BOARD DATE: 15 September 2009 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20090003489 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, in effect, retroactive award of Board Certification Pay (BCP) from 16 October 2007 through 7 January 2008. 2. The applicant states, in effect, that she began to receive BCP on 7 January 2008, the date she received notification of her board certification. She also states that in June 2008, she received her board certification certificate that confirms she was a board certified pediatrician on 16 October 2007. 3. The applicant provides copies of her Pediatrics Board Certification Certificate in support of her request. CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant's military records show that she was appointed as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve on 21 July 1999, and was ordered to active duty in the Medical Corps on 7 August 2000. She was promoted to captain on 15 May 2004. 2. The applicant provides a copy of an American Board of Pediatrics Diploma which shows that on 16 October 2007 she was certified as a pediatrician for the period from 2007 through 2014. 3. During the processing of this case an advisory opinion was obtained from the Chief, Army Medical Department (AMEDD) Special Pay Branch, Office of the Surgeon General, Falls Church, Virginia. The AMEDD special pay Chief, after reviewing the applicant's record, concluded she was eligible to receive BCP for the period 16 October 2007 to 6 January 2008 utilizing a Health Professions Pay Entry Date (HPPED) or finance Military Special Pay Date of 18 June 2004 for the correct pay rate level. 4. On 11 May 2009, the applicant was provided a copy of the advisory opinion for her comments or rebuttal. To date no reply has been received. 5. Title 37, U.S. Code, sections 301d, 302, 302f, and 303a, provides for multi-year retention bonuses and special pays for medical officers and health professionals of the Armed Forces. These special pays include BCP which is paid monthly to all board certified Medical Corps officers based upon their date of board certification and their creditable service used to establish the Health Professional Pay Entry Date (HPPED). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: 1. The applicant's claim of entitlement to BCP for the period 16 October 2007 to 6 January 2008 has been carefully considered and found to have merit. A review of the applicant's record and military pay account by the AMEDD Special Pay Branch revealed that the applicant was eligible to receive BCP for this period and that her BCP did not start until 7 January 2008. It is also noted that the arrears for this period should utilize an HPPED of 18 June 2004 for the correct pay rate level. 2. In view of the foregoing, the applicant's records should be corrected as recommended below. BOARD VOTE: ___x____ ____x___ ___x____ GRANT FULL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING ________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: The Board determined that the evidence presented was 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 awarding the individual concerned Board Certification Pay for the period 16 October 2007 to 6 January 2008 using a HPPED of 18 June 2004. ___________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. ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20090003489 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20090003489 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1