RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
         AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:	DOCKET NUMBER:  01-01385
		INDEX NUMBER:  131.00

		COUNSEL:  None

		HEARING DESIRED: No

_______________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His Officer Selection Record (OSR) and Officer Selection Brief (OSB) that met the Calendar Year 2000A (CY00A) Lieutenant Colonel Central Selection Board (6 Nov 00) be corrected to include his board certification, promotion to Chief of Pediatric Surgery, his professional military training, his academic education, and decoration.

_______________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

Applicant provided copies of supporting documents to justify requested corrections.

The applicant’s complete submission is at Exhibit A.

_______________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The 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.  Accordingly, there is no need to recite these facts in this Record of Proceedings.

_______________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The Superintendent, Medical Accessions and Personnel Programs, AFPC/DPMAF2, evaluated this application and recommends denial of the applicant’s request.

The applicant’s OSB, dated 2 Nov 00, under the heading “Board Certified” reflects “No.”  The Medical Service Officer Management Division, AFPC/DPAMF1, did not receive the applicant’s American Board of Surgery certificate until on/or about 8 Feb 01.  This was three months after the CY00A lieutenant colonel selection board convened.

The complete evaluation is at Exhibit C.

The Chief, Officer Promotion and Appointment Branch, AFPC/DPPPOO, also evaluated this application and recommends denial of the applicant’s request.

The applicant was provided an Officer Preselection Brief (OPB) at the end of July, approximately 100 days prior to the board convening date.  Along with the OPB, he was provided an instruction sheet that outlined how to correct discrepancies prior to the start of a promotion board.  The instructions advised the applicant to call the officer records section to verify the OSR contained a copy of the certificate of board certification.  The applicant has not provided any information regarding what action he took prior to the board convening to ensure his certificate was filed prior to the board.

The instruction also advised the applicant to contact AFIT for update of all academic education data.  He has not provided any information as to why his professional degrees were not updated prior to the board.

Although applicant submitted a letter indicating he served as Chief of Pediatric Surgery, there is no indication that this was an official duty change.  To date, the personnel data system (PDS) still reflects the applicant as SURG PEDS effective 10 Sep 99, as it did for the 6 Nov 00 promotion board.

The applicant’s Air Force Achievement Medal for the period 16 Aug 00 to 19 Aug 00 was not approved until 9 Feb 01.  Therefore, it cannot be a part of his record for the CY00A promotion board.

The complete evaluation is at Exhibit D.

_______________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The applicant responded to the Air Force evaluations.  He states that he recognizes that the Air Force promotion system is highly competitive, but does not believe he was given a totally fair opportunity to be promoted.  He states that his personnel file was incomplete and his officer selection record was missing critically important data.

He believes the heart of the problem related to his non-selection were the years he spent at civilian academic centers receiving subspecialty training.  He states that he was only at his current duty assignment for one year when he met the promotion selection board in the zone.  He therefore had only one OPR by an active duty rater with all other evaluations being training reports from civilian raters.  Mid career training at civilian centers is required for physicians to meet the Air Force’s need for highly trained sub-specialists.

The applicant’s complete response is at Exhibit F.

_______________________________________________________________

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 probable error or injustice in regards to the applicant’s requests to note his promotion to Chief of Pediatric Surgery, his professional military training, academic education, and inclusion of the Air Force Achievement Medal in his Officer Selection Record (OSR).  The Board 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 office of primary responsibility and adopt their rationale as the basis for our conclusion that the applicant has not been the victim of an error or injustice regarding these issues.  Therefore, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we find no compelling basis to recommend granting the relief sought concerning these issues.

4.  Sufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of probable error or injustice in regards to correctly reflecting the applicant’s board certification on his OSB.  The Board notes that the applicant had only been on active duty for a little over a year when he was considered for promotion to lieutenant colonel and that he was, at the time, board certified.  While the Board recognizes that the applicant had a responsibility to ensure that his records were correct, the Board finds it reasonable that the applicant lacked familiarity with the process to update his records.  The Board also notes that the applicant had completed extensive medical training and education prior to entering active duty and believes that his consideration for promotion with an incomplete record could be perceived as an injustice.  Therefore, the Board recommends that the applicant’s 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 the Officer Selection Brief (OSB) viewed by the CY00A Lieutenant Colonel Medical Corp Central Selection Board be amended under the heading “Board Certified” to reflect “yes” instead of “no.”

It is further recommended that he be considered for promotion to the grade of lieutenant colonel by Special Selection Board (SSB) beginning with the CY00A Central Lieutenant Colonel Medical Corp Central Selection Board and any subsequent boards to which entitled with the corrected record.

_______________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered this application in Executive Session on 5 September 2001, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

All members voted to correct the records, as recommended.  The following documentary evidence was considered:

     Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 17 May 01, w/atchs.
     Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
     Exhibit C.  Memorandum, AFPC/DPMAF2, dated 24 May 01.
     Exhibit D.  Memorandum, AFPC/DPPPOO, dated 9 Jul 00.
     Exhibit E.  Letter, SAF/MIBR, dated 27 Jul 01.
     Exhibit F.  Memorandum, Applicant, dated 16 Aug 01.

                                   	
                                   Panel Chair

AFBCMR 01-01385

MEMORANDUM FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF

	Having received and considered the recommendation of the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records and under the authority of Section 1552, Title 10, United States Code (70A Stat 116), it is directed that:

	The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force relating to, be corrected to show that the Officer Selection Brief (OSB) viewed by the CY00A Lieutenant Colonel Medical Corp Central Selection Board be amended under the heading “Board Certified” to reflect “yes” instead of “no.”

	It is further directed that he be considered for promotion to the grade of lieutenant colonel by Special Selection Board (SSB) beginning with the CY00A Central Lieutenant Colonel Medical Corp Central Selection Board and any subsequent boards to which entitled with the corrected record.

			
		Director
		Air Force Review Boards Agency