RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 

IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-04786 

 COUNSEL: NONE 

 HEARING DESIRED: NO 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 

 

1. Her 2 Aug 2010 “Unsatisfactory” Fitness Assessment (FA) 
score be removed from the Air Force Fitness Management System 
(AFFMS). 

 

2. The Enlisted Performance Report (EPR) rendered for the 
period 2 Sep 2009 through 1 Sep 2010 be declared void and 
replaced with a re-accomplished report covering the same period. 

 

3. She be allowed to test for the rank of master sergeant 
(MSgt, E-7). 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

 

On 4 Jan 2011, she was diagnosed with Churg-Strauss syndrome. 
This condition affects her physical capabilities. She is 
currently exempt from all portions of the FA with the exception 
of height, weight, and abdominal circumference. In a letter 
dated 17 Feb 2011, her doctor stated this condition may have 
impacted her previous FA scores. 

 

In support of her request, the applicant provides copies of her 
AF IMTs 422, Notification of Air Force Member's Qualification 
Status, corrected Enlisted Performance Report (EPR), Individual 
Fitness Assessment History, and supporting documentation from 
her doctor, supervisor and commander. 

 

The applicant's 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 technical sergeant (TSgt, E-6). 

 

The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application, 
extracted from the applicant’s military records are contained in 
the letter prepared by the appropriate office of the Air Force 
at Exhibit C. 

 


________________________________________________________________ 

 

THE AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

HQ AFPC/DPSIM recommends denial to void the applicant’s FA dated 
2 Aug 2010 from AFFMS. DPSIM states, the applicant does have a 
current AF IMT 422 on file which exempts her from all components 
of the FA except the abdominal circumference. After review of 
her fitness history, she was able to obtain passing scores with 
the exception of her 4 May 2010 and 2 Aug 2010 FA. Moreover, 
her fitness history reflects that she tested twice after the 
2 Aug 2010 FA and was able to obtain a passing FA score before 
being put on profile that exempted her from all components 
except the abdominal circumference. 

 

The complete DPSIM evaluation, with attachment, is at Exhibit C. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF THE AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

She was enrolled in an Air Force fitness training program from 
Sept through Oct 2010, which encompasses training for two hours 
each day, five days a week for six weeks. As a volunteer for 
the program, her goal was to improve both her overall fitness 
level and her FA score. While she was successful in achieving 
both, her success was only temporary because, only months after 
completing the course and receiving a satisfactory FA score her 
health began to deteriorate. 

 

In Jan 2011, during a five day hospital stay, she was diagnosed 
with Churg Strauss Syndrome. After her discharge she was placed 
on convalescent leave for 30 days and after successive medical 
treatment and testing, her diagnosis was changed to the auto-
immune disease, Wegener’s Granulomatosis. Both diseases cause 
inflammation of blood vessels, which restricts blood flow to 
various organs. It affects the kidneys, lungs and upper 
respiratory tract where the restricted blood flow to these 
organs can cause massive damage. It is the danger of this 
disease and diagnosis of a pre-existing condition that has 
exempted her from the major components (running, crunches, push-
ups) of the FA. Therefore, she submits to the Board that it was 
not due to the fitness program that she was able to have 
successful FA Scores, but rather in spite of this potentially 
life-threatening auto-immune disease that she was able to 
successfully complete and achieve a satisfactory FA score. 

 

She asserts that the factual data regarding her FA, her medical 
diagnosis, and doctor’s letter validating the diagnosis affected 
her FA. 

 

Her complete response is at Exhibit E. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 


 

ADDITIONAL AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

The BCMR Medical Consultant recommends denial of the applicant’s 
request to have her 2 Aug 2010 “Unsatisfactory” FA score removed 
from the AFFMS. The BCMR Medical Consultant states the 
applicant wishes the Board to conclude that her fitness failure 
in Aug 2010 was attributable to the illness which presented, and 
was diagnosed five months later in Jan 2011. She states that 
her "Back to Basics" fitness course in Sep/Oct 2010, helped her 
successfully pass the fitness tests in Oct and Nov. She states 
"only months after completing the course and receiving a 
satisfactory score on the FA, my health began to deteriorate." 
The brief letter from her doctor speculates that the illness may 
have caused the applicant's fitness failure, but there is 
neither clinical information nor any discussion of possible 
pathophysiologic mechanisms to support that contention. 
Although the applicant speculates that her illness may have 
caused her fitness failure in Aug 2010 she does not tell us what 
symptoms were present which would have affected her performance. 
We do know that she was anemic (low hemoglobin) upon her 
presentation to the hospital in Jan 2011. However, anemia can 
present acutely or chronically. However tempting it is to 
speculate about the onset of this very serious medical 
condition, we have no information to assess whether the anemia, 
or any other sign or symptom of this disease, was present at the 
time of her fitness failure in Aug 2010. Consequently, we have 
no information which would be sufficient to meet the burden of 
proof of error or injustice. In order to remove the 
unsatisfactory score, the Board would require some medical 
evidence, rather than just speculation, that the disease was 
both symptomatic and limiting at the time of her fitness 
failure. The Medical Consultant concludes that the applicant 
has not met the burden of proof of an error or injustice that 
warrants the desired change of the record. 

 

The complete BCMR Medical evaluation is at Exhibit F. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 


 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF ADDITIONAL AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

In several email communiqués, the applicant provided a personal 
statement, copies of a Medical Evaluation Board Summary, Report 
of Medical Board and scientific literature from her Primary Care 
Manager (PCM). 

 

She understands the reason for recommending denial was based on 
the Board not having any information which would be sufficient 
to meet the burden of proof or error or injustice. In order to 
remove the unsatisfactory FA score, the Board will require some 
medical evidence, rather than just speculation that the disease 
was both symptomatic and limiting at the time of her fitness 
failure. In regards to that medical evidence, she adds the 
following amplifying remarks: 

 

Her previous PCM, who treated her at the time of her previous FA 
failures, prescribed her an inhaler to help with her Asthma, 
which is a corticosteroid steroid instrumental in treating such 
diseases as Churg-Strauss Syndrome and Wegener’s Granulomatosis. 
As a result of him prescribing the inhaler and a rigorous Back 
to Basics Course, she was able to pass two subsequent FAs. 

 

Furthermore, her PCM has provided scientific literature to 
support Asthma as a component of prodromal Churg-Stauss 
Syndrome, the disease in which she was previously diagnosed. 
The literature that he provided also states that Asthma exhibits 
granulomatosis vascular change. 

 

In summary, her PCM was treating her at the time of her FA 
failures. He prescribed a corticosteroid inhaler to help her 
pass subsequent tests. The Asthma that she was experiencing at 
the time of her FA failures was attributed to the disease she 
currently has. It is for these reasons that she respectfully 
requests the Board grant her request to remove her 
unsatisfactory FA dated 2 Aug 2010. 

 

Her complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit H. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

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 an error or injustice warranting 
relief. After careful consideration of the applicant’s complete 
submission we believe it to be in the interest of justice to 
grant the requested relief. We note the recommendations of the 


Air Force office of primary responsibility and the BCMR Medical 
Consultant to deny the requested relief. However, their 
recommendations appear to be based primarily on the fact the 
actions taken against the applicant were properly executed in 
accordance with governing policy. We too fail to find that any 
of the actions taken were improper at the time of execution or 
were not done in accordance with pertinent policy. 
Nevertheless, we must note that this Board may base its 
decisions on matters of equity and justice, rather than simply 
on whether rules and regulations were followed. After reviewing 
the documentation submitted, we believe, the applicant has 
provided sufficient evidence to support her request. In this 
respect, we note the applicant’s treating physician opines that 
the disease diagnosed in Jan 2011 was likely the cause of her FA 
failures and in the interest of justice we believe her FAs dated 
4 May 2010 and 2 Aug 2010 should be removed from her records. 
Moreover, since her referral EPR was based on the unsatisfactory 
FAs, it should also be removed. In view of the above, we 
recommend her 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. Her fitness assessments dated 4 May 2010 and 2 Aug 2010 
be declared void and removed from the Air Force Fitness 
Management System. 

 

 b. The AF Form 910, Enlisted Performance Report (AB thru 
TSgt), rendered for the period 2 Sep 2009 through 1 Sep 2010, be 
declared void and removed from her records. 

 

 c. The attached AF Form 910, rendered for the period 2 Sep 
2009 through 1 Sep 2010 be placed in her records. 

 

It is further directed that she be provided supplemental 
consideration for promotion to the grade of master sergeant for 
all appropriate cycles beginning with cycle 11E7. 

 

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 qualification for the 
promotion. 

 

If supplemental promotion consideration results in the selection 
for promotion to the higher grade, immediately after such 
promotion the records shall be corrected to show that she was 
promoted to the higher grade on the date of rank established by 


the supplemental promotion and that she is entitled to all pay, 
allowances, and benefits of such grade as of that date. 

 

_______________________________________________________________ 

 

The following members of the Board considered this application 
in Executive Session on 25 Sep 2012, 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 in AFBCMR BC-2011-
04786: 

 

 Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 19 Nov 2012, w/atchs. 

 Exhibit B. Applicant’s Master Personnel Records. 

 Exhibit C. Letter, HQ AFPC/DPSIM, dated 15 Feb 2012, w/atch. 

 Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 6 Mar 2012. 

 Exhibit E. Letter, Applicant, dated 7 Apr 2012. 

 Exhibit F. Letter, BCMR Medical Consultant, dated 25 Jul 

 2012. 

 Exhibit G. Letter, SAF/MRBC, dated 25 Jul 2012. 

 Exhibit H. Letter, Applicant, undated, w/atchs. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Panel Chair