RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:                       DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2005-03136
                                             INDEX CODE:  107.00
      XXXXXXX                           COUNSEL:  NONE

      XXXXXXX                           HEARING DESIRED:  NO


MANDATORY CASE COMPLETION DATE:  14 April 2007


________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

The Air Force Commendation Medal, Third Oak Leaf Cluster (AFCM, 3  OLC),  he
was awarded for the period 29 October  2002  through  31 December  2004,  be
considered in the promotion process for cycle 05E7.

________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

Although  the  decoration  was  placed  into  official  channels  prior   to
selections for cycle 05E7, it was misplaced and significantly delayed.

The original Recommendation for Decoration Printout (RDP) was not signed  by
the squadron commander until 1 February 2005 because there was confusion  as
to who was going to write and  process  the  decoration  since  he  and  his
supervisor had completed  a  Permanent  Change  of  Assignment  (PCA).   The
decoration package was sent  to  his  gaining  unit  for  approval  and  was
misplaced for several months.  The package was found  and  the  revised  RDP
was signed by the squadron and group commanders on 1  June  2005.   However,
due to numerous priority activities, it was not approved until  8  September
2005.

In support of the appeal, applicant  submits  copies  of  the  original  and
revised RDPs, a statement from the squadron commander indicating  there  was
confusion as to who would write the decoration, a statement  from  the  wing
commander’s executive officer indicating that numerous  priority  activities
contributed to a delay in the normal processing of  the  decoration,  and  a
decoration  tracking  sheet  indicating  the  recommendation   package   was
received by the squadron command section on 4 January 2005.

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

________________________________________________________________


STATEMENT OF FACTS:

Applicant is currently serving on active duty  in  the  grade  of  technical
sergeant (E-6).  On 23 December 2004, an RDP was prepared on the  applicant.
 Promotion selections for cycle 05E7 were made on 6 June 2005 and  announced
on 16 June 2005.  The total weighted promotion score required for  selection
in the  applicant’s  Air  Force  Specialty  Code  (AFSC)  was  330.40.   The
applicant’s total  weighted  promotion  score  was  328.10.   The  Promotion
Eligibility Cutoff Date (PECD) for cycle  05E7  was  31 December  2004.   On
8 September 2005, he was awarded the AFCM, 3 OLC, for the period 29  October
2002  through  31 December  2004.   The  AFCM  is  worth  3  points  in  the
computation of a member’s total weighted promotion score.

On  30  September  2005,  AFPC/DPPPWM,  denied   applicant’s   request   for
supplemental promotion consideration for cycle 05E7 based  on  the  AFCM,  3
OLC, because the decoration was misplaced, corrected, and  then  resubmitted
for approval after selections were made for the cycle.

________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPWB recommends the application be denied and states, in  part,  that
for a decoration to be eligible for consideration in a promotion cycle,  the
close-out date of the decoration must be on or  before  the  PECD,  and  the
date of the RDP must be before the  date  of  selection  for  the  cycle  in
question.  In addition, a decoration a member claims was  lost,  downgraded,
etc., must be  fully  documented  and  verified  that  it  was  placed  into
official channels prior to the  selection  date  for  the  promotion  cycle.
There is no conclusive evidence the  applicant’s  decoration  was  submitted
before promotion selections for cycle 05E7 and he  was  aware  that  he  had
missed promotion by less than three points.  As evidenced  by  the  29  July
2005 indorsement date forwarding the RDP to the commander for approval,  the
decoration was not placed into official  channels  until  after  cycle  05E7
selections were made on 6 June 2005.  While the applicant contends  the  RDP
was misplaced for a period and found in May 2005, the RDP  contains  several
areas that have been whited-out and corrected  to  include  the  commander’s
signature and date.   Furthermore, the first indorsement to  SQ/MXMF  is  29
July 2005; however, the date  of  the  commander’s  signature  is  1 June  –
almost two months prior to it being filled out and processed.

A complete copy of the evaluation is at Exhibit B.

________________________________________________________________




APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

A complete copy of the evaluation was  forwarded  to  the  applicant  on  28
October 2005, for review and comment within 30 days.  However,  as  of  this
date, no response has 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  error  or  injustice.   In  this  respect,  we  note  that  on
23 December  2004,  an  RDP  was  prepared  on  the  applicant  and  he  was
recommended  for  the  AFCM,  3  OLC.   However,  the   recommendation   was
misplaced, corrected, and then  resubmitted.   The  applicant  contends  the
recommendation was resubmitted prior to selections for cycle 05E7;  however,
due to numerous priority activities, it was not approved  until  8 September
2005.  In support of this contention,  he  provides  a  decoration  tracking
sheet indicating the recommendation package was  received  by  the  squadron
command section on 4 January 2005.   In  addition,  the  squadron  commander
provides a statement indicating that he received the recommendation  package
in February 2005 and that it had  not  met  the  established  suspense  date
because there was confusion as to who would write the decoration  since  the
applicant and his  supervisor  had  departed  the  squadron.   The  squadron
commander further states that on 1 June 2005, he removed  the  name  of  the
recommending official from the RDP, inserted his own  signature  block,  and
the recommendation package was taken to the group  for  further  processing.
The  wing  commander’s  executive  officer  states  that  numerous  priority
activities  contributed  to  a  delay  in  the  normal  processing  of   the
decoration.  In view of a totality of the  evidence  presented,  we  believe
the decoration was placed into official channels  prior  to  selections  for
cycle 05E7 and that numerous priority activities delayed its approval  until
after selections were made for the cycle.  In view of this,  and  since  the
delay in processing was through no fault of the applicant, we recommend  his
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  Recommendation  for  Decoration
Printout (RDP), for the award of the Air  Force  Commendation  Medal,  Third
Oak Leaf Cluster (AFCM, 3 OLC), for  the  period  29  October  2002  through
31 December 2004, was signed by the commander on 1 June  2005,  rather  than
29 July 2005.

It is further recommended that he  be  provided  supplemental  consideration
for promotion to the grade of master sergeant  for  all  appropriate  cycles
beginning with cycle 05E7, with the AFCM 3 OLC included in his record.

If AFPC discovers any adverse factors during or subsequent  to  supplemental
consideration that are separate and  apart,  and  unrelated  to  the  issues
involved in  this  application,  that  would  have  rendered  the  applicant
ineligible for the  promotion,  such  information  will  be  documented  and
presented to the  Board  for  a  final  determination  on  the  individual’s
qualifications for the promotion.

________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number  BC-2005-
03136 in Executive Session on 7 December 2005, under the provisions  of  AFI
36-2603:

                       Ms. Kathy L. Boockholdt, Panel Chair
                       Mr. Terry L. Scott, Member
                       Mr. Michael J. Maglio, Member

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

     Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 6 Oct 05, w/atchs.
     Exhibit B.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPWB, dated 14 Oct 05.
     Exhibit C.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 28 Oct 05.




                                   KATHY L. BOOCKHOLDT
                                   Panel Chair



AFBCMR BC-2005-03136




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 the Recommendation
for Decoration Printout (RDP), for the award of the Air Force Commendation
Medal, Third Oak Leaf Cluster (AFCM, 3 OLC), for the period 29 October 2002
through 31 December 2004, was signed by the commander on 1 June 2005,
rather than 29 July 2005.

      It is further directed that he be provided supplemental consideration
for promotion to the grade of master sergeant for all appropriate cycles
beginning with cycle 05E7, with the AFCM 3 OLC included in his record.

      If AFPC discovers any adverse factors during or subsequent to
supplemental consideration that are separate and apart, and unrelated to
the issues involved in this application, that would have rendered the
applicant ineligible for the promotion, such information will be documented
and presented to the Board for a final determination on the individual’s
qualifications for the promotion.







            JOE G. LINEBERGER
            Director
            Air Force Review Boards Agency