RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS


IN THE MATTER OF:      DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2004-03854
            INDEX NUMBER: 100.00

      XXXXXXX    COUNSEL:  NONE

      XXXXXXX    HEARING DESIRED:  NO

MANDATORY CASE COMPLETION DATE:  23 Nov 05

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

He receive an $8,000, rather than $5,000, prior service enlistment bonus.

_________________________________________________________________

THE APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

He was promised that he would receive an  $8,000  prior  service  enlistment
bonus and signed an agreement with the Air Force to that  effect.   However,
one year after he enlisted, he was informed that the bonus amount quoted  to
him and written into his paperwork was incorrect  and  he  would  receive  a
lesser amount.  He enlisted in good faith based on the  information  he  was
provided and should not be held accountable for any misinformation  provided
to him by agents of the  Air  Force.   Had  he  known  he  would  have  been
eligible for the $8,000 bonus if he enlisted after 1  June  2003,  he  would
have enlisted after that date.

In support of the appeal, applicant submits  statements  from  the  squadron
commander, training superintendent, and the wing career assistance advisor.

The wing career assistance advisor states that based  on  a  memo  from  the
Chief of Air Force  Reserve,  dated  5  March  2003,  which  indicated  that
effective 1 January 2003, the six-year prior service enlistment bonus  would
be increased from $5,000 to $8,000,  he  counseled  the  applicant  that  he
would be entitled to the increased bonus.   However,  he  later  received  a
memo indicating the effective date of the increase was 1 June 2003.

Applicant’s complete submission, with attachments, is at Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________



STATEMENT OF FACTS:

Applicant contracted his initial enlistment in the Air Force Reserve  on  22
March 2003, for a period of six years, and received a $5,000  prior  service
enlistment bonus.

In accordance with Title 37, United States Code, Section  308i,  as  amended
by the National  Defense  Authorization  Act  of  2003,  the  prior  service
enlistment bonus for a six year enlistment in  the  Air  Force  Reserve  was
increased from $5,000 to $8,000, effective 1 June 2003.

_________________________________________________________________

AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

AFRC/DPM recommends the application be denied  and  states,  in  part,  that
they sincerely apologize for the incorrect information  applicant  received;
however, he received the prior service enlistment  bonus  amount  authorized
at the time of his enlistment.  The official release date for  the  increase
to $8,000 was 27 May 2003 and stated the effective date was 1 June 2003.

The AFRC/DPM evaluation is at Exhibit B.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT’S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

A complete copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to  the  applicant
on 4 February 2005 for review and response within 30 days.  However,  as  of
this date, this office has received no response.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT:

1.  The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing law or
regulations.

2.  The application was timely filed.

3.  Sufficient relevant evidence  has  been  presented  to  demonstrate  the
existence of error or injustice.  In this respect, we note the  wing  career
advisor states that based on a Chief of Air  Force  Reserve  memo,  dated  5
March 2003, which indicated that effective  1  January  2003,  the  six-year
prior service enlistment bonus was  increased  from  $5,000  to  $8,000,  he
counseled the applicant that he would be entitled to  the  increased  bonus.
However, at the time of his 22  March  2003  enlistment  in  the  Air  Force
Reserve, he only received a $5,000 prior service enlistment bonus.  Had  the
applicant been properly counseled regarding the bonus, we believe  he  would
have delayed his enlistment to insure that he  received  the  higher  bonus.
In view of the above, we recommend the applicant’s records be  corrected  to
show that he enlisted in the Air Force Reserve on  1 June  2003.   Based  on
the   recommended   correction   to   his   date    pf    enlistment,    his
retirement/retention date will be adjusted from 22 March to 1  June  and  he
will lose a total of 8 paid inactive duty  training  (IDT)  points  for  his
participation during the weekends of 5 to 6 April 2003 and 3 to 4 May  2003.
 In view of this, we also recommend 8 additional paid IDT  points  be  added
to the retirement/retention year 1 June 2003 through 30 May 2004.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT:

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air  Force  relating
to APPLICANT be corrected to show that:

      a.    He enlisted in the Air Force Reserve  on  1  June  2003,  rather
than 22 March 2003, for a period of six (6) years; and at the  time  of  his
enlistment on 1 June 2003, he was entitled to  a  prior  service  enlistment
bonus.

      b.    He was awarded an  additional  8  paid  inactive  duty  training
points for retirement/retention year 1 June 2003 through 30 May 2004.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered  Docket  Number  BC-2004-03854
in Executive Session on 23 March 2005, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

                       Mr. Frederick R. Beaman, III, Panel Chair
                       Mr. Michael J. Maglio, Member
                       Ms. Rita J. Maldonado, Member

The following documentary evidence was considered:

    Exhibit A.  DD Form 149, dated 10 Dec 04, w/atchs.
    Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
    Exhibit C.  Letter, AFRC/DPM, dated 12 Jan 05.
    Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 4 Feb 05.




                                   FREDERICK R. BEAMAN, III
                                   Panel Chair
AFBCMR BC-2004-03854



MEMORANDUM FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF

      Having received and considered the recommendation of the Air Force
Board for Correction of Military Records and under the authority of Section
1552, Title 10, United States Code (70A Stat 116), it is directed that:

      The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force
relating to XXXXXXX, XXXXXXX, be corrected to show that:

      a.  He enlisted in the Air Force Reserve on 1 June 2003, rather than
22 March 2003, for a period of six (6) years; and at the time of his
enlistment on 1 June 2003, he was entitled to a prior service enlistment
bonus.

      b.  He was awarded an additional 8 paid inactive duty training points
for retirement/retention year 1 June 2003 through 30 May 2004.





JOE G. LINEBERGER

Director

Air Force Review Boards Agency