IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 17 August 2020 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20190015291 APPLICANT REQUESTS: retroactive entitlement to Board Certification Pay (BCP) effective 9 September 2018 through 30 June 2019. APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD: * DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record) * American Midwife Certification Board Certificate dated 17 October 2017 * Columbia University – Master of Science (Nursing) Degree Certificate dated 18 October 2017 * DA Form 71 (Oath of Office) dated 9 September 2018 * Officer Record Brief * Leave and Earnings Statement dated 30 September 2019 FACTS: 1. The applicant states that she was not informed during her recruitment or in-processing that she was entitled to BCP. Once she was made aware of the entitlement, she contacted the appropriate personnel and was promptly approved. She was then informed that because it had been more that 30 days since she entered upon active duty that she would need to submit her request to the ABCMR. She contests that based on the 2019 Specialty Pay Plan, paragraph 6, her BCP eligibility date should be the latter of: her Entrance on Active Duty (EAD) date, receipt of her post baccalaureate degree or her receipt of board certification. In her case, the latest of these dates would be her accession on active duty which would be 9 September 2018. 2. A review of the applicant’s available service records reflects the following: a. On 17 October 2017 she obtained Board Certification as a Nurse from the American Midwife Certification Board. b. On 18 October 2017 she obtained her Master of Science (Nursing Degree) from Columbia University. c. On 16 May 2018 (Order# C-06-807033) she was commissioned in the United States Army Reserve (USAR). d. On 9 September 2018 she was commissioned in the Regular Army as an Army Nurse Corps Officer (66W – Nurse Midwife) at the rank of First Lieutenant (1LT) / O-2. e. Her records are void of a written agreement regarding her BCP. 3. The applicant provides the following: a. American Midwife Certification Board Certificate dated 17 October 2017 reflective of her being recognized and privileged as a Certified Nurse - Midwife. b. Columbia University – Master of Science (Nursing) Degree Certificate dated 18 October 2017 reflective of her satisfying all requirements to be awarded her Nursing degree. c. DA Form 71 (Oath of Office) dated 9 September 2018 – see 2b. above. d. Officer Record Brief reflective of her EAD of 9 September 2018; Duty Military Occupational Specialty (DMOS) 66W; Master of Science – Nursing e. Leave and Earnings Statement dated 30 September 2019 reflective of her entitlement to $500.00 / Save Pay. 4. Assistant Secretary of Defense, Health Affairs, Memorandum, Subject: Health Professions Officer Incentive Pay (HPO IP), dated 29 September 2017 provides that Board Certified Nurse Midwife’s are entitled to BCP at $6,000.00 per year (prorated monthly). BOARD DISCUSSION: The Board carefully considered the complete evidentiary record, including the applicant’s statement and supporting documents and found sufficient evidence to grant relief. The Board agreed that the applicant met all the criteria for award of HPOIP from 9 September 2018 to 30 June 2019. Therefore, the board determined that full relief was warranted. BOARD VOTE: Mbr 1 Mbr 2 Mbr 3 :XX :XX :XX 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: 1. showing that the applicant timely executed and submitted her HPOIP request contract for the period 9 September 2018 to 30 June 2019, that her Personnel Office duly processed her request in a timely manner, and 2. paying her any HPOIP due, subject to review by Office of the Surgeon General to determine period of eligibility and amount due. 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. REFERENCES: 1. Assistant Secretary of Defense, Health Affairs, Memorandum, Subject: Health Professions Officer Incentive Pay (HPO IP), dated 29 September 2017 provides that Board Certified Nurse Midwife’s are entitled to BCP at $6,000.00 per year (prorated monthly). 2. Title 37 U.S.C. 335 (Special Bonus Incentive Pay) states the Secretary of the Army may pay Health Professions Incentive Pay to an officer in a regular or reserve component of a uniformed service who is entitled to basic pay under section 204 of this title or compensation under section 206 of this title and is serving on active duty or in an active status in a designated health profession specialty or skill. Health Professions bonus paid may not exceed $100,000 for each 12-month period of obligated service. To receive a bonus under this section, an officer determined to be eligible for the bonus shall enter into a written agreement with the Secretary concerned that specifies, the amount of the bonus; the method of payment of the bonus under subsection (e)(2) (lump sum or installments); the period of obligated service; whether the service will be performed on active duty in an active status in or in a Reserve Component. //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20190015291 4 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1