PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF:        

	BOARD DATE:           10 January 2002
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR2001060610

	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. Carl W. S. Chun		Director	
	Mrs. Carolyn G. Wade		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. Fred N. Eichorn		Chairperson	
	Mr. Ted S. Kanamine		Member	
	Mr. John T. Meixell		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 her rank at the time of enlistment be corrected from private/E-2 to private first class/E-3.

3.  The applicant states that her rank at the time of enlistment should have been private first class/E-3 due to her having completed 70.5 semester hours of college credit.  She notes that she did not sign Block 34 (Recertification and Correction of Data), DD Form 1966, Record of Military Processing – Armed Forces of the United States, to make correction to her rank prior to enlistment.

4.  The applicant’s military records show that she enlisted in the Regular Army for a period of 3 years on 9 January 2001 in the rank of private/E-2.  At the time of her enlistment, the applicant had successfully completed 70.5 classroom semester hours without obtaining a 4-year degree from an accredited college or university.

5.  Army Regulation (AR) 601-210, chapter 2, paragraph 2-20(f) provides the criteria for accelerated promotion to private first class/E-3 (PFC).  It states that a soldier must have completed 60 or more classroom semester hours or 90 or more quarter hours without a 4-year degree from an accredited college or university in order to enlist as a PFC.

6.  The United States Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) Message Number 00-008 implemented an immediate change to AR 601-210, paragraph 2-20 (e) and (f), “Enlistment Pay Grades for Personnel Without Prior Service (PS).”  Paragraph 2-20 (f) changed semester hours from 60 to 48 or more and quarter hours from 90 to 72 or more.

7.  In the processing of this case, a staff advisory opinion (COPY ATTACHED) was obtained from the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel (ODCSPER).  The ODCSPER opined that the supporting documentation provided by the applicant substantiated administrative relief of her request for accelerated promotion to the rank of PFC.  The ODCSPER concluded that the applicant’s college transcripts did confirm her entitlement to enlist as a PFC, therefore, she should have been promoted accordingly to the rank of PFC based on the documentation she provided on her initial enlistment.  The ODCSPER recommended full administrative relief.

8.  On 19 September 2001, the applicant concurred with the advisory opinion.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The evidence of record and staff advisory opinion confirm that the applicant met the requirements for accelerated promotion to the rank of PFC at the time of enlistment.

2.  In view of the foregoing, the applicant’s records should be corrected as recommended below.

RECOMMENDATION:

That all of the Department of the Army records related to this case be corrected by changing the rank of the individual concerned to reflect that she entered the Army in the rank of PFC.

BOARD VOTE:  

_FNE____  _TSK___  ___JTM_  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		     __Fred N. Eichorn__
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR2001060610	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20020110	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	GRANT	
REVIEW AUTHORITY	DASA	
ISSUES         1.	129.0500	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.