RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 

 

IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2012-04708 

 

 COUNSEL: NONE 

 

 HEARING DESIRED: YES 

 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 

 

Her records be corrected to reflect that she completed her first 
(12-year) Operational Flying Duty Accumulator (OFDA) gate. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

 

Due to repeated lack of counseling she ultimately missed her 12-
year OFDA gate by what is essentially six days. She was 
required to complete 96 months of flying by 20 Feb 08 to meet 
her 12-year flying gate, but only completed 95 months. There 
were numerous opportunities during her career to complete the 
one additional month of flying, but she was never properly 
advised or counseled by Flight Records or the Air Force 
Personnel Center (AFPC) about the impact of her assignments on 
meeting her flying gates. 

 

On 10 Jul 01, she made a permanent change of station (PCS) move 
from RAF Lakenheath, England after completing her first flying 
assignment. Unbeknownst to her, gate months are recorded and 
counted on an officer’s flight records for each month in which 
more than half the month is completed. Had she PCSed on 
16 Jul 01, she would have obtained one additional flying month 
and achieved the required 96 months to meet her 12-year flying 
gate without even flying one additional flight. Therefore, she 
essentially missed her 12-year gate by six days. She was not 
aware of this procedure at the time, and was not counseled. 

 

In 2001, she planned on starting a family before continuing her 
flying career, so she sought a non-flying position for her next 
assignment. Although she accepted a flying assignment to 
Whidbey Island NAS, she simultaneously declined to increase her 
active duty service commitment (ADSC) beyond the two year ADSC 
she currently had, choosing to seven-day opt after the end of 
her remaining two years of service. Therefore, Whidbey Island 
leadership would not accept her in the flying position. If that 
assignment had not been cancelled, she would have made her 12-
year gate. 

 


She was then given a two year assignment as an Air Liaison 
Officer (ALO) at Fort Drum, NY, where her leadership pulled her 
7-day opt paperwork to allow her to continue her career. When 
her two years as an ALO was up, AFPC extended her at Fort Drum 
as an ALO for one additional year as a non-volunteer because she 
was a candidate for Intermediate Service School (ISS). Again, 
neither Flight Records or AFPC counseled her on the impact a one 
year extension in a non-flying position would have on her 
ability to meet her 12-year flying gate. 

 

After attending ISS in-residence, the Director of the Air Force 
Senior Leadership Management Office (AFSLMO) offered her an 
opportunity to build a Company Grade Officer (CGO) website 
immediately upon graduation. Therefore, AFPC slipped the start 
date of her flying requalification course from Jul 05 to Aug 05. 
This additional month would also have counted toward meeting her 
12-year gate, but neither Flight Records nor AFPC counseled her 
on the impact of this slip on her making her 12-year gate. 
Ultimately, after taking leave, she arrived at her next duty 
station for her flying requalification course after the middle 
of July. Had she arrived in the first half of July, July would 
also have counted toward her gate month requirements. However, 
she was still not aware of that fact and neither Flight Records 
nor AFPC notified her that she was missing her last chance to 
meet her 12-year gate. It was not until after she arrived at her 
requalification course that Flight Records notified her that she 
would miss her 96 month 12-year flying gate requirement by one 
month and there was no longer any way to make it up. 

 

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

 

_________________ ______________________________________________ 

 

STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

 

On 5 Mar 07, the applicant submitted an OFDA flying waiver to 
obtain credit for her 12-year flying gate. 

 

On 20 Jul 07, AF/A3O-A1F reviewed the applicant’s OFDA waiver 
request and denied it because she was ineligible for an OFDA 
waiver after selecting her seven-day option and a non-flying 
assignment. 

 

The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application are 
described in the letter prepared by the Air Force office of 
primary responsibility, which is attached at Exhibit C. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

AF/A3O-A1F recommends denial indicating there is no evidence of 
an error or an injustice. The Aviation Career Improvement Act 


(ACIA) of 1989 authorized the Secretary of the Air Force to 
waive OFDA requirements based on the needs of the service, of 
rated officers unable to meet flying gate requirements due to 
reasons beyond their control. In accordance with (IAW) Title 37 
U.S.C, Section 301s and AFI 36-2110, Assignments, it is Air 
Force policy that graduates of undergraduate flying training are 
assigned to operational flying duties until they have completed 
96 months of flying to the maximum extent possible. The 
applicant’s flying assignment which would have enabled her to 
accrue the 96 months of OFDA required to meet her 12-year gate 
was cancelled after her decision for a seven-day option due to 
lack of retainability. IAW AFI 11-401, Aviation Management, 
aircrew members are required to accomplish a flight records 
review annually. Flight records reviews are also required 
during any permanent change of station (PCS) action. Based on 
the PCS flight records documentation, she did not sign the 
report validating the review of her flight records during her 
PCS in 2001. The documentation also indicates her PCS reports 
were dated 25 Jun 01; therefore, we cannot validate the flight 
records office knew she was departing on 10 Jul 01. The 
applicant was never denied the opportunity for a flying 
assignment. IAW AFI 11-401, individuals who voluntarily turn 
down a flying opportunity or elect to move to a non-flying 
position which would preclude the possibility of meeting OFDA 
requirements are not eligible for OFDA waivers. Awarding OFDA 
and entitling her to continuous ACIP based on the information 
provided is contrary to public law established in the ACIA of 
1989. The applicant remains qualified for aviation service and 
could be entitled to conditional ACIP providing she is assigned 
an active flying position and performs minimum monthly flying 
hour requirements. 

 

A complete copy of the AF/A3O-A1F evaluation is at Exhibit C. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the 
applicant on 10 Dec 12 for review and comment within 30 days. 
As of this date, no response has been received by this office 
(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 an injustice. The applicant 
contends that having completing 95 months of flying toward the 
required 96 months to meet her 12-year flying gate, several 
circumstances outside her control precluded her from attaining 
96 months of flying credit within 12 years. While we note the 
comments from AF/AO3-A1F concerning the impact on OFDA gates of 
accepting a non-flying position and noting provisions of the 
governing instruction that place the responsibility for the 
review of flight records on the applicant, we believe a 
preponderance of the evidence indicates the applicant was the 
victim of an injustice. There were ample opportunities over 
several years within the Air Force assignment system to allow 
the applicant to complete the one additional month of flying 
required to obtain her 12-year gate; however, neither the Air 
Force Personnel Center nor Flight Records counseled her on her 
situation or took appropriate action to ensure she obtained the 
additional month. In fact, AF/AO3-A1F notes that on at least 
one occasion she would have obtained the additional month of 
flying credit had she simply delayed her permanent change of 
station (PSC) assignment by one week. We also note the 
unequivocal support the applicant’s former wing and squadron 
commander asserting the applicant has been treated unfairly. 
Therefore, in view of the above, we recommend her records be 
corrected as indicated below. 

 

4. The applicant’s case is adequately documented and it has not 
been shown that a personal appearance with or without counsel 
will materially add to our understanding of the issues involved. 
Therefore, the request for a hearing is not favorably 
considered. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT: 

 

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air 
Force relating to the APPLICANT be corrected to show that on 
15 February 2008 she completed 96 months of Operational Flying 
Duty Accumulator (OFDA) flying and met her 12-year OFDA flying 
gate. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2012-04708 in Executive Session on 9 Jul 13, under the 
provisions of AFI 36-2603: 

 

 Panel Chair 

 Member 

 Member 

 

 


All members voted to correct the records as recommended. The 
following documentary evidence pertaining to AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2012-04708 was considered: 

 

 Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 1 Aug 12, w/atchs. 

 Exhibit B. Applicant's Master Personnel Records 

 Exhibit C. Letter, AF/A30-A1F, dated 21 Nov 12. 

 Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 10 Dec 12. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Panel Chair