RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2003-00095
            INDEX CODE:  131.00, 131.01

            COUNSEL:  NONE

            HEARING DESIRED:  NO

_________________________________________________________________


APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

She be considered for promotion to major by a Special Selection  Board
(SSB) for the CY02A Central Major Selection Board (P0402A).

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

The citation for her Air Force  Commendation  Medal,  First  Oak  Leaf
Cluster, (AFCM, 1OLC) was not in her Officer  Selection  Record  (OSR)
and it was not reflected on her Officer Selection Brief (OSB) when she
was considered for promotion by the P0402A selection board.

In support of her request, applicant submits a copy of a letter and an
e-mail from her former commander and copies of the AFCM 1OLC  citation
and  special  order.   The  applicant’s  complete   submission,   with
attachments, is at Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant’s Total Active Federal Military Service Date (TAFMSD) is
17 Feb 90.  She is currently serving on active duty in  the  grade  of
captain, with a date of rank of 25 Jul 94 and an effective date of  26
Jul 94.

Applicant's OPR profile, commencing with the report closing 2  May  95
follows:

            Period Ending    Evaluation

               2 May 95      Meets Standards (MS)
               2 May 96           MS
               2 May 97           MS
              29 Sep 97           MS
              29 Sep 98           MS
              15 Jun 99           MS
              15 Jun 00              MS
            # 15 Jun 01           MS
            ##15 Jun 02           MS

# Top report at the  time  she  was  considered  and  nonselected  for
promotion to major by the CY02A Central Major Selection  Board,  which
convened on 19 Feb 02.

## Top report at the time  she  was  considered  and  nonselected  for
promotion to major by the CY02B Central Major Selection  Board,  which
convened on 3 Oct 02.

The applicant was inadvertently  awarded  the  Air  Force  Achievement
Medal, Second Oak Leaf Cluster, by Special Order GJ-086,  dated  4 Sep
02.  This special order was amended by Special Order GJ-019, dated  15
Nov 02, awarding her the Air Force Commendation Medal, First Oak  Leaf
Cluster, (AFCM 1OLC) for meritorious service from 28 Oct 97 to 31  Oct
01.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

HQ AFPC/DPPPO, recommends the application be denied.  DPPPO  disagrees
with the applicant’s contention that  her  AFCM  1OLC  decoration  was
missing from her Officer Selection Record (OSR) when it met the  CY02A
(19 Feb 02) selection board.  Although the period  of  the  decoration
was through 31 Oct 01, the corrected orders were not  published  until
15 Nov 02.  Thus, her record did not contain the citation, nor was  it
reflected in the Military Personnel Data System (MilPDS).  AFI 36-2803
directs forwarding citations and special orders within 30 days of  the
date the  special  orders  are  published.   The  decoration  was  not
required to be updated in the MilPDS and on file in her  record  until
15 Dec 02.  In reviewing the documents in the applicant’s  OSR,  DPPPO
noted that the AFCM citation, for the period 28 Oct 97 to 31  Oct  01,
erroneously reflects “Second Oak Leaf Cluster” instead of  “First  Oak
Leaf Cluster.”  The applicant should forward the correct citation  for
filing in her OSR.  The HQ AFPC/DPPPO evaluation, with  attachment  is
at Exhibit C.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to applicant on 7 Mar
03 for review and response.  As of this date,  no  response  has  been
received by this office (Exhibit D).

_________________________________________________________________

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.   After  reviewing  the  applicant’s
submission and the evidence of  record,  we  are  persuaded  that  the
applicant may not have been fairly considered  for  promotion  by  the
CY02B Central Major Selection  Board.   The  letter  from  applicant’s
former commander leads us to believe that there was  a  delay  in  the
processing of the cited award, which ultimately hindered awarding  the
Air Force Commendation Medal (AFCM), First Oak  Leaf  Cluster  (1OLC),
and having it filed in the applicant’s selection record prior  to  the
convening of the CY02B selection board.  Had the initial orders, dated
4 Sep 02, been correct in awarding the applicant the AFCM 1OLC  rather
than the Air Force Achievement Medal (AFAM), we believe  the  citation
for the AFCM 1OLC would have been  in  her  Officer  Selection  Record
(OSR)  when  she  was  considered  by  the  CY02B   selection   board.
Notwithstanding the above, we do not believe the evidence  supports  a
finding that the AFCM 1OLC would have been  approved  and  awarded  in
time to meet the CY02A (19 Feb 02) selection board.  While  it  cannot
be conclusively determined what impact the omission of the  award  may
have had on the applicant’s promotion opportunity when  considered  by
the CY02B selection board, we believe any doubt in this case should be
resolved in her favor.  In view of the  foregoing,  we  recommend  the
applicant’s 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 the citation  for  the
Air Force Commendation Medal, First Oak  Leaf  Cluster,  covering  the
period 28 October 1997 to 31 October 2001, was accepted  for  file  in
her Officer Selection Record on or before 3 October 2002.

It is further recommended that she be considered for promotion to  the
grade of major by a Special Selection  Board  for  the  CY02B  Central
Major Selection Board with the corrected record.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the  Board  considered  this  application  in
Executive Session on 10 Apr 03, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

                  Ms. Olga M. Crerar, Panel Chair
                  Mr. James W. Russell III, Member
              Ms. Cheryl Jacobson, Member

All members  voted  to  correct  the  records,  as  recommended.   The
following documentary  evidence  was  considered  in  connection  with
AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2003-00095.

   Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 18 Sep 02, w/atchs.
   Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
   Exhibit C.  Letter, HQ AFPC/DPPPO, dated 3 Mar 03.
   Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 7 Mar 03.




                                   OLGA M. CRERAR
                                   Panel Chair



AFBCMR BC-2003-00095




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 the citation for
the Air Force Commendation Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster, covering the
period 28 October 1997 to 31 October 2001, was accepted for file in
her Officer Selection Record on or before 3 October 2002.

      It is further directed that she be considered for promotion to
the grade of major by a Special Selection Board for the CY02B Central
Major Selection Board with the corrected record.




            JOE G. LINEBERGER
                                        Director
                                        Air Force Review Boards Agency