RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


      IN THE CASE OF:


      BOARD DATE:        24 October 2006
      DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20060003598


      I certify that hereinafter is recorded the true and complete record
of the proceedings of the Army Board for Correction of Military Records in
the case of the above-named individual.

|     |Mr. Carl W. S. Chun               |     |Director             |
|     |Ms. Beverly A. Young              |     |Analyst              |

      The following members, a quorum, were present:

|     |Ms. Carmen Duncan                 |     |Chairperson          |
|     |Mr. Jerome Pionk                  |     |Member               |
|     |Ms. Rea Nuppenau                  |     |Member               |

      The Board considered the following evidence:

      Exhibit A - Application for correction of military records.

      Exhibit B - Military Personnel Records (including advisory opinion,
if any).

THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST, STATEMENT, AND EVIDENCE:

1.  The applicant requests, in effect, correction of his records to show he
was promoted to master sergeant (MSG), E-8.

2.  The applicant states that there were ten negative records belonging to
other persons in his Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) until 2004.
He believes that he was passed over for promotion due to this information
in his record.  He states he served in the military for 22 years without a
Letter of Reprimand, an Article 15, or lost time.  He was always in the top
five in all of his military schools, to include his advanced individual
training, the Primary Leadership Development Course, and the Advanced
Noncommissioned Officer Course (ANCOC).

3.  The applicant provides no additional documents in support of his
application.

CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:

1.  The applicant is requesting correction of an alleged injustice which
occurred on 31 July 1996.  The application submitted in this case is dated
23 February 2006.

2.  Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 1552(b), provides that applications for
correction of military records must be filed within 3 years after discovery
of the alleged error or injustice.  This provision of law allows the Army
Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) to excuse failure to file
within the 3-year statute of limitations if the ABCMR determines that it
would be in the interest of justice to do so.  In this case, the ABCMR will
conduct a review of the merits of the case to determine if it would be in
the interest of justice to excuse the applicant’s failure to timely file.

3.  The applicant initially enlisted in the Regular Army on 29 May 1974.
He completed the required training and was awarded military occupational
specialty (MOS) 05F (Radio Teletype Operator).

4.  He completed the Primary Leadership Development Course in January 1978.

5.  The applicant was discharged on 16 May 1982 and was transferred to the
U.S. Army Reserve Control Group (Reinforcement) on the following date.  He
enlisted in the Regular Army on 23 February 1983 and continued to serve on
active duty through a series of reenlistments.


6.  Department of the Army, 176th Personnel Service Company Orders
Number 180-1, dated 10 September 1984, promoted the applicant to staff
sergeant with an effective date of 10 September 1984 and with a date of
rank of 3 August 1984.

7.  On 9 January 1985, the ABCMR corrected the applicant’s records to show
he was promoted to the rank of staff sergeant, E-6 effective 1 September
1984.

8.  He was awarded MOS 31W (Mobile Subscriber Equipment Communications)
around July 1985.

9.  The applicant completed ANCOC in December 1987.

10.  The applicant was promoted to sergeant first class (SFC), E-7 with an
effective date and date of rank of 1 November 1990 in MOS 31Y
(Telecommunications Systems Supervisor).

11.  The applicant retired on 1 August 1996 in the rank and grade of SFC, E-
7.

12.  Ten documents were deleted from the Service Data portion of the
applicant’s OMPF on an unknown date.

13.  Army Regulation 600-8-19 prescribes the enlisted promotions and
reductions function of the military personnel system.  In pertinent part,
it states that centralized promotion boards (for promotion consideration to
grades E-7, E-8, and E-9) will select the best qualified Soldier in each
MOS for promotion.  They will recommend a specified number of Soldiers by
MOS from zones of consideration who are the best qualified to meet the
needs of the Army.  The total number selected in each MOS is the projected
number the Army needs to maintain its authorized-by-grade strength at any
given time.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The evidence of record shows ten documents were deleted from the
applicant’s OMPF.  However, there is no evidence to determine if these
documents were reviewed by a promotion board.  In addition, the applicant
had opportunities to review his OMPF prior to their being reviewed by an E-
8 promotion board.  If he believed the fact of their deletion might raise
questions in the minds of the board members, he could have provided a
written communication to the president of the board(s) explaining why the
documents were deleted.

2.  Without being able to review all the records, MOS/authorized-by-grade
projections, and special instructions that were available to the promotion
boards that considered the applicant, the Board cannot determine why he was
not selected for promotion.  In the absence of evidence to show otherwise,
the Board concludes that the Soldiers who were recommended for promotion to
MSG were, in the promotion board’s considered opinion, the best qualified
in their MOS.

3.  Records show the applicant should have discovered the alleged error or
injustice now under consideration on 31 July 1996; therefore, the time for
the applicant to file a request for correction of any error or injustice
expired on 30 July 1999.  The applicant did not file within the 3-year
statute of limitations and has not provided a compelling explanation or
evidence to show that it would be in the interest of justice to excuse
failure to timely file in this case.

BOARD VOTE:

________  ________  ________  GRANT FULL RELIEF

________  ________  ________  GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

CD______  JP______  RN______  DENY APPLICATION

BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

1.  The Board determined that the evidence presented does not demonstrate
the existence of a probable error or injustice.  Therefore, the Board
determined that the overall merits of this case are insufficient as a basis
for correction of the records of the individual concerned.

2.  As a result, the Board further determined that there is no evidence
provided which shows that it would be in the interest of justice to excuse
the applicant's failure to timely file this application within the 3-year
statute of limitations prescribed by law.  Therefore, there is insufficient
basis to waive the statute of limitations for timely filing or for
correction of the records of the individual concerned.




                                  Carmen Duncan_________
                                            CHAIRPERSON

                                    INDEX

|CASE ID                 |AR20060003598                           |
|SUFFIX                  |                                        |
|RECON                   |YYYYMMDD                                |
|DATE BOARDED            |20061024                                |
|TYPE OF DISCHARGE       |(HD, GD, UOTHC, UD, BCD, DD, UNCHAR)    |
|DATE OF DISCHARGE       |YYYYMMDD                                |
|DISCHARGE AUTHORITY     |AR . . . . .                            |
|DISCHARGE REASON        |                                        |
|BOARD DECISION          |DENY                                    |
|REVIEW AUTHORITY        |Mr. Chun                                |
|ISSUES         1.       |131.0000                                |
|2.                      |                                        |
|3.                      |                                        |
|4.                      |                                        |
|5.                      |                                        |
|6.                      |                                        |


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