PROCEEDINGS

	IN THE CASE OF: 

	BOARD DATE:           18 July 2000                   
	DOCKET NUMBER:   AR1999034506

	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	
	Mr. Robert J. McGowan		Analyst	

  The following members, a quorum, were present:

	Mr. George D. Paxson		Chairperson	
	Ms. Elizabeth Buchanon 		Member	
	Ms. Margaret V. Thompson		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 he be paid his reenlistment bonus for his 24 August 1998 reenlistment.

3.  The applicant states, in effect, that he reenlisted for the SRB (Selective Reenlistment Bonus) program in military occupational specialty (MOS) 12B, Combat Engineer.  He then reclassified into MOS 18C, Special Forces Engineer Sergeant.  Because of the reclassification action, he was told he could not receive the SRB.

4.  The applicant’s military records show that he enlisted in the Regular Army for 4 years on 1 March 1996.  He was trained as a Combat Engineer, MOS 12B.  On 24 August 1998, he reenlisted as a Specialist (E-4) for 5 years.  From 21 April 1999 to 5 November 1999, he attended the Special Forces Engineer Sergeant course at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  Upon successful completion, he was awarded MOS 18C.

5.  MILPER Message 98-168 announces the SRB program.  Paragraph 3 states that MOS 12C qualifies for the SRB.  Paragraph 10 states that, effective retroactively to 1 January 1996, a soldier will not forfeit any portion of an SRB when the soldier is reclassified into Career Management Field (CMF) 18.

6.  In the processing of this case, an advisory opinion was obtained from the Total Army Personnel Command (PERSCOM) which states that SRB – 0.5A was in effect for MOS 12B when the applicant reenlisted.  Furthermore, the applicant is entitled to the entire bonus because he reclassified into CMF18.

CONCLUSIONS:

1.  An SRB was in effect for the applicant’s MOS when he reenlisted on 24 August 1998.  His reclassification into CMF 18 did not cause him to lose that bonus.

2.  PERSCOM advises that the applicant is entitled to his full bonus under 
SRB – 0.5A.

3.  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 paying to the individual concerned the full bonus amount prescribed for 
SRB – 0.5A.

BOARD VOTE:  

__gdp___  ___eb___  __mvt___  GRANT AS STATED IN RECOMMENDATION

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

		__George D. Paxson__
		        CHAIRPERSON

INDEX

CASE ID	AR1999034506	
SUFFIX		
RECON		
DATE BOARDED	20000718	
TYPE OF DISCHARGE		
DATE OF DISCHARGE		
DISCHARGE AUTHORITY		
DISCHARGE REASON		
BOARD DECISION	GRANT	
REVIEW AUTHORITY	DASA	
ISSUES         1.	128.0500	
2.		
3.		
4.		
5.		
6.