RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS.


IN THE MATTER OF: 			DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2015-00857

  						COUNSEL:  NONE

						HEARING DESIRED:  NO 



APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

Her DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active 
Duty, be amended to reflect  rather than 


APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

Her DD 214 should be corrected to reflect her new name that was 
changed due to religious reasons.

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


STATEMENT OF FACTS:

The applicant initially entered active duty in the Regular Air 
Force on 5 April 2000.

On 4 October 2006, the applicant was honorably released from 
active duty and transferred to the Air Force Reserve in the 
grade of senior airman.  She was credited with 6 years and 6 
months of active service.

Effective 31 August 2012, the applicant’s name was changed in 
accordance with an Amended Final Judgment for Change of Name 
(Adult), Pasco County, Florida, which was provided by the 
applicant.

On 10 February 2016, the applicant was forwarded a copy of the 
SAF/MR memorandum, dated 9 March 2015, that was provided in 
order to comply with 10 U.S.C. §1556.  Specifically, the 
memorandum notes that the DD Form 214 is a document primarily 
created for the benefit of the veteran to establish entitlement 
to various government programs or in seeking employment with 
organizations that grant a veterans' preference.  However, any 
such name change should be limited only to the DD Form 214; any 
change to an applicant’s other records to reflect a post-service 
name change should rarely be recommended, and only in the most 
unusual cases.  The AFBCMR should require proof that the 
applicant’s name was legally changed.  A signed and 
authenticated court order should be required.  Further, the 
correction should be to the DD Form 214 and for the limited 
purposes of mitigating an injustice caused by use of the 
DD Form 214 (Exhibit E).

The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application are 
contained in the memorandum prepared by the Air Force office of 
primary responsibility (OPR), which is attached at Exhibit C.


AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFPC/DPSIRP recommends denial indicating there is no evidence of 
an error or an injustice.

Air Force Instruction 36-2608, Military Personnel Records 
System, Table A7.3, Note 5, states “Do not correct records of 
former members unless evidence proves the name used while 
serving with the Air Force was erroneously recorded.”  A review 
of the applicant’s records showed her service dates were from 
5 April 2000 through 4 October 2006.  Further review showed that 
she enlisted, served, and was discharged under the name 
annotated on her DD Form 214.  The court order changing the 
applicant’s name, dated 31 August 2012, is after her period of 
service.  Since the applicant has no continuing affiliation with 
the Air Force as a Reserve member or retiree, DPSIRP is unable 
to amend the applicant’s military record after the fact.

A complete copy of the AFPC/DPSIRP 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 19 June 2015 for review and comment within 30 days 
(Exhibit D).  As of this date, no response has been received by 
this office.


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.  We took 
notice of the applicant’s complete submission in judging the 
merits of the case; however, we agree with the opinion and 
recommendation of AFPC/DPSIRP and adopt its rationale as the 
basis for our conclusion the applicant has not been the victim 
of an error or injustice.  While we acknowledge the applicant’s 
request to change her name, we do not believe she has 
demonstrated evidence of an injustice, as compared to others in 
her similar situation.  Therefore, in the absence of evidence to 
the contrary, we find no basis to recommend granting the 
requested relief.


THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT:

The applicant be notified the evidence presented did not 
demonstrate the existence of material error or injustice; the 
application was denied without a personal appearance; and the 
application will only be reconsidered upon the submission of 
newly discovered relevant evidence not considered with this 
application.


The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2015-00857 in Executive Session on 15 March 2016 under 
the provisions of AFI 36-2603:


The following documentary evidence pertaining to AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2015-00857 was considered:

	Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 3 February 2015, w/atchs.
	Exhibit B.  Applicant’s Master Personnel Records.
	Exhibit C.  Memorandum, AFPC/DPSIRP, dated 17 March 2015.
	Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 19 June 2015.
	Exhibit E.  Letter, AFBCMR, dated 10 February 2016, w/atch.












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