RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 

IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-02366 

 COUNSEL: NONE 

 HEARING DESIRED: NO 

 

 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 

 

His Air Force Commendation Medal (AFCM) be updated on his Officer 
Selection Brief and he be considered by a Special Selection Board 
(SSB) for the CY10D Major Central Selection Board for promotion. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

 

His supervisor submitted an extended tour AFCM; however, the 
award was never submitted to the Military Personnel Flight at 
Dyess AFB due to administrative errors at his squadron. His 
performance and accomplishments in two squadrons were not 
recognized and documented in the AFCM, which he believes placed 
him at a disadvantage at the Central Selection Board. His 
supervisor changed duty stations and his commander changed 
commands which contributed to the reasons that the award was not 
tracked. He realizes the importance of following up on 
decorations to ensure his record was accurate prior to meeting 
any board. 

 

In support of his request, the applicant provides a personal 
statement and letters of support. 

 

His complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

 

The applicant is currently serving in the Regular Air Force in 
the grade of captain (0-3). 

 

The applicant met the P0410D Major Central Selection Board (CSB); 
however, he was not selected for promotion. 

 

 

 

 

 


The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application are 
contained in the letters prepared by the appropriate offices of 
the Air Force, which is at Exhibit B, C, and D. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

AFPC/DPSOO recommends denial. After a review of the applicant’s 
record, it has been determined that the AFCM was processed within 
the guidelines of AFI 36-2803, paragraph 3.1. These guidelines 
state that decoration recommendations are entered “into official 
channels within 2 years and awarded within 3 years of the act, 
achievement, or service performed.” The source document used for 
updating the Military Personnel Data System (MilPDS) is the 
special order number that is assigned to the certificate. In 
this case, the AFCM certificate reflects a special order date of 
13 Jun 11; therefore, it was not reflected in any official 
personnel data system when the board convened on 6 Dec 10. The 
AFCM is required to be forwarded for update within 30 days of the 
date of the order, as such the AFCM certificate was not required 
to be in the applicant’s Officer Selection Record (OSR) until 
14 Jul 11. Furthermore, not only was the AFCM awarded after the 
convening of the board, but it was not required to be in his OSR 
until 13 Jul 11. 

 

The complete DPSOO evaluation is at Exhibit B. 

 

AFPC/SJA provides a hand-written memo stating that while the 
advisories are correct that no error occurred, the real issue is 
whether the administrative errors in failing to process the award 
constitutes an injustice, i.e., was it an injustice that the 
decoration was not in his record for the CY10D major’s promotion 
board. SJA also raises the point of whether the decoration would 
have been processed on time for the board even if properly and 
timely put into the system? It might also be appropriate to 
point out the applicant should have checked his record before the 
board and sought correction at that time or written a letter to 
the board. 

 

The complete SJA evaluation is at Exhibit C. 

 

AFPC/DPSIDR recommends denial. There has been no official 
documentation submitted that verifies the AFCM was originally 
submitted into official channels prior to Apr 11; therefore, 
DPSIDR is unable to determine if an injustice occurred by the 
AFCM not being in his official record based on the oversight. 
Furthermore, no official documentation was provided that verifies 
the specific reason for the “administrative oversight.” 
Additionally, the applicant is being recognized for an act that 
occurred in 2009; however, the applicant’s Recommendation 
Decoration Printout (RDP) date listed on the decoration is 25 Apr 

 


 

11 and the Given Under My Hand Date awarding the AFCM is 13 Jun 
11. 

 

DPSIDR further states the applicant’s commander at Dyess AFB 
states, “he should have received an AFCM upon leaving OSS but did 
not due to administrative oversight.” 

 

The complete DPSIDR evaluation is at Exhibit D. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

The applicant disagrees with the DPSOO and DPSIDR evaluations. 
AFPAM 36-2607 4.3 clearly states, “Normally, the best evidence 
are statements from persons who have direct knowledge or 
involvement”. He has provided written statements from all 
commanders directly involved. His commander at Dyess AFB admits, 
“his AFCM was never submitted to the MPF at Dyess AFB due to an 
administrative oversight”, clearly identifying an error at the 
Operations Group level, which was the approval authority for the 
AFCM. As suggested by the offices of primary responsibility for 
the Air Force, he agrees and supports their suggestion of 
adjusting the “GIVEN UNDER MY HAND” date to the close out date of 
28 Mar 09. 

 

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

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

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. After reviewing 
the evidence of record, we are persuaded that favorable 
consideration of the applicant’s request is warranted. The 
applicant has provided a supporting statement from his Group 
Commander indicating that an extended tour AFCM recommendation 
was drafted on the applicant but not submitted through proper 
channels due to administrative oversight. Additionally, we find 
it reasonable that since the applicant’s recommendation was for 
an extended tour vice permanent change of station or assignment 
that the recommendation was not processed in a timely manner. 
Since it appears the error in processing the decoration was not 
due to error or lack of diligence on the part of the applicant, 


we believe it would be appropriate to change the award date of 
the decoration so it may be accepted for file in the applicant’s 
officer selection record for the CY10D Major Central Selection 
Board. While the applicant believes absence of the medal may 
have disadvantaged him when his record was considered by the 
CY10D CSB, we have no way of determining if this is true and our 
recommendation for relief is not intended as support for this 
view on part of the applicant. Nevertheless, in our view, the 
applicant deserves to have the benefit of recognition for four 
years of service reflected in his record. Therefore, we find the 
evidence before us sufficient to resolve any doubt in this matter 
in favor of the applicant and recommend his record 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. The Air Force Commendation Medal (AFCM) with inclusive 
dates of 3 May 2005 through 28 March 2009, was approved on 
28 March 2009, rather than 13 June 2011; and was accepted for 
file in his Officer Selection Record on 1 April 2009. 

 

 b. It is further directed that the corrected record be 
considered for promotion to the grade of major by a Special 
Selection Board for the Calendar Year 2010D (CY10D) Major Central 
Selection Board. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2011-02366 in Executive Session on 15 Mar 12, under the 
provisions of AFI 36-2603: 

 

 , Panel Chair 

 , Member 

 , Member 

 


All members voted to correct the records, as recommended. The 
following documentary evidence for Docket Number BC-2011-02366 
was considered: 

 

 Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 27 Jun 11, w/atchs. 

 Exhibit B. Letter, AFPC/DPSOO, dated 2 Aug 11. 

 Exhibit C. Letter, AFPC/SJA, dated 12 Aug 11. 

 Exhibit D. Letter, AFPC/DPSIDR, dated 24 Aug 11. 

 Exhibit E. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 16 Sep 11. 

 Exhibit F. Letter, Applicant, dated 22 Sep 11, w/atchs. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Panel Chair