RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 

 

IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-00815 

 

 COUNSEL: NONE 

 

 HEARING DESIRED: NO 

 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 

 

His active duty service commitment (ADSC) for transferring his 
Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to his dependents be corrected to 
reflect an expiration date of 24 Jun 11. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

 

Improper advice from his MPF resulted in extending his ADSC. 
His military personnel flight (MPF) incorrectly advised him to 
use the Veterans Administration website to transfer his benefits 
to his dependents. At that time, the Air Force/DoD did not have 
the online application to transfer benefits. Based on MPF 
guidance, he accomplished a VA Form 22-1990, Application for VA 
Education Benefits, through the Veterans Administration Online 
Applications (VONAPP) website. He was told this would establish 
a 24 Jun 11 ADSC. When the Air Force online application later 
became available, he asked his MPF if he needed to reaccomplish 
the transfer and was told that he did not have to do so. 
However, the MPF subsequently informed him that he did indeed 
have to request the transfer of benefits through the Air Force 
application. He completed the application on 28 Oct 09, which 
established a new ADSC of 28 Oct 11. He clearly demonstrated 
his intent to transfer the benefits to his dependents and incur 
the appropriate ADSC of 24 Jun 11 on 24 Jun 09. 

 

In support of his request, the applicant provides a copy of what 
appears to be a screen shot of the aforementioned Department of 
Veterans Affairs (DVA) VONAPP application and correspondence 
from the DVA related to the matter under review. 

 

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

 

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STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

 


Information extracted from the Military Personnel Data System 
(MilPDS) indicates the applicant is currently serving on active 
duty in the grade of lieutenant colonel (O-5). 

 

The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application are 
contained in the letter prepared by the appropriate office of 
the Air Force, which is attached at Exhibit C. 

 

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AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

AF/A1PA recommends denial, indicating there is no evidence of an 
error or injustice. Based on the applicant’s retirement 
eligibility, he was required to commit to two additional years 
of service in order to be eligible to transfer his Post 9/11 GI 
Bill benefits to his dependent. On 24 Jun 09, he erroneously 
used the DVA VONAPP to attempt to make the transfer of education 
benefits to his eligible dependents and believed he would incur 
an ADSC of 24 Jun 11. He eventually discovered he had not used 
the correct web-based application, and on 29 Oct 09, applied to 
transfer benefits in the correct web-based application. In 
doing so, he electronically signed a Statement of Understanding 
that committed him to a two year ADSC ending 28 Oct 11. The 
applicant argues that he demonstrated his intent to transfer 
benefits on 24 Jun 09, the date he tried to transfer the 
benefits using VONAPP. However, the VA Certificate of 
Eligibility the applicant received as a result of his VONAPP 
application clearly confirms that he alone was entitled to 
36 months of Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits. There is absolutely 
nothing included in the certificate that would lead him to 
believe he successfully transferred his Post 9/11 GI Bill 
benefits to his dependents. Additionally, the effective date of 
the program was 1 Aug 09; therefore, even if the applicant had 
transferred benefits in the correct system in Jun 09, the 
earliest date his ADSC would expire would be 31 Jul 11. 

 

A complete copy of the AF/A1PA evaluation is at Exhibit C. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to applicant on 
29 Apr 11 for review and comment within 30 days. As of this 
date, no response has been received by this office (Exhibit D). 

 

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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 an error or injustice. While we 
note the steps the Air Force office of primary responsibility 
indicates were taken to inform eligible personnel of the 
requirements associated with participating in this new benefit, 
it appears that through no fault of the applicant, he was not 
timely made aware of the steps necessary to transfer his 
benefits to his dependents. In our view, these initial 
challenges served to delay the applicant’s action to transfer 
his benefits, thus preventing him from entering into the 
required two-year active duty service commitment (ADSC) as early 
as he could have. We note the applicant contends he intended to 
transfer his benefits as early as 24 Jun 09; however, we also 
note the comments by the Air Force office of primary 
responsibility indicating the earliest the applicant, or anyone 
else for that matter, could transfer their benefits would be 
1 Aug 09. Therefore, we believe that correcting his record to 
reflect he transferred his benefits on 1 Aug 09, thereby 
incurring the requisite ADSC on that date, represents full and 
fitting relief in this case. Therefore, we recommend the 
applicant’s records be corrected as indicate below. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT: 

 

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air 
Force relating to the APPLICANT be corrected to show that on 
1 Aug 09, he elected to transfer his Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits 
to his dependents, thereby incurring a two-year Active Duty 
Service Commitment (ADSC) with an expiration date of 31 Jul 11. 

 

________________________________________________________________ 

 

The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2011-00815 in Executive Session on 29 Jul 11, under 
the provisions of AFI 36-2603: 

 

 

 

All members voted to correct the records as recommended. The 
following documentary evidence was considered: 

 

 Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 1 Feb 11, w/atchs. 

 Exhibit B. Applicant’s Master Personnel Records. 

 Exhibit C. Letter, AF/A1PA, dated 15 Apr 11. 

 Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 29 Apr 11. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Panel Chair