IN THE CASE OF:	  

		BOARD DATE:	  8 May 2012

		DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20110022251 


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 in effect, correction of his records to show he elected transfer of his educational benefits to his dependents under the Post-9/11 GI Bill transferability program.

2.  The applicant states he was repeatedly misinformed during his transition from military service that he would be able to transfer his GI Bill benefits to his dependents after his retirement date.

3.  The applicant provides no additional evidence.

CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:

1.  After completing over 23 years of creditable active service, the applicant retired on 31 January 2010 in the rank of sergeant first class.

2.  During the processing of this case, an advisory opinion was obtained from the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1, Chief, Enlisted Professional Development Branch, dated 12 January 2012, who states, in summary:

	a.  Public Law 110-252 establishes legal limitations on the transferability of unused Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.  The law limits eligibility to transfer unused benefits to those members of the Armed Forces who are serving on active duty or as a member of the Selected Reserve.

	b.  A Soldier must be currently on active duty or a member of the Selected Reserve at the time of transfer of educational benefits to his or her dependent (on or after 1 August 2009).  The applicant's last day in military service was 31 January 2010.  He would have been eligible to transfer the benefits if he transferred them before he left the service.

	c.  A Soldier must have at least 6 years of eligible service in order to transfer educational benefits to a spouse or at least 10 years of eligible service to transfer educational benefits to eligible children.  He had more than 20 years of service upon his retirement, so he was eligible to transfer benefits to either his spouse or children (if he completed the request before leaving military service).

	d.  A Soldier may only transfer benefits to eligible dependents.  He had two eligible dependents enrolled in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System.  He did not complete the requirements in the Transfer of Education (TEB) online database because he claims he was not aware of the requirement to transfer benefits prior to leaving military service.

	e.  A Soldier must also agree to serve the prescribed additional service obligation based on the time the Soldier had in service on 1 August 2009.  If the applicant transferred his benefits prior to leaving military service he would not have incurred an additional service obligation because he had more than 20 years of service as of 1 August 2009.

	f.  A Soldier must have no adverse action flag and have an honorable discharge to transfer benefits.  There is no evidence of an adverse action in the applicant's record.  He received an honorable discharge.

	g.  A Soldier should not be granted relief based on unawareness of the law, program rules, or procedures unless he or she left military service during the implementation phase (first 90 days) of the program.  His last day in military service was 31 January 2010 and he started his retirement/transition leave on 19 October 2009, which was within 90 days after the program's implementation.

	h.  A Soldier must initially request to transfer benefits on the Department of Defense (DOD) TEB online database.  The TEB online database was operational on 29 June 2009.  Once approved in the TEB online database by the Soldier's service, the approval information is automatically relayed for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) access.  The respective dependent must then submit an application for VA educational benefits to request to use the benefits.  The applicant claims he was not aware of the requirement, so none of the required steps to transfer benefits were taken.

	i.  Changes to the amount of months allocated to dependents can be made at anytime, to include once a Soldier leaves military service, provided the service member allocates at least 1 month of benefits prior to separation.  If the service member allocates 0 months and subsequently leaves military service, he or she is not authorized to transfer unused benefits.  The TEB website shows no action was taken by the applicant to transfer any benefits.

	j.  The VA is restricted to pay for educational benefits by compensating no more than 1 retroactive year from the date a claim is received by the VA.  No evidence was provided by the applicant to show his dependents made a previous claim to the VA.  If the applicant is granted relief, the beginning date for his dependents to use the transferred benefits will be the date relief is granted unless previous specific claims were submitted to the VA (verified by the VA upon approval).

3.  The advisory official recommends administrative relief for the applicant because he left military service or started retirement/transition leave within 90 days of the implementation of the program.  He states that although significant measures were taken to disseminate the information to all Soldiers within Army components during the initial phase of the program, many Soldiers who left the service during the first 90 days of the program were not fully aware of the requirement to transfer benefits prior to leaving military service.

4.  The advisory opinion was forwarded to the applicant for information and to allow him the opportunity to submit comments or a rebuttal.  He responded on 18 January 2012 and concurred with the opinion.

5.  On 22 June 2009, DOD established the criteria for eligibility and transfer of unused educational benefits to eligible family members.  The policy states any member of the Armed Forces on or after 1 August 2009 who, at the time of the approval of the individual's request to transfer entitlement to educational assistance under this section, is eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and:

	a.  has at least 6 years of service in the Armed Forces on the date of election and agrees to serve 4 additional years in the Armed Forces from the date of election; or

	b.  has at least 10 years of service in the Armed Forces (active duty and/or Selected Reserve) on the date of election, is precluded by either standard policy (service or DOD) or statute from committing to 4 additional years, and agrees to serve for the maximum amount of time allowed by such policy or statute; or

	c.  is or becomes retirement eligible during the period 1 August 2009 through 1 August 2013.  A service member is considered to be retirement eligible if he or she has completed 20 years of active duty or 20 qualifying years of Reserve service.

6.  The policy further states the Secretaries of the Military Departments will provide active duty participants and members of the Reserve Components with qualifying active duty service individual pre-separation or release from active duty counseling on the benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, document accordingly, and maintain records for individuals who receive supplemental educational assistance under Public Law 110-252, section 3316.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The evidence of record shows the applicant was fully eligible to transfer his educational benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill TEB Program prior to his retirement.

2.  The advisory opinion points out:

* many Soldiers who left military service during the first 90 days of the program were not fully aware of the requirement to transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits prior to leaving military service
* the applicant's last day in military service was 31 January 2010
* he would have been eligible to transfer the benefits if he transferred them before he left the service

3.  Although the applicant retired on 31 January 2010, he left the service or started retirement/transition leave on 19 October 2009 which was within 90 days after the program's implementation.  Therefore, it would be appropriate to correct his military records to show he elected to transfer benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill Transferability Program to his eligible dependents prior to his retirement date.

BOARD VOTE:

____X____  ___X_____  ____X____  GRANT FULL RELIEF 

________  ________  ________  GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF 

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

________  ________  ________  DENY APPLICATION

BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

The Board determined the evidence presented is sufficient to warrant a recommendation for relief.  As a result, the Board recommends that all Department of the Army records of the individual concerned be corrected by showing the applicant filed his application and the Army approved his request to transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to his dependents prior to his retirement, provided all other program eligibility criteria are met.



      _____________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)                                         AR20110022251



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ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)                                         AR20110022251



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