BOARD DATE: 15 March 2018 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160001300 BOARD VOTE: ____x_____ ___x____ ____x____ GRANT FULL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING ________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION 2 Enclosures 1. Board Determination/Recommendation 2. Evidence and Consideration BOARD DATE: 15 March 2018 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160001300 BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: The Board determined the evidence presented is sufficient to warrant a recommendation for relief. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army and Army National Guard records of the individual concerned be corrected by: a. showing the applicant was authorized to participate in the Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) in conjunction with her enlistment on 13 November 2014 and b. paying the applicant the SLRP incentive in accordance with SLRP policies in effect at the time of her enlistment. _____________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. BOARD DATE: 15 March 2018 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20160001300 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 correction of her record by adding a properly completed Student Loan Repayment Plan (SLRP) addendum to her enlistment records completed in conjunction with her enlistment in the Army National Guard (ARNG). 2. The applicant states: a. On 13 November 2013, her recruiter told her the SLRP was not offered for her military occupational specialty (MOS) of choice so she enlisted for MOS 12R (Interior Electrician) to qualify for the SLRP. b. On the same date, she was informed she was preapproved for the SLRP and payment of $23,000 toward her $26,000 student loan debt. c. Upon arrival at her Army National Guard (ARNG) unit following initial active duty for training, she was informed there was no SLRP addendum in her contract. An exception to policy (ETP) request was submitted for payment of the SLRP incentive, but it was disapproved by the National Guard Bureau (NGB). d. Although she understands there is no addendum available, the outcome is unjust; she enlisted because she was informed she was preapproved for the SLRP incentive and payment of a specific amount toward her student loans. 3. The applicant provides copies of: * NGB SLRP pre-approval authorization memorandum * NGB denial of an ETP request for payment of the SLRP incentive * her statement and a sworn statement from her recruiter CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. On 13 November 2014, the applicant enlisted in the ARNG of the United States and the State of Kansas ARNG for 6 years, training in MOS 12R (Interior Electrician), and the SLRP incentive. 2. An NGB SLRP pre-approval authorization memorandum, dated 13 November 2014, shows the applicant was pre-approved for repayment of 7 student loans in the amount of $23,000, provided she met all other criteria. 3. She entered and completed initial active duty for training between 27 January and 21 April 2015 and qualified for MOS 12R, which was in compliance with her enlistment contract. 4. In support of her application the applicant submitted: a. A sworn statement from her ARNG recruiter, dated 24 July 2015, stating initially, on 13 November 2014, the applicant’s first choice was MOS 92A and the SLRP, but the Military Entrance Processing Station guidance counselor discovered there was no qualifying unit available. On the same date, the applicant enlisted for her second choice, MOS 12R, which qualified for the SLRP. The new MOS was pre-approved. The recruiter states he requested a new control number and the applicant had a new reservation. He doesn't know why the applicant didn't receive the SLRP. The above NGB GIMS SLRP memorandum dated 13 November 2014 was attached. b. An NGB memorandum, dated 4 November 2015, stating her request for an ETP to retain a $50,000 SLRP incentive was disapproved due to a discrepancy: the "…written agreement cannot be located in the Soldier' s records which violates Department of Defense Instruction (DODI) 1205.21, paragraph 6.2…." 5. On 23 April 2017, her battalion commander awarded her an Army Achievement Medal for her performance of duty as an electrician during the unit's annual training. 6. In an email, dated 24 October 2017, provided to the staff of this Board the originator of the SLRP pre-approval authorization memorandum confirmed this memorandum was authentic. 7. There is no SLRP addendum to the applicant's enlistment contract in the available record. REFERENCES: DODI 1205.21 (Reserve Component Program Procedures) paragraph 6.2. (Written Agreements) specifies that as a condition of the receipt of an incentive covered by this Instruction, each recipient shall be required to sign a written agreement stating the member has been advised of and understands the conditions under which continued entitlement to unpaid incentive amounts shall be terminated and which advance payments may be recouped. That agreement shall clearly specify the terms of the Reserve service commitment that authorizes the payment of the incentive to the member. Services shall use the model written agreements set out in this Instruction at enclosures 3 through 13. However, Service-specific agreements may be used, if they include all elements of the model agreements. DISCUSSION: 1. The applicant requests payment of the SLRP incentive, as an ETP and reimbursement of all recoupments. 2. Clearly, the applicant and her recruiter believe adequate paperwork was completed to ensure the applicant would receive the SLRP incentive. 3. There is no SLRP addendum to the applicant's enlistment contract in the available record. However, her recruiter stipulates the proper documents were completed. Additionally, there is a valid SLRP pre-approval authorization memorandum, dated 13 November 2014, in the available evidence. NGB stated the basis for denying an ETP was the absence of an SLRP addendum. //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings AR20150000953 Enclosure 1 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20160001300 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20160001300 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 2