RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-01784 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: He be allowed to transfer his Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to his dependents. _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: He applied to transfer his benefits to his spouse on 16 January 2011 through the Veterans On-Line Application (VONAPP) and through the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) TEB website. Three months later he was notified by the Department of Veterans Affairs that his benefits were denied due to a lack of TEB on file. In support of his request, the applicant submits Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) documentation. The applicant's complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. _________________________________________________________________ STATEMENT OF FACTS: The relevant facts pertaining to this application, extracted from the applicant’s military records, are contained in the letter prepared by the appropriate office of the Air Force at Exhibit B. _________________________________________________________________ AIR FORCE EVALUATION: USAF/A1PA recommends denial. A1PA states the VONAPP is not the appropriate application site to apply to transfer Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to eligible dependents. In fact, the application site clearly advises the applicant not to use the VONAPP as an application to transfer benefits. The denial letter also advises the applicant must go to the DoD transferability application website to determine if applicant’s dependents are eligible to receive the transferred benefits. Applicants must submit a transfer request through the DMDC TEB website and wait for approval; the dependent can then apply to use the transferred benefits through the VONAPP site. The applicant does not provide any evidence that he submitted an application on or about 16 January 2011. A check of DMDC TEB reflects the only application submitted was on 11 April 2011. A check of AFPC RNT files confirms the April 2011 date as the one and only application date. The A1PA complete evaluation is at Exhibit C. _________________________________________________________________ APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: The applicant states his spouse decided to further her education and he would like to transfer his benefits to his spouse. After talking to VA counselors and the school’s financial aid office, he and his spouse were advised that they could pay for the tuition out of pocket and be reimbursed once the paperwork was processed through the AF and VA systems. He paid $10,000 out of his savings to cover what he thought would be a temporary expense. Had he known, he would not have gone through with the tuition payment. He believes the supporting documentation he provided led USAF/A1PA to believe that he tried to use the VONAPP as his sole means of transferring benefits. That was not the case. He merely sent an excerpt from that document to show that he began the process on 16 January 2011. He understood that he had to go through Air Force channels and the TEB website. He merely used that as a means of showing the process was initialized long before the current documented transfer date of 11 April 2011. He further states that errors were made in trying to transfer benefits because instructions were not clear. The applicant’s complete response, with attachments, is at Exhibit E. _________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT: 1. The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing law or regulations. 2. The application was timely filed. 3. Insufficient relevant evidence has been presented to demonstrate the existence of an error or injustice. After a thorough review of the evidence of record and the applicant’s submission, it is our opinion that relief is not warranted in this case. In view of the above and in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we find no basis to recommend granting the relief sought in this application. _________________________________________________________________ THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT: The applicant be notified the evidence presented did not demonstrate the existence of an error or injustice; the application was denied without a personal appearance; and the application will only be reconsidered upon the submission of newly discovered relevant evidence not considered with this application. _________________________________________________________________ The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2011-01784 in Executive Session on 30 January 2012, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: The following documentary evidence pertaining to AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2011-01784 was considered: Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 11 May 2011, w/atchs. Exhibit B. Letter, USAF/A1PA, dated 15 June 2011. Exhibit C. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 24 June 2011. Exhibit D. Letter, Applicant, dated 20 July 2011, w/atchs.