RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:                       DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2002-02908
                                       INDEX CODE:  107.00
      XXXXXXXXXXXXXX                    COUNSEL: NO

      XXXXXXXXXXXX                           HEARING DESIRED:  NO

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His closeout date for his Air Force Commendation Medal with First  Oak  Leaf
Cluster (AFCM/1OLC) be changed from 31 January 2001 to 10 December 2000.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

The original closeout date of his AFCM was changed from 10 December 2000  to
31  January  2001,  without  his  supervisor’s  knowledge,  to  prevent  the
squadron from turning in a late report to the group and wing.

In support of his application, the applicant provides a copy of  his  DÉCOR-
6, Request for Decoration Printout  (RDP),  documents  associated  with  his
AFCM processing, copies of his  four  Enlisted  Performance  Reports  (EPRs)
within the time period of the decoration, memos from his squadron and  group
commanders recommending the injustice  be  corrected,  and  a  copy  of  his
AFCM/1OLC citation.  The applicant’s complete  submission  with  attachments
is at Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

Data extracted from the personnel data system reflects  that  the  applicant
contracted his initial enlistment in the Regular Air  Force  on  1  February
1988.  He  has  been  progressively  promoted  to  the  grade  of  Technical
Sergeant (TSgt), having assumed that grade effective  and  with  a  date  of
rank of 1 November 2002.

The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application, extracted  from
the applicant’s military records, are contained in the letters  prepared  by
the appropriate offices of the Air Force at Exhibits C and D.

_________________________________________________________________




AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPR recommends disapproval.   The  applicant  has  not  provided  any
documentation showing that his request was submitted through  administrative
channels to the final  approval  authority  for  determination,  even  after
DPPPR requested that he provide such documentation in their letter dated  26
September 2002.  DPPPR recommends the applicant submit his  request  through
proper  administrative  channels,  to  the  final  approval  authority   for
determinations of his request.

The DPPPR evaluation with attachment is at Exhibit C.

AFPC/DPPPWB defers to the recommendation of AFPC/DPPPR.  It is implied  that
if the applicant’s request is approved, he wishes to  apply  the  decoration
points  toward  his  weighted  scores  for  promotion   cycle   01E6.    The
applicant’s total weighted promotion score for the  01E6  cycle  was  309.72
and the score required for selection in his Air Force Specialty Code  (AFSC)
was 312.34.  If the decoration (worth three  points)  were  counted  in  the
applicant’s total score, he would normally become a selectee  for  promotion
pending a favorable data verification check and the recommendation from  his
commander.  However,  current  Air  Force  promotion  policy  (AFI  36-2502,
Airman Promotion Program, Table 2.2, Rule 5, Note 2) dictates that before  a
decoration is credited for a specific promotion cycle, the closeout date  of
the DÉCOR-6, must be on or before  the  Promotion  Eligibility  Cutoff  Date
(PECD), and the date of the DÉCOR-6, must be before the date  of  selections
for the cycle in question.  The PECD for cycle 01E6 was  31  December  2000.
Additionally, when a decoration is contested,  it  must  be  documented  and
verified showing that it was placed into  official  channels  prior  to  the
selection  date.   This  policy  was  initiated  to  specifically   preclude
personnel from subsequently (after promotion selections) submitting  someone
for a decoration with a retroactive decoration effective date (closeout)  so
as to put him or her over the selection cutoff score.  Promotion  selections
for this cycle were made on 29 May 2001 with a  public  release  date  of  7
June 2001.

Exceptions to the above 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.   A
decoration  is  considered  in  official  channels   when   the   decoration
recommendation is signed by  the  initiating  official  and  indorsed  by  a
higher official in the chain of command.   Records  indicate  the  commander
signed the applicant’s DÉCOR-6, with inclusive dates  2  August  1997  -  10
December 2000,  on  21  November  2000.   However,  the  special  order  and
citation indicates the closeout date as 31 January  2001.  Although  it  was
evident by the  commander’s  signature  on  the  DÉCOR-6  that  it  was  his
intention to award the citation for the period 2 August 1997 -  10  December
2000, the fact remains this  decoration  does  not  meet  the  criteria  for
promotion credit during the 01E6 cycle because it closed out after the  PECD
(31 December 2000).  There is no evidence to indicate  the  applicant  tried
to correct the closeout date of the decoration until June 2002,  well  after
the selections were announced (7 June 2001)  and  he  discovered  he  missed
promotion by less than three points.

If the closeout date of the AFCM should be changed to 10 December  2000,  it
would  not  entitle  the  applicant  to  automatic  supplemental   promotion
consideration for promotion cycle 01E6  since  the  change  would  not  have
taken place until after selections for this cycle were made (29  May  2001).
He would only be provided supplemental  consideration  if  directed  by  the
Board.   As  a  matter  of  information,  the  applicant  was  selected  for
promotion to TSgt for cycle 02E6 with a DOR of 1 November 2002.

The DPPPWB evaluation, with attachment, is at Exhibit D.
_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the  applicant  on  22
November 2002 for review and response (Exhibit E).  As of this date,  this
office has received no response.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT:

1.  The applicant has not exhausted all remedies provided  by  existing  law
or regulations.

2.  The application was timely filed.

3.  Insufficient relevant evidence has been  presented  to  demonstrate  the
existence of error or injustice.  The  recommendation  for  the  applicant’s
AFCM (lst OLC) was approved by  the  award  approving  authority,  the  wing
commander, on 24 January 2001 with a closeout  date  for  the  award  of  31
January 2001.  We note the support by the  applicant’s  squadron  and  group
commander to change the award inclusive dates; however, without evidence  of
support from the award approving authority, we concur with  the  opinion  of
the Air Force  office  of  primary  responsibility.   Should  the  applicant
obtain approval  and  support  for  his  request  from  the  award  approval
authority,  we  suggest  he  pursue  the  matter  through  his   appropriate
administrative channels for correction before again petitioning  this  Board
for an additional review.  In view of the foregoing, we  have  no  basis  on
which to favorably consider the applicant’s request.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT:

The applicant be notified that the evidence presented  did  not  demonstrate
the existence of material error  or  injustice;  that  the  application  was
denied without a personal appearance; and that the application will only  be
reconsidered upon the submission of newly discovered relevant  evidence  not
considered with this application.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered this application in  Executive
Session on 2 April 2003, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

      Mr. Edward C. Koenig III, Panel Chair
      Ms. Brenda L. Romine, Member
      Mr. Thomas J. Topolski, Member

The following documentary evidence was considered in connection with  AFBCMR
Docket No. BC-2002-02908:


    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 29 Aug 02, w/atchs.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 4 Nov 02.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPWB, dated 7 Nov 02.
    Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 22 Nov 02.




                                   EDWARD C. KOENIG III
                                   Panel Chair