United States Naval
Flight Surgeon Handbook
2nd Edition 1998
Aviator Evaluation Boards
References:
1. Navy Personnel
2. Marine Corps Personnel
Definitions:
-
FNAEB - Field Naval Aviator Evaluation Board
-
FNFOEB - Field Naval Flight Officer Evaluation Board
-
FFPB - Field Flight Performance Board (for USMC Aviator and
NFO's)
Purpose:
Flight performance boards are purely administrative in
nature, and are designed to ensure that only those officers who can
safely and competently perform their aviation duties
are so assigned. These boards are not to be considered as either a
forum for disciplinary or punitive action.
Aviation Designations:
The Chief, Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) confers
aviation designations through the Chief of Naval Education and
Training (CNATRA) to Aviators and NFO's, and NOMI, for Flight
Surgeons, SNAP's and SNAEPS's. The right to wear the aviation
designation insignia may be revoked by BUPERS, if such is recommended
by the Board. Aviation personnel assigned to flight billets are
required to maintain all physical exam, water survival, physiology
training and minimum flight time requirements and in addition,
perform their aviation duties safely and competently.
Flight disqualifications, Medical:
-
NPQ because of illness or injury. May require temporary
grounding, restriction to certain service groups if an aviator and
may necessitate waiver.
-
NAA in the Aeromedical sense, where the individual's ability
to adjust to stressors in the aviation environment has been
unsuccessful or maladaptive.
These are strictly medical considerations for termination of
flight status and are not grounds for appearance before an
evaluation board. In fact, the member must be found PQ and AA to
appear before a board to ensure that the question of his performance
is not due to a medical condition. (This does not preclude
appearance while NPQ recovering from an illness or injury unrelated
to performance questions).
Drug Abuse
Flight status and the right to wear the insignia are
permanently revoked and the member processed in accordance with
SECNAVINST 1920.6.
Voluntary termination of Flight Status:
Any designated aviation personnel who voluntarily request
termination from flight status must be:
A formal request to terminate must be submitted in five days to
the Commanding Officer, along with the Flight Surgeon Evaluation.
This is then submitted to BUPERS, and the individual reassigned. No
board is required, and the right to wear the insignia is not in
question.
Evaluation Boards:
After ruling out all the above issues that may remove an
individual from flight status, one other remains, the Evaluation
Board.
This board is convened to evaluate the performance, motivation and
behavior of an individual to determine whether he can safely and
competently continue in a flight status.
Convening Authority - immediate superior in command
Reasons to convene:
Board membership:
FNAEB & FFPB's
FNFOEB's
Proceedings:
Examinee is told of the reasons for the board.
Examinee is allowed to be present at all open sessions of the
board, and present information, witnesses and rebuttal.
Board members may not act as witnesses.
Medical evaluations of the examinee must be provided by a
different flight surgeon from the one on the board, unless
there are no other Flight Surgeons in the area. In that case,
the Flight Surgeon board member may do both duties as long as the
examinee waives this right in writing.
All of these principles are for the purpose of providing customary
standards of fairness in administrative proceedings.
Findings of the Board:
Type A. Continuation of Flight Status
-
At present duty assignment.
-
Transfer to another activity within the same administrative
command.
-
Transfer to another activity.
-
Probationary status for a definite period with consequences
for failure to meet the requirements of probation.
Type B. Termination of Flight Status with:
-
Right to wear the insignia
-
Revocation of the right to wear the insignia. This is
considered appropriate board action as a result of acts which
dishonor naval aviation or there has been willful and flagrant
violation of established rules, regulations and directives.
If evidence of illegal activities are uncovered during the
proceedings, these issues may be referred to other bodies for
additional action.
The Flight Surgeon member of the board will be expected to attend
all meetings of the board, provide interpretation of all aeromedical
aspects of the case, participate in all deliberations of the board
and provide any other assistance as required.
Reporting:
A formal report of the Boards findings is due to the first
endorser in the chain of command within 20 days of issuance of
the convening order. There is little time to waste preparing the
medical evaluation.
A number of documents are required in preparation of the report as
outlined in PERSMAN and the ACTS Manuals, but the Flight Surgeon
member shall see to presenting to the board the typed findings
of the examining Flight Surgeon, with any SF88's,
SF93, consultations
etc. Additionally, the Flight Surgeon member's findings and opinions
should include:
-
age, family constellation and marital status,
-
aviation background, study habits,
-
past illnesses, social problems, failures, medications,
-
life style, alcohol or drug use,
-
major life changes (stressors), especially in the last
year,
-
coping mechanisms and effectiveness under stress,
-
attitudes and motivation,
-
continuity of training (delays, groundings, etc.),
-
peer relationships,
-
interests, hobbies,
-
medical qualifications as per MANMED,
-
your overall impression of the aviator as a person.
If the opinion of the board is not unanimous, a dissenting opinion
may be submitted. There certainly have been recommendations made
which were less than completely fair due to domination of the
proceedings by the senior member, or the prevailing attitudes of the
command at the time of the board. If you strongly disagree with the
results of the board, by all means write a dissenting opinion. Please
recognize that this does not give license to impune the integrity of
the board, the command, the Navy or anything else. It is your
opportunity to bring to bear your special understanding of human
behaviors and logic applied to the aviation environment.
United States Naval Flight Surgeon Handbook: 2nd Edition
1998
The Society of U.S. Naval Flight Surgeons
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