AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

 
DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2012-00447 
COUNSEL:  NONE 
HEARING DESIRED:  NO 

IN THE MATTER OF: 
   
    
 
________________________________________________________________ 
 
APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 
 
His enlistment pay grade be changed from senior airman (SrA, E-
4) to staff sergeant (SSgt, E-5). 
 
________________________________________________________________ 
 
THE APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 
 
He served in the Navy from 6 Aug 2001 to 5 Aug 2006.  
 
He was promoted to E-5 on 16 Sep 2004 while in the Navy. 
 
He enlisted in the Air Force on 30 Jun 2011 for four years.  
 
AFPC  downgraded  his  rank  based  on  minimum  Total  Active  Federal 
Military Service (TAFMS) requirements in accordance with AFI 36-
2002,  Regular  Air  Force  and  Special  Category  Accessions, 
Paragraph  A4.2.3  and  AFRSI  36-2001,  Recruiting  Procedures  for 
the  Air  Force,  table  A2.1,  Line  7,  note  9.    Both  of  these 
instructions  clearly  state  these  TAFMS  requirements  are  for 
enlistment to a higher pay grade than last held in the regular 
component.  He held E-5 from 16 Sep 2004 to 5 Aug 2006 and was 
frocked to the grade of E-5 on 10 May 2004 while he was in the 
Navy. 
 
In  support  of  his  request,  the  applicant  provides  a  personal 
statement,  copies  of  DD  Form  214,  Certificate  of  Release  or 
Discharge  from  Active  Duty, Navy promotion letter, and excerpts 
from AFI 36-2002 and AFRSI 36-2001. 
 
The  applicant’s  complete  submission,  with  attachments,  is  at 
Exhibit A. 
 
________________________________________________________________ 
 
STATEMENT OF FACTS: 
 
The  applicant  served  in  the  United  States  Navy  from  6  Aug 
2001 through 5 Aug 2006, and held the grade of E-5 at the time 
of his discharge, having assumed that grade effective and with a 
date of rank of 16 Sep 2004.  He was credited with 5 years of 
active duty service. 
 

 

 

He contracted his enlistment in the Regular Air Force on 30 Jun 
2011, for a period of four years in the grade of senior airman 
(E-4). 
 
In  accordance  with  AFI  36-2002,  the  minimum  TAFMS  requirements 
for  enlistment  in  a  higher  pay  grade  than  last  held  in  the 
Regular  Air  Force  or  when  the  last  Regular  component  was  non-
USAF is five years and six months. 
 
________________________________________________________________ 
 
AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 
 
HQ  AFPC/DPSIPE  recommends  denial.    DPSIPE  states  the  applicant 
feels  that  the  TAFMS  requirement  is  for  enlistment  to  a  higher 
pay  grade  than  last  held  in  the  regular  component.    It  is  his 
understanding that since he is not requesting the grade of E-6, 
he is entitled to retain the grade held in previous service. 
 
DPSIPE states, in part, that the applicant’s enlistment grade of 
E-4  was  determined  correctly  as  outlined  in  governing 
directives.    The  minimum  amount  of  TAFMS  required  to  enlist  in 
the Regular Air Force in the grade of E-5 is five years and six 
months; the applicant’s TAFMS is five years. 
 
The complete DPSIPE evaluation is at Exhibit C. 
 
________________________________________________________________ 
 
APPLICANT’S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 
 
DPSIPE  accurately  describes  his  position  by  stating,  "The 
applicant feels that the TAFMS requirement is for enlistment in 
a higher pay grade than last held in the regular component.  It 
is  his  understanding  that  since  he  is  not  requesting  the  grade 
of  E-6,  he  is  entitled  to  retain  the  grade  held  in  previous 
service." 
 
He asserts that DPSIPE misinterpreted both AFI 36-2002 and AFRSI 
36-2001.  These are the same references that support his claim.  
DPSIPE is holding him to TAFMS requirements that do not apply to 
him.  He was an E-5 in a regular component (the Navy) and he is 
not asking for a higher pay grade than he held in the Navy. 
 
AFRSI  36-2001,  Table  A2.1.,  Enlistment  Grade  Determination  for 
Prior  Service  Enlistees,  line  7,  states  if  the  applicant  last 
separated  from  a  sister  service  regular  component,  the  grade 
will  be  the  grade  in  which  the  applicant  last  separated  from 
that component. 
 
His complete response is at Exhibit E. 
 
________________________________________________________________ 
 

 

2 

 
 
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 injustice.  We took notice 
of the applicant's complete submission in judging the merits of 
the case; however, we agree with the opinion and recommendation 
of the Air Force Air Force office or primary responsibility and 
adopt  its  rationale  as  the  basis  for  our  conclusion  the 
applicant has not been the victim of an error or injustice. We 
note the applicant’s view that the applicable policy pertaining 
to  his  circumstance  is  being  misinterpreted;  however  based  on 
our  own  review  of  the  governing  policy,  while  we  concede  the 
policy  could  have  been  written  more  clearly,  we  find  the 
interpretation  by  the  Air  Force  OPRs  to  be  correct.    In 
reference  to  AFI36-2002,  A4.2,  Prior  Service  Date  of  Rank  and 
Enlistment  Grade,  we  interpret  the  TAFMS  for  enlistment  in  a 
higher grade as only pertaining to Regular Air Force personnel.  
Because the TAFMS required for Regular Air Force members seeking 
to enlist in a higher grade and the TAFMS for enlistment by non-
USAF  Regular  component  members  is  the  same  for  the  grades 
indicated,  the  AFI  combined  both  requirements  in  a  single 
sentence.  As stated in subparagraph A4.2.3.2., the requirement 
for  enlistment  in  the  grade  of  E-5  is  5  years    and  6  months.  
Likewise, AFRSI36-2001,  Table A2.1, Line 7, is more clear since 
it avoids use of the phrase “enlistment in a higher grade” and 
clearly  refers  the  reader  to  note  9.2,  which  also  requires  5 
years and 6 months TAFMS.  Therefore, in the absence of evidence 
to  the  contrary  we  find  no  basis  to  recommend  granting  the 
relief sought in this application.   
 
________________________________________________________________ 
 
THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT: 
 
The  applicant  be  notified  that  the  evidence  presented  did  not 
demonstrate  the  existence  of  material  error  or  injustice;  that 
the  application  was  denied  without  a  personal  appearance;  and 
that  the  application  will  only  be  reconsidered  upon  the 
submission of newly discovered relevant evidence not considered 
with this application. 
 
________________________________________________________________ 
 

 

3 

Panel Chair 
Member 
Member 

 

 
 
The  following  members  of  the  Board  considered  Docket  Number  BC-
2012-00447  in  Executive  Session  on  2  Aug  2012,  under  the 
provisions of AFI 36-2603: 
 

The following documentary evidence was considered in AFBCMR BC-
2012-00447: 
 
    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 16 Feb 2012, w/atchs. 
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records. 
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPSIPE, dated 10 Apr 2012. 
    Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 18 Apr 2012. 
    Exhibit E.  Letter, Applicant, undated. 
 
 
 
 
                                    
                                   Panel Chair 

 

4