IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 16 June 2016 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160008341 BOARD VOTE: ___x_____ ___x___ ___x____ GRANT FULL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING ________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION 2 Enclosures 1. Board Determination/Recommendation 2. Evidence and Consideration IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 16 June 2016 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160008341 BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: The Board determined the evidence presented is sufficient to warrant a recommendation for relief. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by: a. Showing he was promoted to sergeant/E-5 effective 1 September 2015. b. Paying him any pay and allowances that he may be entitled to as a result of these corrections. __________x_______________ CHAIRPERSON I certify that herein is recorded the true and complete record of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in this case. IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 16 June 2016 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160008341 THE BOARD CONSIDERED THE FOLLOWING EVIDENCE: 1. Application for correction of military records (with supporting documents provided, if any). 2. Military Personnel Records and advisory opinions (if any). THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant requests promotion to sergeant (SGT)/pay grade E-5 effective 1 September 2015. 2. The applicant states: a. He was deployed with the 28th Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Company in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS) from 16 May through 3 September 2015, on the derivative unit identification code (UIC) WB3VA1. When the UIC was created, paid parachute positions (PPP) were not annotated for billeting due to an administrative oversight. b. He has maintained static line proficiency throughout this period, has been promotable, and was billeted in a PPP prior to and upon return from deployment. While deployed he supported the 75th Ranger Regiment in a valid PPP position. c. Through no fault of his own, he was inadvertently denied promotion during this time period due to the promotion points worksheet (PPW) not calculating his Airborne Advantage. d. His Soldier Data Sheet displays his historical promotion points as of 7 August 2015 at 629 points. The addition of the Airborne Advantage points that should have been attributed would have brought his point total to 649. The U. S. Army Human Resources Command (HRC) memo, dated 21 August 2015, lists the military occupational specialty (MOS) 89D (EOD) cutoff score for September 2015 as 645. e. His company, battalion, and command group have all recommended approval of an administrative records correction, which was not fulfilled by HRC. 3. The applicant provides: * 192nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD) memorandum, subject: Promotion Board Proceedings for Promotion to SGT/Staff Sergeant (SSG), dated 12 November 2014 * 192nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD) memorandum for record, subject: Statement of Responsibility for Semi-Centralized Promotions in Accordance with Army Regulation 600-8-19 (Enlisted Promotions and Reductions), dated 29 October 2014 * Recommended List for Promotion of Enlisted Personnel, dated 7 May 2015 * HRC memorandum, subject: Department of the Army (DA) Promotion Point Cutoff Scores for 1 September 2015 and Junior Enlisted Issues for the Active Army, dated 21 August 2015 * HRC memorandum, Subject: Request for Administrative Record Correction, dated 4 February 2016 * 28th Ordnance Company (EOD) (Airborne) memorandum, subject: Administrative Records Correction Request for [applicant], dated 5 November 2016 * 192nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD) memorandum, subject: Promotion Board Proceedings for Promotion to SGT/staff sergeant (SSG), dated 12 November 2014 * four PPWs * two Enlisted Record Briefs (ERBs) * Promotion Checklist * DA Form 705 (Army Physical Fitness Test Scorecard) * DA Form 5790-R (Record Firing Scorecard) * Board Recommendation * Current Soldier Data CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. On 8 June 2011, the applicant enlisted in the Regular Army. He completed basic combat and advanced individual training and was awarded MOS 89D. 2. He was promoted to specialist (SPC)/pay grade E-4 on 1 February 2013. 3. The applicant provides the following unofficial copies of his PPWs showing that effective: * 13 November 2014 he had 447 his total promotion points * 13 May 2015 he had 624 total promotion points * 19 May 2015 he had 604 total promotion points * 1 August 2015 he had 629 total promotion points 4. He provides a memorandum from 192nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD), dated 12 November 2014, subject: Promotion Board Proceedings for Promotion to SGT and SSG, recommending the applicant for promotion to SGT (his promotion points are not shown on the memorandum). The board recommended integration of the Soldiers identified for promotion into the promotion standing list. The board proceedings were approved by the Commander, 192nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD), on 12 November 2014. 5. An HRC memorandum for U.S. Army Promotion Work Centers, dated 21 August 2015, subject: DA Promotion Point Cutoff Scores for 1 September 2015 and Junior Enlisted Issues for the Active Army, announced promotion point cutoff scores for 1 September 2015. a. Soldiers could be promoted to SGT on 1 September 2015 provided they: * were otherwise eligible and held recommended list status as of 20 July 2015 through 4 August 2015 * met or exceeded the cutoff score as they appear beginning on page 7 of the memorandum (the cutoff score for MOS 89D in the primary zone was shown as 645) b. The primary zone for SGT was 35 months of time in service (TIS) and 7 months of time in grade (TIG). 6. On 5 November 2015, the applicant’s command submitted an administrative records correction to HRC, requesting the applicant be promoted to SGT. They stated that: a. The applicant was deployed with 28th EOD ISO OFS from 16 May 2015 through 3 September 2015 and was on the derivative UIC WB3VA1 when this UIC was created. PPPs were not annotated for billeting due to an administrative oversight. b. The applicant maintained static line proficiency throughout the period that he has been promotable and was billeted in a PPP prior to and upon return from deployment. c. He was inadvertently denied promotion during this period due to the PPW not calculating for his Airborne Advantage points. d. His Current Soldier Data Sheet displays his historical points. As of 7 August 2015, he had 629 points. The addition of his Airborne Advantage points that were removed during his deployment brings his promotion point total to 649. e. An HRC memorandum, dated 21 August 2015, lists the 89D cutoff score for promotion to SGT during September 2015 as 645. f. The applicant should be promoted to SGT since he exemplifies what the Army expects from a junior noncommissioned officer. His technical skill within the field of EOD is far ahead of his peers and he has proven himself a competent leader in support of Special Operations Forces through three combat deployments in Afghanistan. 7. An HRC memorandum, subject: Request for Administrative Records Correction [applicant], dated 4 February 2016, states that the applicant was not slotted until 3 September 2015, after the cutoff date. In accordance with Army Regulation 600-8-19, paragraph 3-31f, no Soldier will be promoted as an administrative records correction when a determination is made that their automated promotion score is inaccurate as a result of missing personnel or training data. Immediate action must be taken to update the supporting personnel and training databases to capture accurate information so updated automated promotion scores can be utilized to determine the following month’s established cutoff scores. 8. The applicant provides two ERBs. * the ERB dated 3 November 2015 shows his promotion points as 667 effective August 2015 * the ERB dated 12 November 2014 does not show his promotion points REFERENCES: 1. Army Regulation 600-8-19 prescribes policies and procedures governing promotion and reduction of Army enlisted personnel. Paragraph 3-1c states promotions to SGT and SSG are executed in a semi-centralized manner. a. Field operations will handle board appearance, promotion point calculation, promotion list maintenance, and the final execution of the promotions occur in the field in a decentralized manner. b. Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) operations will handle promotion cutoff scores and the monthly SGT/SSG promotion selection by-name list, which are determined and announced monthly. c. HQDA and HRC will determine the needs of the Army by grade and MOS. d. A Soldier's total points are forwarded through the appropriate database, as determined by HRC, to the automated system. These points are consolidated into an Army-wide listing of eligible Soldiers by MOS maintained in the automated system. A determination is then made for each MOS as to what promotion point cutoff score would promote the desired number of Soldiers to meet the needs of the Army in a specific month. e. The importance of accuracy and timeliness in submission of data to the database cannot be overemphasized. Only visible scores will be considered. 2. Military Personnel (MILPER) Message Number 11-233, dated 28 July 2011, provides additional guidance for the semi-centralized promotion system, including discontinuation of exceptions to policy (ETPs) for promotions and introduction of the process and procedures for administrative records correction. It states: a. Effective 1 June 2011, ETPs for promotion are no longer authorized. b. The administrative records correction was a new process aimed at achieving personnel/training data base accuracy used to establish SSG and SGT promotions effective 1 June 2011 and later. The promotion authority may submit a request for an administrative records correction in cases that would previously require an ETP due to an unavoidable circumstance that is no fault of the Soldier, S-1, Military Personnel Division (MPD), or promotions work center. The request must be fully justified, signed by the promotion authority, and submitted to HRC for approval. c. Failure on behalf of the Soldier, unit, S-1, MPD, or promotion work center to update a Soldier's record, integrate a Soldier into the promotion standing list, or failure to remove a flag is not grounds for reconsideration under the administrative records correction process. DISCUSSION: 1. The applicant was recommended for promotion to SGT by 192nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD) Promotion Board on 12 November 2014. The Promotion Board recommended his placement on the integrated PPW. 2. At the time HRC announced the promotion point cutoff scores for 1 September 2015, he met the TIS and TIG requirements for the primary zone for SGT. The cutoff score for the primary zone was 645. 3. According to HRC, he was not slotted in a parachutist position until after the published cutoff date of 3 September 2015. 4. MILPER Message Number 11-233 establishes that ETPs are no longer authorized and introduces the process and procedures for administrative records correction. The message also states the promotion authority may submit a request for an administrative records correction for cases that would previously require an ETP due to an unavoidable circumstance that is no fault of the Soldier, S-1, Military Personnel Division (MPD), or promotions work center. 5. Notwithstanding HRC’s denial for an administrative records correction, the evidence shows when the Soldier deployed a derivative UIC was created and due to an administrative oversight PPPs were not annotated for billeting, impacting the visibility of his PPP Airborne Advantage points in his official records and PPW. Had his Airborne Advantage points reflected accurately in his records, he would have made the cutoff score for promotion to SGT in September 2015. //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings AR20150000953 Enclosure 1 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20160008341 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20160008341 6 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 2