RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS. IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2015-01042 COUNSEL: NONE HEARING DESIRED: NO APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: His records be corrected to reflect he changed his Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) coverage from “Child Only” to “Spouse Only” within one year of his 12 Dec 12 marriage. APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: He didn’t find out until after the first anniversary of his marriage, that he needed to update his election of a beneficiary for SBP coverage. The applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A. STATEMENT OF FACTS: The applicant initially entered the Regular Air Force on 12 Feb 90. On 29 Feb 12, the applicant was furnished an honorable discharge, retired effective 1 Mar 12, and was credited with 22 years, and 9 days of active service. On 12 Dec 12, according to documentation submitted by the applicant, he was married. The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application are contained in the memorandum prepared by the Air Force office of primary responsibility (OPR), which is attached at Exhibit C. AIR FORCE EVALUATION: AFPC/DPFFF recommends denial indicating there is no evidence of an error or an injustice. Title 10, USC, subsection 1448 (a) (5), permits a member who is unmarried at retirement, to elect coverage for the first spouse acquired after retiring; however, the election must be made before the first anniversary of the marriage. If a member fails to make an election before then, SBP coverage for that person or another person of that category may be elected only if Congress authorizes an open enrollment period. At the time of his retirement the applicant was not married, but had an eligible child and elected child only SBP coverage based on full retired pay prior to his 1 Mar 12 retirement. The applicant married on 12 Dec 12, but failed to notify the Defense Finance and Accounting Service – Cleveland Center (DFAS-CL) of the change to his marital status or request SBP coverage be established on his wife’s behalf within the first year of their marriage. They attached a copy of the SBP Report of Individual Person (RIP), signed by the applicant on 9 Dec 11, certifying he understood all of the provisions outlined in Items A through R. Item E2 of the RIP states that if the member was not married on the date of retirement, but gets married at a later date, he must send a written request to DFAS within the first year of his first marriage after retiring. Additionally, the Afterburner, News for USAF Retired Personnel, routinely contains articles advising retirees of their SBP options when marrying after retirement. There is no evidence of an Air Force error or injustice in this case. A complete copy of the AFPC/DPFFF evaluation is at Exhibit C. APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the applicant on 11 Jun 15 for review and comment within 30 days (Exhibit D). As of this date, no response has been received by this office. 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. We took notice of the applicant’s complete submission in judging the merits of the case; however, we agree with the opinion and recommendation of the Air Force office of primary responsibility (OPR) and adopt its rationale as the basis for our conclusion the applicant has not been the victim of an error of injustice. The Board notes the applicant may have a future opportunity to elect SBP coverage for his spouse. In accordance with Title 10 USC, Section 1448 (a) (5) a member who is unmarried at retirement, and fails to elect coverage for the first spouse acquired after retiring before the first anniversary of the marriage, SBP coverage for that person or another person of that category may be elected only if Congress authorizes an open enrollment period. Therefore, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we find no basis to recommend granting the requested relief. THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT: The applicant be notified the evidence presented did not demonstrate the existence of material 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-2015-01042 in Executive Session on 28 Jun 16 under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: The following documentary evidence pertaining to AFBCMR Docket Number BC-2015-01042 was considered: Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 4 Mar 15, w/atch. Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records. Exhibit C.  Memorandum, AFPC/DPFFF, dated 30 Apr 15. Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 11 Jun 15.