IN THE CASE OF: BOARD DATE: 21 June 2012 DOCKET NUMBER: AR20120007601 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 correction of his enlistment contract to include a $20,000 Army Civilian Acquired Skills Program (ACASP) bonus. 2. The applicant states that based on a U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) G-3 "White Paper" Synopsis recommending Soldiers receive a $20,000 ACASP incentive to enlist in military occupational specialty (MOS) 36P he is requesting his enlistment contract be amended to add this incentive. 3. The applicant provides a USAREC Assistant Inspector General electronic mail (e-mail) message in support of his application. CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE: 1. The record shows after previously serving in the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) in MOS 09L (Translator Aide), the applicant enlisted in the Regular Army (RA) for 5 years on 5 October 2011. A DA Form 3286 (Statement for Enlistment) completed during his reenlistment processing shows the applicant enlisted for Option 9B (U.S. Army Station/Unit/Area/Command Enlistment Program) for training in MOS 35PL (Linguist) in language "AD" (Arabic). 2. During the processing of this case, an advisory opinion was obtained from the Chief, Incentives and Budget Branch, Enlisted Accessions Division, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1. This official recommends the applicant be granted a $15,000 prior service bonus. 3. The G-1 official also indicates in the advisory opinion that the "White Paper" referred to by the applicant is not an official document and only portions of the recommendations contained in the "White Paper" were actually adopted. He further indicates ACASP bonuses are only offered to non-prior service applicants. The applicant was a prior service applicant and therefore not eligible for this bonus. He also states the applicant in fact received a bonus in August 2005 when he enlisted the first time. The official further confirms Army policy at the time the applicant left the USAR and entered the active Army on 5 October 2011 provided for a $15,000 prior service bonus for individuals in MOS 09L. Effective 12 March 2012, a change to the incentives message was enacted that extended the $15,000 prior service bonus to MOS 09L (in languages Dhari, Pashtu, and Urdu only) or MOS 35P in any skill. 4. On 1 May 2012, the applicant was provided a copy of the G-1 advisory opinion in order to have an opportunity to respond or rebut its contents. To date, the applicant has failed to reply. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: 1. The applicant’s request to amend his 2011 enlistment contract to add a $20,000 ACASP bonus has been carefully considered and found to have partial merit. 2. The evidence of record confirms that based on the Army policy in existence at the time of the applicant’s RA enlistment an ACASP bonus was not authorized for prior service enlistees. However, the G-1 advisory opinion recommends the applicant be authorized a $15,000 prior service bonus based on his holding MOS 09L in the USAR at the time of his RA enlistment and the shortage that exists of members with language skills used in both MOS 35P and 09L. BOARD VOTE: ________ ________ ________ GRANT FULL RELIEF ___X____ ___X__ _ ____X___ GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF ________ ________ ________ GRANT FORMAL HEARING ________ ________ ________ DENY APPLICATION BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION: 1. The Board determined that the evidence presented was sufficient to warrant a recommendation for partial relief. As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by amending his record to show he was authorized a prior service bonus of $15,000 in connection with his 2011 enlistment in the RA and by paying him this bonus under the normal enlistment bonus payment policy. 2. The Board further determined that the evidence presented was insufficient to warrant a portion of the requested relief. As a result, the Board recommends denial of so much of the application that pertains to a $20,000 ACASP bonus. __________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) AR20120007601 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1 ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont) AR20120007601 3 ARMY BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 1