RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 

IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-00320 

 COUNSEL: NONE 

 HEARING DESIRED: NO 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 

 

His records be corrected to show that he was awarded the Legion 
of Merit (LOM). 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

 

On 1 Aug 08, he retired after 30 years of commissioned service 
with the Air Force and Air Force Reserve. He was decorated with 
a Joint Service Commendation Medal (JSCM) based on four years of 
service (Extended Tour decoration 16 Oct 04 to 1 Aug 08). He 
also received the Army Achievement Medal (AAM) (1 Jan 03 to 1 Jun 
08) from the Illinois Army National Guard. 

 

Six months before he retired his supervisor submitted him for the 
LOM. Unfortunately, due to an administrative oversight the 
decoration package was not forwarded to the Air Force. He was 
not recognized with a separate retirement decoration based on his 
career. 

 

In support of his request, the applicant provides a letter from 
the Selected Service System (SSS) National Director, a letter 
from the SSS Region Director, a draft LOM recommendation and 
proposed citation, his Officer Performance Report (OPR), a 
Reserve Officer Data Verification Brief, Awards and Decorations 
Information, his JSCM and AAM certificates, his JSCM citation, 
and a signed/approved LOM recommendation. 

 

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

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

 

On 1 Aug 08, the applicant retired from the Air Force Reserve in 
the grade of colonel. 

 

At the time of his retirement, he was assigned as the Individual 
Mobilization Augmentee, Commander, Mobilization Office 
Coordinator, Selective Service System, Detachment 1-1, 
Springfield, IL, and had 30 years commissioned service and 
16 months time in grade (TIG) as a colonel. 

 


In recognition of his retirement, he was recommended for award of 
the LOM. 

 

IAW the delegation authority in place at the time of this event, Delegation of Approval Authority for Award of the Legion of Merit 
(LOM) to USAF Members message 132236Z Jan 05, section 4H, states 
that “Upon retirement, after a long and distinguished career, 
liberal interpretation of award criteria is appropriate for 
officers serving in the grade of colonel and above, provided the 
officer’s most recent performance warrants such consideration.” 
Criteria for award of the LOM require a minimum of 18 months in a 
qualifying position. Officer qualifying positions are; Wing/Vice 
Commanders; Group Commanders of all types; and Air Staff Division 
Chiefs. Paragraph 2 of the same message states “Normally, awards 
to USAF members are limited to service in an extremely difficult 
duty that is performed in a clearly exceptional manner, if such 
service is of marked national or international significance to 
the Air Force or the DoD, or service which has aided the US in 
furthering its national policies or service which has furthered 
the interest of the security of the US or any nation allied or 
associated with the us during a period of national emergency 
declared by the President or Congress.” 

 

IAW DoD Manual 1348.33, September 1996, Manual of Military 
Decorations and Awards, paragraph C3.2.9. “The number of 
decorations that may be awarded to a service member is not 
limited; however, only one decoration is awarded for the same 
act, achievement, or period of service.” 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

The Director, SAFPC recommends denial. The Director, states 
based on the documentation provided by the applicant in the 
AFBCMR case file, had the LOM recommendation been completed prior 
to his retirement, the Air Force Decorations Board (AFDB) would 
have returned the decoration to the recommending official IAW DoD 
Manual 1348.33. Had the recommending official rescinded the two 
decorations for the applicant’s current period of service and 
resubmitted the LOM with a rewritten citation, only capturing his 
significant accomplishments in his current period of service and 
meeting the criteria of the January 2005 LOM message, the AFDB 
would likely have approved the decoration. 

 

The applicant is ineligible for award of the LOM due to his 
previous receipt of the Joint Service Commendation Medal (for 
meritorious service), signed 7 Jul 08, and the Army Achievement 
Medal (for meritorious service) for the period 1 Jan 03 – 1 Jun 
08. 

 

The LOM citation provided with the applicant’s request covers his 
entire Air Force career, from 31 Jul 78 to 1 Aug 08. The award 
of the LOM, as with any military decoration, can cover only the 
member’s most recent assignment or since the period of his last 


decoration, unless the decoration is for a single act of 
achievement (or heroism), not otherwise recognized in a later 
decoration. 

 

The complete SAFPC evaluation is at Exhibit B. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

The USAF Reserve officers assigned to the SSS as IMAs serve more 
in a traditional Reservist’s role. They are attached to Joint 
Service Detachments across the country and drill the first 
weekend of every month as a unit, without however, the technical 
or personnel support that traditional Reservists benefit from. 
During the more than 16 years he was assigned to SSS, he served 
under seven different National Directors (Senior Executive 
Service) and six different Region Directors (GS-15). Each one of 
these individuals brought a unique perspective on how they dealt 
with and treated the Reservists. 

 

Reservists serve under two very different chains of command. 
First, they have to meet the requirements of the SSS chain of 
command at Region HQ (RHQ) and National HQ (NHQ) levels before 
anything is ever forwarded to the Air Force. Then, the Air Force 
has to approve it. Countless times paperwork had to be revised 
to resolve conflicts and satisfy the requirements of each 
organization separately. 

 

His decorations were being processed during a time when a new 
staff member was learning the process. 

 

New military awards guidance was sent to the field two months 
prior to his retirement. He received an SSS Meritorious Service 
award with Bronze medal, which was based on almost two years of 
effort and was never incorporated into his records. The Air 
Force views it as a two year period in which he was not 
decorated. 

 

The NHQ Director approved him for the JSCM on 7 Jul 08, and two 
days later, initialed his approval for the retirement LOM. 
Unfortunately this package was then misplaced for almost three 
years. Although the JSCM may not have been very well written, 
there was an honest intent by SSS NHQ to acknowledge his 
contributions and decorate him with two distinct and separate 
medals. 

 

The advisory writer identifies the timeframe conflict. 
Sometimes, it is hard to differentiate between what actions take 
place during which timeframe. Such as in the case of US Army 
private first class Jessica D. Lynch, she received three medals, 
all of which were based on the same 30 minute time span. There 
were three separate justifications written by the same 
organization, for three separate medals, covering the same time 
period. 


 

He is confident the AAM he was awarded by the Adjutant General 
and the Assistant Adjutant General of the State of Illinois was 
meant to supplement the retirement medal that the Air Force would 
award him. 

 

This is not the first time that the SSS has had significant 
issues in presenting a colonel with a LOM as a retirement 
decoration. An Army colonel, after going through the Army Board 
for Correction of Military Records, was decorated with the LOM 
three years and one month after his retirement. 

 

In accordance with AFI 36-2803, Air Force Awards and Decorations 
Program, paragraph 2.3.4. “Retirement. Review records and 
consider the individual’s entire career to determine the 
appropriate level of decoration for retirement…” 

 

The applicant’s complete response, with attachments, is at 
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 that would 
warrant award of the LOM. In this respect, we note the applicant 
has provided signed recommendations from his senior leaders 
requesting he be awarded the LOM. We considered the comments and 
recommendation of the Director, SAFPC; however, we believe based 
on the applicant’s outstanding performance and contributions 
noted by his superiors during the period of 31 Jul 78 to 1 Aug 
08, that any doubt should be resolved in the applicant’s behalf. 
Therefore, and in recognition of his over 30 years of honorable 
service, 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 on 31 July 2008, 
he was awarded the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious 
conduct in the performance of outstanding service. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 


The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number 
BC-2011-00320 in Executive Session on 1 Sep 11, under the 
provisions of AFI 36-2603: 

 

, Panel Chair 

, Member 

, Member 

 

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

 

 Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 26 Jan 11, w/atchs. 

 Exhibit B. Letter, SAF/MRBP, dated 6 Jul 11. 

 Exhibit C. Letter, SAF/MRBC, dated 13 Jul 11. 

 Exhibit D. Letter, Applicant, dated 5 Aug 11, w/atchs. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Panel Chair