Appeal Board  (ERAB)  approved
the applicant’s request to change “ISS” to read “SSS” on the June 1999
and June 2000 OPRs. However, the request for Special  Selection  Board
(SSB) promotion consideration was disapproved.   The  changes  to  the
contested reports were not significant enough to warrant a  review  by
the SSB.

Applicant was considered but not selected for promotion to  the  grade
of lieutenant colonel by the CY00A and CY01B Central Selection Boards.


_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPO  recommended  denial  and  states  that  although  the  PME
recommendation on the applicant’s 17 June 1999 and June 2000 OPRs  was
incorrect, his officer selection brief (OSB) reflected  completion  of
ISS in 1997.  As such, we believe the board was  able  to  distinguish
the difference between the information on the OSB, and  the  incorrect
information reflected on the OPRs.

There is no clear evidence that the incorrect  PME  recommendation  on
his OPRs  negatively  impacted  his  promotion  opportunity.   Central
boards evaluate the entire officer selection  record  assessing  whole
person factors such as job performance, professional qualities,  depth
and breadth of experience, leadership, and academic  and  professional
military education.  The selection  board  had  his  entire  selection
record that clearly outlined his accomplishments  since  the  date  he
came on active duty. We are not convinced  this  administrative  error
caused the applicant’s nonselection  for  promotion.   Therefore,  SSB
consideration is not warranted.

AFPC/DPPPO complete evaluation is attached at Exhibit C.

_________________________________________________________________


APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The applicant reviewed the Air Force evaluation and stated that  there
is  no  way  to  determine  whether   or   not   the   incorrect   PME
recommendations affected his promotion  opportunity  without  granting
his request for SSB.  Officers promotions  (especially  at  the  field
grade levels) is a  highly  selective  process  where  promotions  are
granted to the “best qualified” not just the “qualified.”  Making  the
differentiation between selects and nonselects is extremely difficult.
 Based upon feedback from past board members  and  commanders,  career
mentoring  sessions  AFPC  briefings  and  OPR  writing  training,  he
contends that a promotion  board  would  not  view  inappropriate  PME
recommendations as simple administrative errors;  rather,  they  would
see these errors as a message of  less  than  full  support  from  his
rater.  Such a perspective could easily make  the  difference  between
“above the line” for promotion versus “below the line.”

_________________________________________________________________
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 an error or injustice.  The Board  took  note  that  the
Evaluation Reports  Appeal  Board  ammended  the  applicant's  Officer
Performance Reports closing 17 June 1999 and 17 June 2000  to  reflect
the proper PME recommendation of "SSS", but denied his request for SSB
 promotion consideration.  While we cannot state with  certainty  that
the inaccurate PME recommendations in the original OPRs were the cause
of the applicant’s nonselections for lieutenant colonel, we do believe
it may have prevented him from receiving full and  fair  consideration
by the promotion boards.  Therefore, to offset any possibility  of  an
injustice, we recommend he be given  consideration  by  SSB  with  the
amended OPRs in his records.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the  Department  of  the  Air  Force
relating to APPLICANT, be corrected  to  show  that  his  records,  to
include the amended Officer Performance Reports closing 17  June  1999
and 17 June 2000 reflecting a recommendation of "SSS" in  Sections  VI
and VII,” be considered for  promotion  to  the  grade  of  lieutenant
colonel by Special Selection Board for the Calendar  Years  2000A  and
2001B Central Lieutenant Colonel Selection Boards.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered Docket  Number  02-02877
in Executive Session on 25 March 2003, under the provisions of AFI 36-
2603:

            Mr. Robert S. Boyd, Panel Chair
            Ms. Ann-Cecile McDermott, Member
            Mr. James A. Wolffe, Member

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

      Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 30 Aug 02, w/atchs.
      Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
      Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/DPPPO, dated 12 Dec 02.
      Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 3 Jan 03.
      Exhibit E. Applicant's Response, dated 23 Jan 03.



                                   ROBERT S. BOYD
                                   Panel Chair
AFBCMR 02-02877




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 his records, to
include the amended Officer Performance Reports closing 17 June 1999
and 17 June 2000 reflecting a recommendation of "SSS" in Sections VI
and VII, be considered for promotion to the grade of lieutenant
colonel by Special Selection Board for the Calendar Years 2000A and
2001B Central Lieutenant Colonel Selection Boards.





      JOE G. LINEBERGER
      Director
      Air Force Review Boards Agency