RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2004-02411
            INDEX NUMBER:  131.00
      XXXXXXX    COUNSEL:  None

      XXXXXXX    HEARING DESIRED:  No

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

It appears the applicant is requesting promotion consideration to  the
grade of colonel by special selection board (SSB) beginning  with  the
CY02B Colonel Central Selection Board with the opportunity to write  a
letter to each board explaining his lack of  opportunity  to  complete
senior service school/senior defense education (SSS/SDE).

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

The following issues were not  readily  assessable  by  the  promotion
board and were not taken into account during primary promotion boards:

        a.  The level of TDY and deployment requirements he was tasked
with along with the operational  tempo  at  his  permanent  assignment
exceeded the duties performed by other lieutenant colonels (Lt Col).

        b.  Although he was a  candidate  for  attendance  to  SSS  in
residence, he was  denied  the  opportunity  to  attend  due  to  some
combination of TDY and formal neglect or negligence.

In support of his appeal, applicant provides a letter of support  from
his wing commander and submits a five-page statement detailing his TDY
history and how it impacted his ability to complete SSS.

The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is  at  Exhibit
A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant entered active duty  on  11  Mar  82  and  is  presently
serving in the grade of lieutenant colonel.  He was considered and not
selected for promotion to the grade of colonel by the CY02B (3 Dec 02)
and CY03B (27 Oct 03) Colonel Central Selection Boards.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPO recommends denial of  the  applicant’s  request.   Eligible
officers meeting a board have the option to submit  a  letter  to  the
board president addressing any matter of record concerning  themselves
they believe is important to their consideration  for  promotion.   In
this case, the applicant felt it was important to convey to the  board
members the reasons for his noncompletion of SSS/SDE, so  it  was  his
responsibility to ensure the letter was filed in his record  prior  to
the boards convening.  AFI 36-2501, paragraph 6.3.2.2 states, “Do  not
have an SSB if, by exercising reasonable diligence, the officer should
have discovered the error or omission and could have taken  corrective
action  before  the  originally  scheduled   board   convened.”    The
applicant’s records did not contain an error or omission warranting an
SSB.

The complete evaluation is at Exhibit C.

AFPC/DPAO defers to the recommendation made  by  AFPC/DPPPO  regarding
the applicant’s request.  The applicant  was  eligible  to  take  non-
resident Air War College (AWC) starting in 1997.  He enrolled  in  AWC
at least twice but was disenrolled for failure to complete  it  within
the required timeframe.  AWC records do not reflect he  requested  any
extensions, which are often given as a  result  of  deployments.   The
applicant was eligible to compete for in-residence attendance  to  SSS
from 1999 to 2003, but was not selected.  Many officers are faced with
juggling duty and  developmental  education  with  deployments.   Most
officers are not afforded  the  opportunity  to  attend  developmental
education in residence so they take the nonresidence version.  Records
reflect there were two other officers assigned to the same wing as the
applicant who were able to  accomplish  AWC  by  correspondence  while
serving as full-time squadron commanders during  the  same  period  of
high ops tempo.

The complete evaluation is at Exhibit D.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Copies of the Air Force evaluations were forwarded to the applicant on
22 Oct 04 for review and comment within 30 days.  To date, a  response
has not been received.

_________________________________________________________________

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 probable error or injustice.  Although it  appears
the applicant may have had time to complete SDE,  the  majority  of
the Board notes he has his commander’s support for approval of  his
request.  Additionally, the applicant  has  provided  a  compelling
account of the circumstances and reasons he has failed to  complete
SDE.  As such, the majority of the  Board  believes  he  should  be
given an opportunity to write letters  to  the  president  of  each
board he was considered for  promotion  to  the  grade  of  colonel
beginning  with  the  CY02B  Colonel   Central   Selection   Board.
Therefore, the majority of the  Board  recommends  his  records  be
corrected as indicated below.

___________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the Department of the  Air  Force
relating to APPLICANT,  be  considered  for  promotion  by  special
selection board (SSB) to the grade of colonel  beginning  with  the
CY02B Colonel Central Selection Board, provided  he  exercises  his
option to write a letter to the president of each  promotion  board
that has previously considered him for promotion to  the  grade  of
colonel.

___________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered this  application  in
Executive Session on 7 December 2004, under the provisions  of  AFI
36-2603:

      Mr. Richard A. Peterson, Panel Chair
      Mr. Patrick C. Daugherty, Member
      Mr. James W. Russell, III, Member

By majority vote, the  Board  voted  to  correct  the  records,  as
recommended.  Mr. Russell voted to deny, but did not want to submit
a  minority  report.   The  following  documentary   evidence   was
considered:

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 26 Jun 04, w/atchs.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Memorandum, AFPC/DPPPO, dated 7 Oct 04.
    Exhibit D.  Memorandum, AFPC/DPAO, undated.
    Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 22 Oct 04.




                                   RICHARD A. PETERSON
                                   Panel Chair

AFBCMR BC-2004-02411


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 XXXXXXX, XXXXXXX, be considered for promotion by
special selection board (SSB) to the grade of colonel beginning
with the CY02B Colonel Central Selection Board, provided he
exercises his option to write a letter to the president of each
promotion board that has previously considered him for promotion to
the grade of colonel.






            JOE G. LINEBERGER
            Director
            Air Force Review Boards Agency