AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

 
DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2012-00938 
COUNSEL:  NONE 
HEARING DESIRED: NO 

IN THE MATTER OF: 
   
   
 
    
 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 
 
1.  He  be  awarded  two  Weighted  Airman  Promotion  System  (WAPS) 
points for his Air Force Recruiting Ribbon. 
 
2. He be considered by the 2011 Master Sergeant Promotion Cycle 
(11E7) promotion board. 
 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 
 
1. When he became a recruiter in 2006, the agreement/promise was 
to be awarded two additional WAPS points due to the career field 
being critically manned.  He performed recruiting duty from 2006 
to 2010; placed 49th in his command and worked an extra year of 
duty.  There was no mention of the recruiter points going away 
and  he  was  never  personally  informed  of  this  fact  or  presented 
with a statement of understanding.  However, he tested for cycle 
11E7 and it was not until after the results were released that he 
realized that he missed the cutoff for promotion by less than two 
points.  Had he received the two points for becoming a recruiter, 
he  would  have  been  promoted.    He  believes  that  he  and  other 
recruiters  that  were  in  a  similar  situation  were  treated 
unfairly.   
 
2. The Air Force should have made the decision of changing this 
policy  to  be  effective  for  future  recruiting  goals  in  the 
recruiting  career  field  and  provided  a  definitive  date  of 
implementation rather than affecting personnel currently serving 
in that duty.   
 
3.  He  notes  that  the  Air  Force  and  Military  websites  and 
Professional Development Guides (PDGs) continue to state that the 
recruiter ribbon is worth 2 points toward WAPS testing. 
 
In support of his request, the applicant provides excerpts from 
the Military Personnel Data System (MilPDS), to include his WAPS 
Score Notice. 
 
 
 
His complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A.  
 
 

 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
STATEMENT OF FACTS: 
 
The  applicant  is  currently  serving  in  the  Regular  Air  Force  on 
active duty in the grade of technical sergeant (E-6). 
 
The applicant was considered for promotion to the grade of master 
sergeant  during  the  11E7  cycle;  however,  he  was  not  selected.  
The required score for selection in his AFSC was 310.73 and his 
score was 309.41.  He missed promotion by 1.32 points. 
 
The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application are 
contained in the letter prepared by the appropriate office of the 
Air Force, which are at Exhibit B. 
 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 
 
AFPC/DPSOE  recommends  denial.    They  note  that  Air  Force 
leadership made a decision that current and past recruiters would 
no longer receive WAPS points for the recruiter ribbon effective 
1 Jan 10.  Further, in 2004, the WAPS and Senior Non-Commissioned 
Officers  Promotion  Program  (SNCOPP)  Revalidation  recommended 
eliminating the award of WAPS points to recruiters.  An enlisted 
promotions  team  met  with  representatives  from  AETC/A1,  AFRS/A1, 
and AFRS/CCC to develop a final implementation plan.  On 9 Mar 
05,  AF/CC  approved  the  recommendation  and  a  proposed  final 
promotion cycle plan was presented to be implemented.  Although 
the applicant states that there are websites and PDGs that list 
the recruiter ribbon as having weighted points toward promotion, 
these sites and documents are not recognized as official military 
sources.   
 
The complete DPSOE evaluation is at Exhibit B. 
 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 
 
1. The applicant believes that it was an injustice to take away 
the recruiters points.  Just because a decision was made, it does 
not  mean  it  was  the  right  one.    He  volunteered  to  become  a 
recruiter  because  of  the  two  additional  points  and  did  an 
additional year of recruiting duty because of this benefit.  He 
and  his  family  have  been  greatly  affected  by  this  because  he 
could  have  been  promoted  to  master  sergeant  during  the  11E7 
cycle.   
 
2.  It  would  have  made  more  sense  to  phase  the  points  out  of 
recruiting based on the new recruiter accessions; therefore, the 
Air Force would not have put themselves in the position of taking 

 

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something away from their enlisted personnel that was promised.  
Finally, if 1 Jan 10 was the final phase out date, then the AIG 
8106 Field Message, Fact Sheet for 11E5/6/7 dated 18 Nov 10 from 
AFPC/DPSOE,  that  was  sent  out  Air  Force  wide,  should  not  have 
included the recruiter ribbon for 2 points.  
 
The  applicant’s  complete  submission,  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.  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 and do not find that it supports a determination that he 
be awarded two WAPS points for his Air Force Recruiting ribbon.   
The  applicant  indicates  that  he  was  never  personally  informed 
that WAPS points would not be awarded to recruiters and feels the 
points were unjustly taken away.  However, a decision was made by 
Air Force leadership for a final phase out date of 1 Jan 10 and 
there  has  been  no  evidence  presented  which  shows  that  the 
decision was improper or contrary to any law or Air Force policy.  
While  we  note  the  applicant’s  personal  disagreement  with  the 
action, in our view the change in policy did not cause him to be 
the victim of error or injustice and he has not shown that he has 
been  treated  any  differently  than  others  similarly  situated.  
While  it  does  appear  the  Field  Message  Fact  Sheet  sent  out  in 
November  2010  incorrectly  referenced  the  recruiter  ribbon  as 
being  worth  two  points,  we  consider  this  to  be  harmless  error.  
Therefore, we concur with the opinion and recommendation of the 
Air  Force  office  of  primary  responsibility  and  adopt  its 
rationale as the basis for our determination the applicant is not 
the  victim  of  an  error  or  injustice.    Accordingly,  we  find  no 
basis to act favorably on his request.   
 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
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. 
 

 

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  Panel Chair 
  Member 
  Member 

_________________________________________________________________ 
 
The  following  members  of  the  Board  considered  AFBCMR  Docket 
Number BC-2012-00938 in Executive Session on 21 Aug 12, under the 
provisions of AFI 36-2603: 
 
 
 
 
 
The following documentary evidence was considered: 
 
    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 4 Mar 12, w/atchs. 
    Exhibit B.  Letter, AFPC/DPSOE, dated 2 May 12. 
    Exhibit C.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 11 May 12. 
    Exhibit D.  Letter, Applicant, undated, w/atchs. 
 
 
 
 
                                    
                                   Panel Chair 
 

 

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