BOARD DATE: 10 May 2011 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20100017641 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 his date of rank (DOR) for sergeant major (SGM) be adjusted to 1 November 2009. 2. The applicant states he was assigned to an E-9 position in September 2009 with a reporting date of 5 January 2010. The valid E-9 position is located at the 336th Financial Management Center (FMC) in Lake Charles, LA, where he is currently assigned. On 20 August 2009, he was informed he was selected for promotion to SGM in primary military occupational specialty (MOS) 36B (financial management). On 10 September 2009, he was assigned to an SGM 36B position and received orders from the U.S. Army Human Resources Command (HRC) in Alexandria with a reporting date of 5 January 2010 to his new duty location. He was told he had to have a valid E-9/SGM position in order to be promoted, which he did. He was frocked to SGM effective 3 December 2009. The first 17 official promotions were effective 1 November 2009 and 2 additional promotions were approved for December 2009 for which he did not qualify due to the aggregate Army percentage. 3. He states that according to HRC in St. Louis, MO, the aggregate strength percentage for his MOS was above 100 percent and he was not going to be promoted until the percentage fell below 100 percent. After 3 months, he was officially promoted effective 1 February 2010. He spoke with the Enlisted Promotions Branch regarding the delay of his effective date. He was told there was an MOS 42A Soldier occupying an MOS 36B position causing that position to count against the MOS 36B aggregate strength. The Soldier residing in the 36B position was not MOS qualified to be in that position and the position should have been vacant. If this error was the reason he was not promoted until 1 February 2010, his effective date should be 1 November 2009. His promotion date should be 1 November 2009 based on the valid E-9 position in MOS 36B to which he was assigned on 10 September 2009 and based on the administrative error in the system. 4. The applicant provides: * DA Form 1559 (Inspector General Action Request) * promotion orders CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. He enlisted in the Regular Army on 7 January 1981. On 14 January 1993, he was honorably discharged in the rank of sergeant. After a break in service, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve on 9 May 1994. He was ordered to active duty on 26 September 1996 in an Active Guard Reserve status. He was promoted to master sergeant on 1 July 2004. 2. His DA Form 2166-8 (Noncommissioned Officer Evaluation Report) covering the period 4 October 2009 through 30 August 2010 shows he was assigned to the 336th FMC, Lake Charles, LA, in the rank of SGM. His primary MOS is shown as 36B. 3. On 1 February 2010, he was promoted to SGM effective 1 February 2010 in primary MOS 36B5O. 4. In the processing of this case, a staff advisory opinion was obtained from the AGR Promotion Analyst, Enlisted Personnel Management, HRC, Fort Knox, KY, on 10 February 2011. The advisory official states: * after a review of the application, his request to adjust his DOR and effective date of promotion to 1 November 2009 cannot be supported as there were five authorizations and five SGM's in MOS 36B at that time * however, he should have been promoted on 1 December 2009 when the inventory of SGM's dropped to four as a result of the reassignment of an MOS 36B SGM to an MOS-immaterial position 5. A copy of the advisory opinion was provided to the applicant for comment or rebuttal; however, he did not respond within the given time frame. 6. Army Regulation 600-8-19 (Enlisted Promotion and Reductions) prescribes the enlisted promotions and reductions function of the military personnel system. Paragraph 5-30 of this regulation states Soldiers will be promoted sequentially from the list to fill vacancies and promotions off the permanent recommended promotion list will not exceed the cumulative vacancies for that pay grade. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: 1. He contends his promotion date should be 1 November 2009 based on the valid E-9 position in MOS 36B to which he was assigned on 10 September 2009 and based on the administrative error in the system. However, the advisory official states his DOR cannot be adjusted to 1 November 2009 because there were five authorizations and five SGM's in MOS 36B at that time. There is no evidence of record, and he did not provide any evidence to show an unauthorized individual was occupying one of the 36B positions. 2. The advisory opinion further states he should have been promoted on 1 December 2009 when the inventory of SGM's dropped to four as a result of the reassignment of an MOS 36B SGM to an MOS-immaterial position. 3. Based on the foregoing, it would be equitable to correct his military records to show his effective date and DOR for promotion to SGM in MOS 36B5O as 1 December 2009. BOARD VOTE: ________ ________ ________ GRANT FULL RELIEF ____X___ ____X___ ___X____ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING ________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: 1. The Board determined evidence presented is sufficient to warrant a recommendation for partial relief. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by showing he was promoted to SGM with a DOR and effective date of 1 December 2009. 2. The Board further recommends the applicant be paid all back pay and allowances due as a result of this correction. 3. The Board further determined the evidence presented is insufficient to warrant a portion of the requested relief. As a result, the Board recommends denial of so much of the application that pertains to adjusting his DOR to 1 November 2009. _____________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) AR20100017641 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20100017641 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1