IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 27 January 2023 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20220006454 APPLICANT REQUESTS: to receive retroactive Health Professions Officer Retention Bonus (HPORB) and HPO Incentive Pay (IP). APPLICANT'S SUPPORTING DOCUMENT(S) CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD: * Electronic DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record) * State of Department of Business and Professional Regulation certificate, 5 May 2018 * Statement for Commissioning Army Medical Department (AMEDD) Officer U.S. Army - Active Duty, 11 March 2019 * State of , Department of Business and Professional Regulation certificate, expiration date 31 May 2024 FACTS: 1. The applicant states she came on active duty as a fully licensed Veterinarian in 2019; however, after a few months, she was deemed ineligible for the Health Professional Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP) and disenrolled. Due to the disenrollment, her status changed to Direct Accession Active Duty with eligibility for a 4 year retention bonus. The bonus was never applied, and she requests to back date her retention bonus to 25 November 2019. 2. The applicant's service record shows: a. USAREC Form 601-37.32 (Army Active Duty Health Professions Loan Repayment Program Enrollment, Letter of Intent and Checklist), dated 20 July 2018, showing the applicant enrolled in the HPLRP. b. DA Form 61 (Application for Appointment), dated 26 October 2018, in which the applicant applied for appointment as a Regular Army commissioned officer in the Veterinary Corps. She graduated from St. George School of Veterinary Medicine on 30 September 2015. c. DA Form 71 (Oath of Office – Military Personnel), dated 11 March 2019, appointed the applicant as a Reserve commissioned officer. d. Headquarters, U.S. Army Recruiting Command Memorandum, Subject: Request for Reserve Appointment, dated 26 March 2019, shows the applicant was recommended for appointment in the Veterinary Corps and the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) in Area of Concentration (AOC) 64A (Field Veterinary Service). Her Constructive Service Credit of 4 years, 8 months, and 22 days was awarded as of 11 March 2019. e. DA Form 5074-1-R (Record of Award of Entry Grade Credit (Health Services Officers)), dated 26 March 2019, shows the applicant received 4 years, 8 months, and 22 days Total Entry Grade Credit for: * 4 years, 0 months, and 0 days Total Constructive Credit for her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at St. George's University on 30 September 2015. * 0 years, 8 months, and 22 days credit for her Veterinary license f. Orders Number C-03-903971 issued by the U.S. Army Human Resources Command (HRC), dated 27 March 2019, reassigned the applicant to the USAR Control Group (Reinforcement) for appointment, effective 11 March 2019. g. Orders Number A-05-900770 issued by HRC, dated 29 May 2019, ordered the applicant to active duty to fulfill her active duty requirement. h. DA Form 71, dated 7 July 2019, appointed the applicant as a Regular Army officer in the Veterinary Corps. i. State of Florida, Department of Business and Professional Regulation certificate, dated 10 April 2020, reissued the applicant's Veterinary license through 31 May 2022. j. U.S. Army Veterinary Corps certificate, dated 26 June 2020, certified that the applicant completed her one year internship in the Veterinary Corps. k. Memorandum for Surgeon General of the Army, Subject: Request for HPO Incentive Pay (HPOIP), dated 22 December 2020, shows the applicant qualified for incentive pay at a rate of $5,000.00 per year prorated monthly. Her AOC was 64A (Field Veterinary Service) and she was licensed in through May October 2022. Her period of continuous active duty was effective 27 June 2020. l. Memorandum for Surgeon General of the Army, Subject Request for HPORB, dated 2 March 2022, shows the applicant requested and was approved for HPORB at a rate of $5,000.00 per year. Her AOC was 64A and she was licensed in through May 2022. The effective date of agreement for payment was 25 November 2021. Her 4 years of continuous active duty obligation began on 25 November 2021. 3. The applicant provides: a. State of, Department of Business and Professional Regulation certificate, dated 5 May 2018, issued the applicant her Veterinarian license with an expiration date of 31 May 2020. b. Statement for Commissioning AMEDD Officer U.S. Army - Active Duty, dated 11 March 2019, shows the applicant was commissioned for the Veterinary Corps and AOC 64A and qualified for the HPLRP incentive. She agreed to enter on active duty for a minimum period of 3 years and incurred a statutory military service obligation of 8 years effective the of appointment. c. State of a, Department of Business and Professional Regulation certificate, expiration date 31 May 2024, reissued the applicant her Board of Veterinary Medicine license. 4. In the processing of this case, an advisory opinion was obtained from the Office of the Surgeon General, Army Medical Department Special Pay Branch on 19 October 2022. The advisory official recommended approval of the applicant's request. It states in pertinent part: a. A review of the applicant's supporting documentation determined she was licensed as a Veterinarian and met all eligibility criteria. Per Special Pay policy Veterinarians are not required to attain privileges to practice. b. Her initial HPOIP effective date was 27 June 2020 and her HPORB effective date was 25 November 2021. She was eligible for the HPOIP for the period covering 25 November 2019 to 27 June 2020 and is eligible to receive approximately $2,916.66. She is further eligible for the HPORB for the same period and is eligible to receive $5,000.00. The exact arrears payment will be determined by Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS). c. In accordance with Army Regulation (AR) 37-104-4 (Military Pay and Allowances Policy), Chapter 20 (Settlement Actions Resulting from Correction of Records by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR)); only the Director of DFAS may make settlement actions affecting the military pay accounts of soldiers as a result of correction of records by the ABCMR. Therefore, any ABCMR relief granted should be addressed for action to the DFAS Corrections and Claims Section. 5. The advisory opinion was provided to the applicant to afford her the opportunity to respond to its content. She did not respond. BOARD DISCUSSION: 1. After reviewing the application, all supporting documents, and the evidence found within the military record, the Board found relief is warranted. 2. The Board concurred with the conclusion of the advisory official that the applicant was authorized HPOIP and the HPORB beginning on 25 November 2019. The Board determined the applicant’s record should be corrected as recommended by the advisory opinion. BOARD VOTE: Mbr 1 Mbr 2 Mbr 3 :X :X :X GRANT FULL RELIEF : : : GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF : : : GRANT FORMAL HEARING : : : DENY APPLICATION 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 she entered into an HPOIP agreement and an HPORB agreement beginning on 25 November 2019. The applicant should be paid any amounts of these incentives she is due as a result of this correction. 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. Title 37, United States Code, Section 335 states: a. Health Professions Bonus. The Secretary concerned may pay a health professions bonus to an officer in the uniformed services who is a graduate of an accredited school in a health profession and who: a. Accepts a commission or appointment as an officer in a regular or reserve component of a uniformed service, or affiliates with a reserve component of a uniformed service, and agrees to serve on active duty in a regular component or in an active status in a reserve component in a health profession; b. Accepts a commission or appointment as an officer and whose health profession specialty is designated by the Secretary of Defense as a critically short wartime specialty; or c. Agrees to remain on active duty or continue serving in an active status in a reserve component in a health profession. 2. Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation 7000.14, Volume 7A states to be eligible for a HPORB, an HPO must: * Have completed qualifications for the specialty or subspecialty for which the RB is being paid before the beginning of the fiscal year during which a written agreement is executed; * Enter into a written agreement, accepted by the Secretary concerned, to remain on active duty or in an active status in an Reserve Component as an HPO for 2, 3, or 4 years; * Be below the grade of O-7; and have completed an active duty reserve duty service commitment incurred for any and all pre-commissioning education and training IP When Participating in an RB Agreement. An HPO who enters into an RB contract may also be eligible for IP for the same specialty at the amount in the HP Specialty and Incentive pay plan. An HPO who elects this option will continue IP eligibility, at the rate in effect at the time the RB agreement is effective, for each active year of the RB contract. To be eligible for a HPOIP an HPO must: * Serving in an Active Component or Reserve Component of a Military Service and entitled to basic pay under Title 37, USC, section 204 or compensation pursuant to Title 37, USC, section 206; * Serving on Active Duty or in an active Reserve status in a designated health professional specialty Table 5-6 Veterinary Corp IP and RB rates shows a Veterinarian is entitled to a RB in the amount of $5,000.00 paid annually and IP in the amount of $5,000.00 per year prorated monthly. //NOTHING FOLLOWS// ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20220006454 1 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1