BOARD DATE: 11 July 2017 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20170004299 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: 11 July 2017 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20170004299 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 records of the individual concerned be corrected by showing he is authorized payment of Board Certification Pay for the period 2 July 2016 through 31 December 2016, utilizing a Health Professions Pay Entry Date or finance Medical Special Pay Date of 15 May 1999 for the correct pay rate. ____________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: 11 July 2017 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20170004299 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 Board Certification Pay (BCP) for the period July 2016 through December 2016. 2. The applicant states: a. He is a board certified general and vascular surgeon serving on active duty at Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI. Since May 2006 he has been certified in general surgery with an expiration date of 31 December 2016. He has since recertified and has an expiration date of 31 December 2026. His vascular surgery certification expires on 31 December 2018. b. His BCP was discontinued without cause in July 2016. After detecting the problem, his local human resources stated he would have to petition the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) for the back pay. 3. The applicant provides: * letter from the American Board of Surgery, dated 22 March 2017, which details his board certifications in general and vascular surgery * seven Leave and Earning Statements (LES) for the months of June, July, August, September, October, and November (two copies) of 2016 * memorandum from Headquarters, Tripler Army Medical Center, subject: Request for Board Specialty Pay, dated 22 March 2017 CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant currently serves on active duty in the rank of colonel. He is assigned in area of concentration 61W (Peripheral Vascular Surgeon) at Tripler Army Medical Center. 2. The applicant provides: a. a letter from the American Board of Surgery, dated 22 March 2017, which details his current and valid board certifications in general and vascular surgery; b. seven LESs that indicate whether he was paid BCP for the time frame in question; and c. a memorandum from Headquarters, Tripler Army Medical Center, subject: Request for Board Specialty Pay, dated 22 March 2017, to Officer Management Branch, Tripler Army Medical Center, requesting processing for back pay for his board specialty pay. 3. In connection with the processing of this case, an advisory opinion was obtained on 9 May 2017 from the Chief, Army Medical Department (AMEDD) Special Pay Branch, OTSG, who opined, that: a. Requests for the entitlement category of BCP for physicians are initiated by the officer through their command's supporting Human Resources/Personnel/ S-1 office. If board certification renewals or maintenance of certification (MOC) are issued, an officer must also submit renewal documentation to ensure BCP continues uninterrupted. Receipt of monthly BCP can be verified by the officer by reviewing his or her monthly LES entitlements column. Immediate action should be taken if payments stop abruptly. b. A review of supporting documentation and available special pay and finance data determined the missing period of BCP as 2 July 2016 through 31 December 2016. c. The applicant was eligible to receive BCP for the missing 7-month period of 2 July 2016 through 31 December 2016, totaling approximately $2,500 prior to any withholding. The exact payment would be determined by the Defense Finance and Accounting Services utilizing a Health Professions Pay Entry Date or finance Medical Special Pay Date of 15 May 1999 for the correct pay rates. 4. A copy of the advisory opinion was forwarded to the applicant on 11 May 2017 for information and to allow him the opportunity to submit comments or a rebuttal. He did not respond. REFERENCES: Title 37, U.S. Code, sections 301d, 302, 302f, and 303a, provide for multi-year retention bonuses and special pay for medical officers and health professionals of the Armed Forces. For Army Medical Corps officers (physicians), this special pay 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. DISCUSSION: The OTSG advisory opinion confirms the applicant met the requirements and was eligible to receive BCP for the period 2 July 2016 through 31 December 2016; however, did not receive his entitled BCP. The OTSG official further recommended he receive the BCP for the requested period. //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings AR20150000953 Enclosure 1 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20170004299 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20170004299 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 2