RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2007-00294
      INDEX CODE:  110.02
      COUNSEL:  NONE

      HEARING DESIRED:  NOT INDICATED

MANDATORY COMPLETION DATE:  4 AUGUST 2008

________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

Block 26, Separation Program  Designator  (SPD)  code,  on  his  DD  214  be
changed from “JHF” (failure to complete a course of  instruction)  to  “LCC”
(reduction in force).

________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

His reason for separation is incorrectly classified.  The entry is in  error
because of the  nature  of  his  discharge.   He  was  removed  from  flight
training on 10 Mar 05.  Following his removal from training  he  was  placed
on “casual status” while waiting to be reclassified and retrained in  a  new
Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC).  His reclassification  was  recommended  by
his group commander.  In Jun 05, it became apparent that all  the  AFSCs  in
his branch were fully staffed and the Air Force would not be able to  retain
him.  He was discharged in Jul 05 under the Force  Shaping  program  due  to
the excess of manpower in the Air Force.

The word “failure” is unjust  because  it  applies  to  the  reason  he  was
removed from training but it was not the reason he was discharged  from  the
military.  His flying deficiencies were identified as “beyond  his  control”
and do not coincide with the separation code he received.

He was the victim of a reduction in force; therefore,  the  separation  code
“LCC” should apply.   His  current  classification  severely  tarnishes  his
otherwise faultless military service record.

In support of his application, the applicant submits his  personal  unsigned
statement, a certified copy  of  his  DD  214,  a  copy  of  his  Record  of
Commander’s Review Action,  and  a  copy  of  an  Armed  Forces  Information
Service News Article.

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

________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant was a second lieutenant serving as a pilot trainee in the  Air
Force Reserves.  Information extracted  from  the  Military  Personnel  Data
System (MilPDS) indicates his Total Active Federal Military Service Date  as
5 Jul 04.

On 10 Mar 05, the applicant’s commander recommended he  be  eliminated  from
training due to flying  deficiencies  that  were  beyond  his  control.   He
indicated that the applicant was a highly motivated officer  with  a  proven
track record.  He further recommended his retraining and  retention  in  the
Air Force.

On 27 Jun 05, the Secretary of the Air Force Personnel Council directed  the
applicant’s discharge under the provisions of AFI  36-3207,  paragraph  3.13
(Failure to Complete a Course of Instruction).  On 31 Jul 05, the  applicant
was honorably discharged with a Separation Designation  Code  (SPD)  of  JHF
(failure to complete a course of instruction).  He had served 1 year and  26
days of active service.

________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

HQ AFPC/DPPRS recommends denial.

DPPRS  states  that  since  early  2004,  the  Air  Force  has  aggressively
instituted a  variety  of  force  shaping  initiatives  designed  to  reduce
personnel  levels  in  order  to  meet  Secretary  of  Defense-mandated  end
strength.  DPPPRS attempted to reclassify all training  eliminees  into  Air
Force specialties until accession targets were met.  While the  decision  to
discharge many young officers  was  a  difficult  one,  the  alternative  of
reclassifying them into other career fields  was  neither  fiscally  prudent
nor acceptable over the long-term.

DPPRS states that based on the documentation  on  file  in  the  applicant’s
master personnel records, the discharge was consistent with  the  procedural
and substantive requirements of the  discharge  regulation.   The  discharge
was within the discretion of the  discharge  authority.   Additionally,  the
applicant did not submit any evidence or identify any errors  or  injustices
that occurred  in  the  discharge  processing,  and  he  provided  no  facts
warranting change to his SPD code

The complete DPPRS evaluation is at Exhibit C.

________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the applicant on 16  Feb
07 for review and comment within 30 days.  As of this date, this office  has
received no response.

________________________________________________________________

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 an injustice  warranting  favorable  consideration  of
the applicant’s request to change  his  SPD  code  from  “JHF”  (failure  to
complete a course of instruction) to “LCC” (reduction in  force).   In  that
regard, we agree with and adopt the  rationale  provided  by  AFPC/DPPRS  on
this  issue.   Notwithstanding  this  determination,  we   note   that   the
applicant’s failure to complete training was considered beyond  his  control
and his commander favorably recommended him for retraining and retention  in
the Air Force.  As such, we agree with the applicant that  his  current  SPD
code  and  narrative  reason  for  separation  may  lead  to  an  inaccurate
assessment of the quality of his service.  In the  interest  of  avoiding  a
possible injustice to the applicant, we recommend his narrative  reason  for
separation be changed to “Miscellaneous/General Reasons,” with a  separation
program designator code of “JND.”

________________________________________________________________

RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD:

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air  Force  relating
to  APPLICANT  be  corrected  to  show  that  on  31  July  2005,   he   was
involuntarily  discharged  for  ‘Miscellaneous/General   Reasons”   with   a
separation program designator (SPD) code of “JND” under  the  provisions  of
10 USC, Section 1552.

________________________________________________________________

The following members of  the  Board  considered  this  application,  AFBCMR
Docket Number BC-2007-00294 in Executive Session  on  17 April  2007,  under
the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

      Mr. Richard A. Peterson, Panel Chair
            Ms. Rita J. Maldonado, Member
      Mr. Garry G. Sauner, Member

The following documentary evidence was considered in AFBCMR BC-2007-00294:

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 26 Jan 07, w/atchs.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, HQ AFPC/DPPRS, dated 9 Feb 07.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 16 Feb 07.




                                   RICHARD A. PETERSON
                                   Panel Chair



AFBCMR BC-2007-00294



MEMORANDUM FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF


      Having received and considered the recommendation of the Air Force
Board of 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 on 31 July 2005, he was
involuntarily discharged for “Miscellaneous/General Reasons” with a
separation program designator (SPD) code of “JND” under the provisions of
10 USC, Section 1552.










  JOE G. LINEBERGER

Director

  Air Force Review Boards Agency