RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 

 IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-04332 

 

 COUNSEL: NONE 

 

 HEARING DESIRED: YES 

 

___________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 

 

Her Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP) 
election be withdrawn. 

 

___________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

 

Through attending retirement sessions, she learned her SBP 
election was not explained or presented accurately. What 
she believed she was electing was not, in fact, the case. 

 

In 2000, she inquired about the SBP program because of a 
friend’s death. She desired to have her brother as an 
insurable interest until receiving retirement pay and then 
cancel. She was told that she would pay approximately 
$200.00 per month for 2 to 3 years to cover the premiums 
between signing up and cancelling at the age of 60. The 
payments would then stop. 

 

She submitted the ARPC 123, Reserve Component Survivor 
Benefit Plan Election Certificate, believing she had what 
she needed. She did not realize anything was wrong until 
she attended a retirement briefing and learned the actual 
amount of the coverage was closer to $600.00. She was 
never briefed about the reserve add-on. She was also never 
briefed that it would continue for life. She never would 
have agreed to anything for life. 

 

She contacted the Air Reserve Personnel Center on two 
different days and spoke with two different individuals. 
Neither one of them was aware of the lifetime add-on 
premium. They also said at the time, not many people knew 
about the program and that things were not presented 
accurately. Both individuals also stated she should not 
have been allowed to sign up two years after her deadline. 

 

In support of her request, the applicant provides a copy of 
the ARPC Form 123, the ARPC Fact Sheet on RCSBP and the 
Defense Finance and Accounting System RCSBP Benefit Cost 
Sheet. 

 

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

 

___________________________________________________________ 

 

STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

 

The applicant honorably retired from the Air Force Reserves 
in the grade of Colonel/O6 on 1 November 2011. 

 

The other relevant facts pertaining to this application, 
extracted from the applicant’s master personnel records, 
are described in the letter prepared by the Air Force 
office of responsibility which is at Exhibit B. 

 

___________________________________________________________ 

 

AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

ARPC/DPTT recommends denial. According to their records, 
the member completed 20 satisfactory years of service on 
30 September 1999. She was notified of her eligibility to 
participate in the RCSBP on 1 January 2000 and made an 
insurable interest election for her brother. The RCSBP 
information package is sent to members at the time they are 
notified and the package explains all aspects of the 
program. 

 

The Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation 
(FMR) Volume 7B explains a member who is eligible and wants 
to terminate coverage may send a written request to the 
responsible agent. The participant who voluntarily 
terminates coverage for a natural person with an insurable 
interest will pay the reserve add-on premium for the 
lifetime of the member; however, if the member terminates 
coverage before age 60, the add-on is prorated. A 
calculation shows the members RCSBP add-on cost is $161.74 
a month. The DoD FMR further states no premiums are 
refunded as a result of terminating coverage. The 
applicant is eligible to participate in the SBP program 
upon turning 60 years old. 

 

The complete ARPC/DPTT evaluation, with attachments, is at 
Exhibit B. 

 

___________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

The applicant states she attained 20 years of service on 
20 November 1998. She maintains she was never notified of 
the RCSBP enrollment from ARPC. She queried them about it 
following the death of a very good friend. She never 
received the RCSBP information package. 


 

There was never any mention of a reserve add-on for life, 
which is a critical omission. She was told the rate was 
around $600.00 and $160.00 for life if she cancelled the 
coverage that month. The information she received on her 
recent call was vastly different than the call she had 
10 years earlier. While the RCSBP information available 
today was not available when she retired, she believes 
personnel are far more informed. 

 

Given the wealth of false information presented to her when 
she contacted ARPC at the time of her election, coupled 
with critical information being omitted, it is only right 
she be allowed the opportunity to adjust her SBP election 
with regard to the actual facts. 

 

The applicant’s complete response, with attachments, is at 
Exhibit D. 

 

___________________________________________________________ 

 

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. After a 
thorough review of the evidence of record and the 
applicant’s complete submission, a majority of the Board 
believes the applicant has provided sufficient evidence to 
reflect she was miscounseled regarding the impact of her 
RCSBP election. We believe, as the applicant states, 
through no fault of her own, she was not provided the 
information necessary in order to make an informed 
decision. As such, the Board majority believes that any 
doubt in this matter should be resolved in her favor. 
Therefore, we recommend her records be corrected as 
indicated below. 

 

4. The applicant's case is adequately documented and it 
has not been shown that a personal appearance with or 
without counsel will materially add to our understanding of 
the issues involved. Therefore, the request for a hearing 
is not favorably considered. 

 

___________________________________________________________ 

 

 

 

 


RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD: 

 

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air 
Force relating to APPLICANT, be corrected to show that on 
11 March 2000, she elected to decline coverage under the 
Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan. 

 

___________________________________________________________ 

 

The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2011-04332 in Executive Session on 17 April 2012, 
under the provisions of AFI 36-2603: 

 

 , Panel Chair 

 , Member 

 , Member 

 

By a majority vote, the Board recommended to grant the 
application. XXX voted to deny the applicant’s 
request and submits a minority report. The following 
documentary evidence was considered pertaining to AFBCMR 
Docket Number BC-2011-04332: 

 

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

 Exhibit B. Letter, MASTER PERSONNEL RECORDS 

 Exhibit C. Letter, ARPC/DPIT, dated 14 Apr 11. 

 Exhibit D. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 27 Apr 11. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Panel Chair