PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:  

	BOARD DATE:           23 September 1999  
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR1999026516

	I certify that hereinafter is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in the case of the above-named individual.  

	Mr. Loren G. Harrell		Director	
	Mrs. Nancy Amos		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Ernest M. Willcher		Chairperson	
	Mr. Melvin H. Meyer		Member	
	Ms. Barbara J. Ellis		Member	

	The applicant and counsel if any, did not appear before the Board.

	The Board considered the following evidence:

	Exhibit A - Application for correction of military 
                records
	Exhibit B - Military Personnel Records (including
	            advisory opinion, if any)

FINDINGS:

1.  The applicant has exhausted or the Board has waived the requirement for exhaustion of all administrative remedies afforded by existing law or regulations.

2.  The applicant requests that his records be corrected to show he reenlisted on 23 December 1996.

3.  The applicant states that, had he been properly informed, he would have reenlisted on 23 December 1996, the date his military occupational specialty (MOS) was authorized a selective reenlistment bonus (SRB).

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he enlisted in the Regular Army on 20 July 1993 for 4 years.  On 19 December 1996, he reenlisted for 3 years.  On this date also, Military Personnel Message #97-038, Subject:  Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) Program, was released over the RETAIN (reenlistment) system.  The message authorized an SRB for MOS 31U, the applicant’s primary MOS, effective 23 December 1996.

5.  In the processing of this case, an advisory opinion was obtained from the Retention Management Division, U. S. Total Army Personnel Command.  That office opined that if the applicant had been properly counseled he would have delayed his reenlistment until 23 December 1996 for bonus entitlement.  

6.  The applicant was provided a copy of the advisory opinion but failed to respond within the given time frame.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The Board concludes that an injustice occurred in this case.  Had the applicant been properly counseled by his unit retention non-commissioned officer, he would have delayed his reenlistment until 23 December 1996, when he would have been entitled to an SRB.

2.  In view of the foregoing, it would be in the interest of justice to correct the applicant’s records as recommended below.

RECOMMENDATION:

1.  That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by amending the applicant’s DD Form 4/1 to show he reenlisted on     23 December 1996 for SRB-0.5A, MOS 31U.

2.  That the Defense Finance and Accounting Service pay the applicant in accordance with his SRB entitlement.

BOARD VOTE:  

__emw___  __mhm__  __bje___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		Ernest M. Willcher
		______________________
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1999026516	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	19990923	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	(GRANT)	
REVIEW AUTHORITY		
ISSUES         1.	112.05	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.