IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 20 January 2011 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20100016462 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, correction of his records to show that his Officer/Warrant Officer Accession Bonus Addendum was signed and submitted on the day he was commissioned. 2. The applicant states he meets all the requirements for the bonus but he has been told he is not eligible since he did not sign and forward the bonus addendum on the day he was commissioned. 3. The applicant provides his commissioning documents, bonus addendum, a request for an exception to policy, and the denial of that request. CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. The applicant’s military records show he enlisted in the Army National Guard (ARNG) on 8 September 2005. He was awarded the military occupational specialty of combat engineer, and was promoted to pay grade E-3. 2. On 13 December 2008, the applicant was commissioned as a second lieutenant (ARNG). 3. On 21 May 2009, the applicant signed an Officer/Warrant Officer Accession Bonus Addendum. 4. On 1 September 2009, the applicant submitted a request for an exception to policy to receive his accession bonus. He stated that he was in a new Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program and they were not aware of the procedures for submitting an officer's accession bonus. That request was disapproved by the National Guard Bureau (NGB) which stated that the applicant's bonus addendum was not submitted by 1 March 2010. 5. In support of his request the applicant submitted a letter from his battalion commander who stated that the ARNG education office sent the applicant the accession bonus addendum on 25 May 2009, which he signed and returned to his commissioning source (ROTC). The applicant was later informed that he was not eligible for the accession bonus because it was not signed and submitted on the day of his commission. The battalion commander adds the applicant has completed all of the requirements, is not flagged or under investigation, and he was the honor graduate (1st of 211) in the Basic Officer Leadership Course II. The battalion commander recommends approval of the applicant's request. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: 1. It is abundantly clear that the applicant has done everything asked of him, and in many cases he has gone beyond that threshold. 2. The applicant has been denied his officer's accession bonus due to no fault of his own. As such, it would now be appropriate to correct his records to show he signed his Officer/Warrant Officer Accession Bonus Addendum on 13 December 2008 and that it was forwarded to and received by the NGB on 13 December 2008. BOARD VOTE: ____X____ ___X_____ ____X____ 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 State Army National Guard and Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by showing he signed his Officer/Warrant Officer Accession Bonus Addendum on 13 December 2008, and that it was forwarded to, received, and completed/approved by the NGB on 13 December 2008. _______ _ _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. ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20100016462 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20100016462 2 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1