RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2012-03930 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His fitness assessments (FAs), dated 27 October 2010, 26 January 2011, 26 April 2011, 15 July 2011 and 13 April 2012, be removed from the Air Force Fitness Management System (AFFMS). ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: On 12 April 2012, he was diagnosed with hypogonadism. While there is no way to determine how long he has been affected by this, his primary care manager believes it has been undiagnosed for at least two years. This condition had a direct impact on his ability to maintain fitness standards. Approximately three years ago, he reported suffering from fatigue as well as persistent headaches for about six months. He was diagnosed with sleep apnea and told to lose weight. While deployed, he was selected to retrain. He attended technical school in August and reassigned to Travis Air Force Base, California. He took a FA on 27 October 2010; it was one of the worst scores ever recorded. He was placed on a mandatory physical training (PT) program for five days a week for the following two years. He improved drastically; yet, he could not achieve a minimum passing score on his FA. He was still extremely fatigued, sore and the headaches also persisted. He contributed these symptoms to sleep apnea and the PT sessions. After his fourth FA failure in July 2011, he was prepared to separate from the Air Force. He was selected for another deployment. He began running twice a day and he completed push- ups and sit-ups hourly. After the third month, he began to feel uncharacteristically irritable and extremely fatigued. Once he returned from his deployment, the ordeal was all but forgotten. After being home for a month, he began to feel fatigued again and the headaches returned. However, this time he also began to feel dizzy and lightheaded. On 10 April 2012, he sought treatment for what he believed was depression and was diagnosed with Hypogonadism. This meant his body was either unwilling or unable to produce a sufficient amount of testosterone to function properly. It also caused fatigue and a decrease in muscle mass. He was prescribed a testotosterone supplement and his well being dramatically improved. He believes this condition has been the reason he has been unable to meet and maintain Air Force standards. There is no way to determine how long he has been affected by this condition. He is currently being reevaluated for sleep apnea. Once all of this is sorted out and the testosterone is supplemented, he believes he will be able to exceed the fitness standards. 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 staff sergeant. The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this case are contained in the letter prepared by the Air Force office of primary responsibility which is at Exhibit B. ________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPSIM recommends approval of removing the cardio, sit-up and push-up portions of the FAs dated 13 April 2012, 15 July 2011 and 26 April 2011. The applicant provided an AF Form 469, Duty Limiting Condition Report, with an expiration date of 20 July 2012 and an AF Form 422, Notification of Air Force Member’s Qualifications Status, exempting him form all components of the FA, except the abdominal circumference. He also provided a memorandum from his primary care manager stating his FA failures dated, 13 April 2012, 15 July 2011 and 26 April 2011, should be invalidated due to the likelihood the applicant had a slow progressing affect from his low testosterone. The 26 January 2011 FA is questionable. AFI 36-2905, Fitness Program, para 4.2.5 states that all members will complete the abdominal circumference assessment unless there is a composite exemption or, under rare circumstances, a component exemption determined by the Exercise Physiologist/Fitness Program Manager (EP/FPM) upon the recommendation of a provider. The cardio, sit-up and push-up components of the each FA dated, 13 April 2012, 15 July 2011 and 26 April 2011, should be updated to reflect exempt in AFFMS. The members overall fitness assessments will change to reflect the following: 13 April 2012 (72.00_- Unsatisfactory), 15 July 2011 (53.00 – Unsatisfactory) and 26 April 2011 (47.00 – unsatisfactory). There is no documentation to support removal of the 27 October 2010 FA. The complete DPSIM evaluation, with attachments, is at Exhibit B. ________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the applicant on 26 November 2012, for review and comment within 30 days (Exhibit C). As of this date, this office has received no response. ________________________________________________________________ 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 an error or injustice with regard to the applicant’s request to remove the contested FAs from the AFFMS. With respect to the 27 October 2010 FA, we note the applicant has provided no evidence to indicate that at the time of this contested FA, he had a duty limiting medical condition that precluded him from obtaining a successful score. Concerning the remaining FAs, we find insufficient evidence to warrant their removal in their entirety. In view of the above and in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we find no basis upon which to recommend favorable consideration of his request to remove the contested FAs from the AFFMS. 4. Notwithstanding the above determination, we believe some relief is warranted. We took note of the recommendation of the office of primary responsibility to “exempt” the applicant from the sit-up, push-up and cardio components of the 13 April 2012, 15 July 2011 and 26 April 2011 FAs in AFFMS and agree the record should be corrected accordingly. We also find that the FA dated 26 January 2011 should be corrected based on the physician’s opinion that the applicant’s medical condition may have affected this assessment, as well. However, our review of the applicant’s fitness assessment history reflects that the 13 April 2012 assessment already reflects the “exempt” status therefore; Board action on this FA assessment is not required. Therefore, we recommend the applicant’s records be corrected only to the extent 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 sit- up, push-up and cardio components of the Fitness Assessments dated 15 July 2011, 26 April 2011 and 26 January 2011, be updated to reflect “exempt” and all other components remain in the Air Force Fitness Management System. ________________________________________________________________ The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2012-03930 in Executive Session on 4 April 2013 under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: Panel Chair Member Member All members voted to correct the record, as recommended. The following documentary evidence was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 7 Aug 12, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Letter, AFPC/DPSIM, dated 14 Nov 12, w/atch. Exhibit C. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 26 Nov 12.