Opinion ID: 470137
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Agency's Actions

Text: 2 In 1978, the appellant, Wilson, worked as an Operations Evaluation Specialist, GS-13, with the Selective Service System (Selective Service or agency). He was responsible for analyzing and evaluating the agency's ability to mobilize forces in the event of a national emergency. As a result of this work, he became concerned that the agency was unable to meet the statutory preparedness requirements established in section 10(h) of the Military Selective Service Act, 50 U.S.C. app. Sec. 460(h). 3 Between November 6 and November 25, 1978, after his superiors had apparently ignored his efforts to address the problem, Wilson delivered material outlining his concern over military preparedness to the Secret Service detail at the White House for transmittal to President Carter. The Secret Service informed the agency of Wilson's correspondence with the President, and provided the agency with copies of the material Wilson had delivered. 4 Shortly thereafter, Wilson's supervisor reviewed some of the correspondence with the Chief of Mental Health Services at Malcolm Grow Air Force Medical Center, who advised that Wilson's mental health should be further evaluated. To that end, by letter of November 28, 1978, the Administrative and Logistics Manager of the Selective Service directed Wilson to undergo a psychiatric fitness-for-duty examination, and placed him on enforced sick leave status effective immediately, pending receipt of the evaluation report. 5 Wilson refused to submit to an examination, and on April 25, 1979, the agency applied to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for an agency-filed disability retirement for Wilson. However, the OPM remanded the application to the agency, because it had failed to comply with the conditions for filing such an application. Specifically, the OPM found that the agency failed to make a preliminary determination that Wilson's performance, attendance, or behavior were below an acceptable level. Furthermore, the OPM found that the agency had not made a prima facie case that his service was not useful or efficient. The OPM decision stated that the letters Wilson had written to the President were not the type of behavior which related directly to his performance or constituted a basis for separation. 6 After the agency resubmitted the application for disability retirement on August 23, 1979, the OPM again remanded it to the agency, stating that the agency still had not complied with the requisite procedures for retiring Wilson. Again, the OPM stated that the evidence submitted by the agency was not substantive evidence which clearly and convincingly showed Wilson's inefficiency. The OPM suggested that because of the lapse of time, the agency should consider terminating the application and, at the very least, restore Wilson to active duty status while proceeding with the application. The agency did neither.