IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 28 September 2017 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20170009908 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 IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 28 September 2017 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20170009908 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 the applicant is authorized payment of Board Certification Pay for the period 1 January 2015 through 30 September 2016, utilizing a Health Professions Pay Entry Date or finance Medical Special Pay Date of 3 June 2008 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. IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 28 September 2017 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20170009908 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 Board Certification Pay (BCP) for the period 31 December 2014 through 30 September 2016. 2. The applicant states BCP was not received for the above stated period. She was certified by the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) for this entire period without lapse in Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements. She does not know what caused the error. ABFM conducts MOC in cycles of three years, so it may be that when her initial certification cycle was finished, the BCP "fell off" in the military special pay system. 3. The applicant provides ABFM Verification and an email from the Human Resources Division (Military), Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, NC. CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant is currently serving on active duty in the rank of major. She is assigned as a physician at Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, NC. 2. The applicant was initially certified as a family medicine physician, on or about 18 November 2011, by the ABFM. 3. During the processing of this case, an advisory opinion was obtained from the Chief, Army Medical Department Special Pay Branch, Office of the Surgeon General (OTSG). It states: a. Requests for legacy BCP for physicians, which is considered under the entitlement category of Title 37, U.S. Code, section 302.(a)(5), are initiated by the officer through their command's supporting Human Resource, Personnel, or S1 office. If board certification renewals or MOC are issued, officer must also submit renewal documentation to ensure BCP continues uninterrupted. Receipt of monthly BCP can be verified by the officer by reviewing their monthly Leave and Earnings Statement entitlements column. Immediate action should be taken if payments are not visible or stop abruptly. b. A review of supporting documentation and available special pay and finance data indicates BCP stopped on 31 December 2014, and this office authorized payments for BCP commencing on 1 October 2016. The verified missing period of BCP is from 1 January 2015 through 30 September 2016. c. The officer was eligible to receive BCP for the missing 21-month period of 1 January 2015 to 30 September 2016, totaling approximately $4,375 prior to any withholding. The exact payment would be determined by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service utilizing a Health Professions Pay Entry Date or finance Medical Special Pay Date of 3 June 2008 for the correct pay rates. 4. The advisory opinion was forwarded to the applicant to allow her the opportunity to provide additional comments. She 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 includes 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 Professions Pay Entry Date. DISCUSSION: The OTSG database confirms the applicant met the requirements and was eligible to receive BCP for the period 1 January 2015 through 30 September 2016. The OTSG official opined the applicant met the criteria and recommended she receive 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) AR20170009908 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20170009908 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Enclosure 2