RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:	DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2013-03653

			COUNSEL:  NONE

			HEARING DESIRED: YES

________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

He be given a 3P071 (B) Combat Arms Training and Marksmanship 
(CATM) shred assignment or be allowed to retrain into another 
career field.  

________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

1.  He was drawn to the Air Force because the CATM job he was 
offered seemed like something he wanted to do and he wanted an 
assignment in the United Kingdom (UK) or Japan.  The Air Force 
(AF) took a great interest in his varied background and equally 
pursued him.  He believed that the AF was the way to go; 
however, it took almost a year to be released from the Army.  He 
was slotted for a CATM position and was originally, slated for 
an assignment in the UK.  He was later told that he could not go 
overseas and would lose rank despite his being prior Active Army 
and having a promotion line number to the rank of E-7, 
Specialist First Class (SFC).  He accepted this and went forward 
with the transfer.  

2.  At the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS), he 
looked at his enlistment papers and noticed that there was no 
mention of CATM, only Security Forces.  He inquired and was told 
that this was something that would be handled at Lackland Air 
Force Base (AFB) not at MEPS.  At Lackland AFB, he was told that 
MEPS was the place that it should have been addressed.  He was 
also told that the calculation for his rank may have been wrong 
and he should have kept his E-6 rank.  The representative at 
Lackland AFB told him to address his issues with his unit at 
Andrews AFB when he arrived.  

3.  At Andrews AFB they had no idea who or what he was and he 
was immediately sent to Bolling AFB.  After four months of just 
straight confusion on all sides and not receiving pay of any 
kind, he resorted to living in a converted tool shack.  When the 
mission support group commander (MSG/CC) found out, he was moved 
into the barracks.  He was then sent to Afghanistan where he 
earned a Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) for his services.  Upon 
his return, he was finally reunited with his family after almost 
a year because of the pay problems and job instability.  

4.  He interacted with the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC), 
Assignment Management System (AMS), his base commander, unit 
commander, and military personnel flight (MPF) during the entire 
timeframe in order to rectify the issues as well as to obtain a 
new job.  If he wanted to be a cop, he would have stayed with 
the Army and lost nothing.  It has been almost four years.  He 
has given and will continue to give his all as a noncommissioned 
officer (NCO) should, but he has never been able to do the job 
the AF promised him.  As a promotion eligible E6, he never will 
be able to do the CATM instructor job the AF promised him.  He 
requests to be allowed to retrain into another career field.  

In support of his request, the applicant provides a personal 
statement, and copies of email correspondence and an AMS job 
application transaction log.  

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.  

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AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AETC/AFRS does not make a recommendation; but provides an 
informational advisory.  AFRS states the applicant began working 
with an AF recruiter in November 2007 to reenter the military as 
a prior service CATM member.  During that time, the option for a 
CATM position was listed on the AF Prior Service reentry matrix 
so that previous military CATM specialists would be allowed 
reentry at any rank and years of service (YOS).  Originally, the 
applicant's YOS and rank credit had him returning as an E-4. It 
was at that time that his original reentry request was made for 
the CATM job through AFRS to AFPC.  The applicant's original 
assignment had him entering the AF on 23 April 2008, in the rank 
of E-4 as a CATM member.  Due to his not being released in time 
from the Army Reserves, his original entry was cancelled and he 
was provided with a new date of 24 July 2008.  While waiting for 
his new reentry date, his YOS rank credit was recalculated and 
his rank was upgraded to E-5; however, his promised job was not 
changed.  It was only after the applicant, and others after him, 
reentered that Recruiting Service was notified by the Security 
Forces Chief Functional Manager that they were no longer 
accepting CATM reentries above the rank of E-4.  The applicant 
entered the AF during a change in policy in reference to who 
could reenter as a CATM.  It is clear that throughout his 
reenlistment process both Recruiting Service and the applicant's 
conversation and intention were for him to reenter active duty 
as a CATM member. 

The complete AETC/AFRS evaluation is at Exhibit C.

AFPC/DPSIPE recommends denial.  DPSIPE states that after a 
thorough review of the applicant’s military personnel record and 
other supporting documentation, there does not appear to be an 
error or injustice in the enlistment process. 

The complete AFPC/DPSIPE evaluation is at Exhibit D.

AFPC/DPSOA recommends denial.  DPSOA states that the applicant 
is assigned overseas in the Security Forces career field and 
applied for retraining on 18 June 2013.  On 20 June 2013, he was 
notified of his ineligibility to retrain due to his 
13 November 2016, Date Eligible to Return from Overseas (DEROS).  
Retraining opportunities are subject to the Airman's 
availability at the time of the application.  Airmen must be 
available to attend training during the Fiscal Year (FY) 
applicable to the retraining program at the time the retraining 
request is processed.  The applicant applied during the FY14 
Noncommissioned Officer Retraining Program (NCORP) and was not 
eligible due to his DEROS.  Additionally, Airmen are returned to 
3POX1 upon promotion to Technical Sergeant and award of the 7-
skill level; therefore, Technical Sergeants are not authorized 
to retrain to 3POX1B.  The applicant is projected to meet 
retraining eligibility criteria when the FYl7 Enlisted 
Retraining Program is released.  He can reapply at that time if 
there are retraining “out” quotas for his grade in the 3POX1 
career field.  

The complete AFPC/DPSOA evaluation is at Exhibit E.

________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

Copies of the Air Force evaluations were forwarded to the 
applicant on 24 April 2014 for review and comment within 30 days 
(Exhibit F).  To date, a response has not been received.  

________________________________________________________________

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 an injustice.  After 
careful consideration of the evidence of record and the 
applicant’s complete submission, we are persuaded that relief is 
warranted.  We took note of AFPC/DPSIPE and AFPC/DPSOA 
recommendation to deny.  However, due to the applicant entering 
the Air Force during a change in policy to who could reenter as 
a Combat Arms Training and Marksmanship (CATM) member, the 
applicant suffered an injustice by not being accessed in the Air 
Force as promised.  Sufficient evidence has been presented that 
the Recruiting Service’s intention as well as the applicant’s 
was to enter active duty as a CATM member.  Notwithstanding, we 
note the AFPC/DPSOA explanation that Airmen are returned to the 
Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) 3POX1 (Security Forces) upon 
promotion to the rank of Technical Sergeant and award of the 7-
skill level; therefore, Technical Sergeants are not authorized 
to retrain to the 3POX1B CATM AFSC thereby rendering the 
applicant ineligible.  Therefore, since the applicant’s 
requested retraining in a CATM assignment is not possible, we 
believe he should be afforded the opportunity to retrain.  
Therefore, in order to resolve any potential injustice to the 
applicant, we believe correcting the record in the manner 
indicated below will provide the applicant proper and fitting 
relief.  Accordingly, we recommend his 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 issue(s) 
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 APPLICANT be corrected to show that:
      a.  He is eligible to apply for retraining under the Fiscal 
Year (FY) FY15 Noncommissioned Officer Retraining Program 
(NCORP). 

      b.  His Date of Return from Overseas is not to be 
considered as an eligibility factor and will be curtailed to 
accommodate the approved retraining class date he is selected 
for.

________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered this application 
in Executive Session on 12 June 2014, under the provisions of 
AFI 36-2603:

		, Panel Chair
		, Member
		, Member

The following documentary evidence pertaining to AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2013-03653 was considered:

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 13 July 2013, w/atchs.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant’s Master Personnel Record.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AETC/AFRS, dated August 2013.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPSIPE dated 27 December 2013.
    Exhibit E.  Letter, AFPC/DPSOA, dated 9 April 2014
    Exhibit F.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 25 April 2014