RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2004-02560
            INDEX NUMBER:  110.00
      XXXXXXX    COUNSEL:  None

      XXXXXXX    HEARING DESIRED:  Yes

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

She be reinstated to active duty or, in the alternative, be granted a
Reenlistment Eligibility (RE) code that will allow her to  enter  the
Reserves.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

She feels she deserves another chance to serve in the Air Force.  She
never got into trouble while she was in the Air  Force.   She  joined
under an open contract and feels she was placed in a job that was not
right for her.  She tried her best, but was never able to catch on in
the job she was placed in.

The applicant’s complete application, with attachment, is at  Exhibit
A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant entered active duty on 24 Feb 04.  On 23  Jun  04,  her
squadron section commander (CCQ) notified her he was recommending her
discharge from the Air Force for entry level performance or  conduct.
The specific reason was the applicant’s failure to make progress in a
required training program as noted below:

        a.  She failed the Block III written exam with a  68.3%  and,
subsequently passed the retest.

        b.  She failed three progress checks (PC) in Blocks I through
III with scores of 60%, 58%, and 60%.  The minimum passing score  was
70%.

        c.  She was disenrolled from technical training on 14 Jun 04.

The applicant acknowledged receipt of notification on 23 Jun  04  and
waived her right to consult counsel and to submit statements  in  her
behalf.  On 23 Jun 04, the CCQ  recommended  to  the  training  group
commander the applicant be discharged for the  reasons  stated  above
and she be furnished an entry-level separation.  On 29  Jun  04,  the
wing staff judge advocate found the proposed discharge action legally
sufficient to support the applicant’s discharge and  recommended  the
training group commander approve her discharge  with  an  entry-level
separation.  On 9 Jul 04, the training group commander  directed  the
applicant  be  discharged  with  an  entry-level   separation.    The
applicant was discharged on 12 Jul 04 with an entry-level  separation
with uncharacterized character of service.  She received  a  “2C”  RE
code, “Entry-level separation without characterization of service.”

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPRS recommends denial of the applicant’s  request.   Based  on
the documentation on  file  in  the  master  personnel  records,  the
discharge  was  consistent  with  the  procedural   and   substantive
requirements of the discharge  regulation.   The  applicant  did  not
submit any  evidence  or  identify  any  errors  or  injustices  that
occurred in the discharge processing.  Airmen are  given  entry-level
separation/uncharacterized service characterization  when  separation
is initiated in the first 180 days continuous active service.

The complete evaluation is at Exhibit C.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

In her response to the Air Force evaluation, the  applicant  explains
the difficulties she had in technical training and  the  actions  she
took to try and complete the  training.   She  states  when  she  was
notified of the discharge action, she became upset and did not  fully
understand the consequences of waiving her right to an attorney.  She
now understands she is not able to further her military career, which
was not her intent or goal.  She wants it understood that her conduct
and performance as an airman is not in question.  Rather, it  is  her
performance  and  ability  to  be  a  dental  assistant  and   dental
laboratory technician.  She states she was a good airman  and  proved
herself by completing basic training.  She is willing to do  whatever
is necessary to continue her Air Force  career.   If  necessary,  she
will make a personal appearance before the Board.

The applicant’s complete response is at Exhibit E.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT:

1.  The applicant has 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 regarding the applicant’s request
for reinstatement to the Air  Force.   After  reviewing  all  of  the
evidence provided and weighing the circumstances of  her  entry-level
separation, we do not believe it would  be  appropriate  to  directly
reinstate the applicant.  However, we do find sufficient evidence  to
grant the applicant’s alternate request to be granted an RE code that
will possibly allow  her  to  reenter  the  Air  Force  or  join  the
Reserves.   While  we  found  no  error  in  the  processing  of  her
separation  from  the  Air  Force  and   her   eventual   entry-level
separation, we note she joined the Air Force on an open contract  and
had little input in choosing the dental technician  career  specialty
she was assigned.  It appears  she  was  not  well  suited  for  this
specialty, despite her indicated efforts to successfully complete the
training.  Since her failure was apparently due to  academic  factors
and  not  the  result  of  any  misconduct,  we  believe  granting  a
waiverable RE code, which would, at least, allow  her  to  apply  for
future military service, is appropriate.  Additionally, we  note  the
narrative reason for the applicant’s separation listed in Block 28 on
the DD Form 214 indicates “entry-level performance and conduct.”   In
similar cases considered previously by the Board, we have  determined
the word “conduct” in the  context  used,  to  be  overly  harsh  and
misleading and have corrected records  to  show  that  this  word  be
removed from Block 28 of the DD Form 214.  We believe this to  be  an
appropriate correction in this instance.  Therefore, we recommend the
applicant’s 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 corrected to show that:

        a.  At the time of her  entry-level  separation  on  12  July
2004, she was issued a Reenlistment Eligibility Code of “3K.”

         b.  The  words  “and  conduct”  be  deleted  from  Block  28
(Narrative Reason for Separation) on her DD Form 214, Certificate  of
Release or Discharge from Active Duty.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered Docket Number  BC-2004-
02560 in Executive Session on 2 February 2005, under  the  provisions
of AFI 36-2603:

      Mr. Roscoe Hinton, Jr., Panel Chair
      Mr. Vance E. Lineberger, Member
      Mr. Wallace F. Beard, Jr., Member

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

     Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 10 Aug 04, w/atchs.
     Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
     Exhibit C.  Memorandum, AFPC/DPPRS, dated 23 Aug 04.
     Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 27 Aug 04.
     Exhibit E.  Letter, Applicant, dated 31 Aug 04.




                                   ROSCOE HINTON, JR.
                                   Panel Chair


AFBCMR BC-2004-02560


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 corrected to show that:

              a.  At the time of her entry-level separation on 12
July 2004, she was issued a Reenlistment Eligibility Code of “3K.”

              b.  The words “and conduct” be deleted from Block 28
(Narrative Reason for Separation) on her DD Form 214, Certificate
of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.




            JOE G. LINEBERGER
            Director
            Air Force Review Boards Agency