RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:				DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2007-02326
								INDEX CODE:  107.00
								COUNSEL:  NONE

								HEARING DESIRED:  NO

MANDATORY CASE COMPLETION DATE:  24 January 2009

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APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

His Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Air Force Commendation Medal (AFCM) be back-dated and included in his 2007/E-6 promotion score.

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APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

It was the commander’s intention to close-out the AFCM with a date prior to the promotion eligibility cutoff (PECD) date of 31 December 2006 for cycle 07E6.

In August 2006, a Permanent Change of Assignment (PCA) Air Force Achievement Medal (AFAM) DECOR-6 was ordered for his one-year assignment to the 2nd Medical Group (MDG), Barksdale AFB, LA, as he was PCAing to the 2nd Maintenance Operations Squadron (MOS) at Barksdale AFB.  

He subsequently received a PCS reassignment to the 12th Medical Group (MDG), Randolph AFB, TX, and the AFAM was withdrawn in order to award him the AFCM for his entire tour at Barksdale AFB.  He was assured that it would be awarded and closed-out prior to the PECD for the 2007/E6 promotion cycle, and would count with his score.  However, the DECOR-6, which was ordered on 1 October 2006, was not approved until February 2007, and the AFCM was not closed out until 28 March 2007.

His supervisor sent an AFCM back-date request to AFPC which was not acted upon.  The cutoff score for the 2007/E6 cycle was 314.52 and he scored 313.98, missing promotion by .54 points.  Had the AFAM been awarded as originally planned, he would have been promoted, and if the AFCM is back-dated, he would be eligible for promotion.

In support of his appeal, he has provided copies of two personal statements, letters from the 2nd MOS/MXOT, 12th MDG/CC, 12th FTW/CCC, and 12th MDG/CCC supporting back-dating his AFCM, Personnel Information, current as of 9 July 2007, Weighted Airman Promotion System (WAPS) Score Notice as of 8 June 2007, Enlisted Data Verification Record as of 11 July 2007, and extracts from AFI 36-2803 and AFI 36-2502.

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

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STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant is currently serving on active duty in the grade of SSgt (E-5) at Randolph AFB, TX.  His records reflect that his Date Departed Last Duty Station (DDLDS) is 28 March 2007, his Date Arrived Station (DAS) is 9 April 2007, and that he was awarded the AFCM for meritorious service for the period 25 March 2005 to 28 March 2007.

The applicant’s total-weighted-promotion-score for Cycle 07E6 was 313.98, and the score required for selection in his AFSC was 314.52.  If the decoration (worth 3 points) were counted in his total score, he would become a selectee for promotion, pending a favorable data verification check and the recommendation of his commander.  Promotion selections for this cycle were made on 6 June 2007, with a public release date of 14 June 2007.

AFI 36-2803, The Air Force Awards and Decorations Program, paragraph 2.3.1, states the following as pertains to the closeout date of a PCS decoration:  “…If the recommendation is based on a single assignment, the closeout date will not be before the member’s final MPF out-processing date…”.  

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AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPPPR recommends disapproval of changing the close-out date of the AFCM.  The AFCM is a valid decoration which was issued to the applicant for his completed tour at Barksdale AFB, LA, and his previous unit states their intention was to wait and provide a PCS decoration instead of a PCA decoration.  His tour at Barksdale was from 25 March 2005 to 28 March 2007, which coincides with the close-out date of the decoration 

The AFPC/DPPPR evaluation is at Exhibit C.

AFPC/DPSOE recommends denial.  They advise that there are two separate and distinct policies for approval of a decoration and the credit of a decoration for promotion purposes.  Current Air Force promotion policy, AFI 36-2502, Airman Promotion Program, Table 2.2, Rule 5, Note 2, {sic – should be Rule 7} dictates that before a decoration is credited for a specific promotion cycle, the close-out date of the decoration must be on or before the PECD, and the date of the DÉCOR-6, Request for Decoration Printout (RDP), must be before the date of selections for the cycle in question.  Each promotion cycle has an established PECD which is used to determine in what AFSC the member will be considered, as well as which performance reports and decorations will be used in the promotion consideration.  The PECD for cycle 07E6 was 31 December 2006.  In addition, a decoration that a member claims was lost, downgraded, etc., must be fully documented and verified showing that it was placed into official channels prior to the selection date.

A review of the applicant’s record indicates that this decoration closes-out well after the PECD, rendering it ineligible for promotion credit during Cycle 07E6.  There is no evidence to indicate the applicant tried to change the close-out date of the decoration until 15 June 2007, which is after selections were announced on 14 June 2007, when he discovered he missed promotion by less than one point.  He petitioned the Enlisted Promotion Management Section at AFPC through the administrative process, and his request was disapproved by the Chief of Enlisted Promotions on 28 June 2007.  The supporting documentation (letters from supervisor and commander) was not written until 15 June 2007 and 13 July 2007.

AFPC/DPPPR has reviewed this case and recommended that the applicant’s request to change the close-out date of the AFCM be denied.  The intent was to provide the applicant with a PCS decoration (AFCM) which covered his complete tour, 25 March 2005 to 28 March 2007, at Barksdale AFB, LA.

The AFPC/DPSOE evaluation is at Exhibit D.

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APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

The applicant responded in a letter dated 23 September 2007, stating that the recommendation and comments made by the OPRs are incorrect and unjust.

He states that his supervisor while at Barksdale AFB understood the AFI and completed all actions to have the decoration back-dated.  His supervisor sent a back-date request to AFPC on 1 January 2007; however, the OPR never corrected the error making him eligible for promotion.  He does not have the original letter as the OPR never returned it to him or his supervisor.  His supervisor did, however, write a new letter, dated 15 June 2007, after hearing that he missed being promoted due to the decoration.  This letter also states he sent the original letter on 1 January 2007, and he is not sure if the AFPC OPR reviewed this signed statement from his supervisor.

The OPR has stated that he never tried to fix the decoration until after the promotion selections were made; however, he has a signed memorandum from a SMSgt stating that he sent the original back-date request to the appropriate OPR at AFPC on 1 January 2007, well before selections were made.  He not only sent the memorandum from his supervisor at Barksdale AFB, but also sent memorandums signed by his current Group CMSgt, his current Group Commander, and his current Wing Command CMSgt.  All parties reviewed and investigated his case before he sent this correction package.

Applicant’s complete response, with attachments, is at Exhibit E.

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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 opinions and recommendations of the Air Force offices 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.  Although the Board is sympathetic to the applicant’s near-miss for promotion, evidence has been presented that his losing unit intended to award him a PCS decoration in lieu of a PCA decoration, and AFI 36-2803, The Air Force Awards and Decorations Program, paragraph 2.3.1, clearly states that if the award recommendation is based on a single assignment, the close-out date will not be before the member’s final Military Personnel Flight out-processing date.  Since his records reflect that his DDLDS is 28 March 2007, the closeout date of his AFCM appears to be correct, and since the PECD for Cycle 07E6 was 31 December 2006, it is not eligible for inclusion in his promotion score for that cycle.  Therefore, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we find no compelling basis to recommend granting the relief sought in this application.

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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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The following members of the Board considered Docket Number BC-2007-02326 in Executive Session on 25 October 2007, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

The following documentary evidence was considered:

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 12 Jul 07, w/atchs.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFPC/DPPPR, dated 30 Aug 07.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, AFPC/DPSOE, dated 15 Aug 07.
    Exhibit E.  Letter, Applicant, dated 23 Sep 07, w/atchs.
    Exhibit F.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 14 Sep 07.