IN THE CASE OF:	  

		BOARD DATE:	  23 April 2015

		DOCKET NUMBER:  AR20140011111 


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 correction of his DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from active Duty) and DD Form 2586 (Verification of Military Experience and Training (VMET)) to show completion of the:

* Adjutant General Officer Basic Course
* Military Intelligence Office Basic Course
* Systems Automation Course

2.  The applicant states, in effect, his military training is not documented on a DD Form 214 and does not appear in his electronic VMET record.  He believes this is because he completed these three courses before there was a centralized and automated system for training records in the U.S. Army.  After unsuccessful attempts to resolve this issue with the VMET office at Fort Knox, KY and the Military Personnel Office at Fort Myer, VA, he was directed to file an application with this Board.

3.  The applicant provides three DA Forms 1059 (Service School Academic Evaluation Report), dated 16 May 1984, 15 April 1985, and 19 July 1985.

CONSIDERATION OF EVIDENCE:

1.  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 also allows the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) to excuse an applicant's failure to timely file within the 3-year statute of limitations if the ABCMR determines it would be in the interest of justice to do so.  While it appears the applicant did not file within the time frame provided in the statute of limitations, the ABCMR has elected to conduct a substantive review of this case and, only to the extent relief, if any, is granted, has determined it is in the interest of justice to excuse the applicant's failure to timely file.  In all other respects, there are insufficient bases to waive the statute of limitations for timely filing.

2.  The applicant was appointed as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve on 26 May 1983.

3.  He was issued a DD Form 214 for the completion of each active duty period of service:

* 29 January to 9 October 1990 shows his primary specialty as 42A, (Adjutant General) 8 months and for education a Spanish basic course for 24 weeks
* 21 December 1990 to 24 April 1991 shows his primary specialty as 38A, (Civil Affairs) and 53A (Software Engineering Officer) 4 months and does not show completion of military education 
* 24 July to 17 December 2000, shows 38A and completion of Command and General Staff College for 21 weeks
* 24 January to June 2011, shows his primary specialty as 51Z (Acquisition) and does not show completion of any military education 

4.  He submits the following DA Forms 1059:

* Adjutant General Officer Basic Course, 4 March - 16 May 1984, 
* Military Intelligence Office Basic Course,11 October 1984 - 19 April 1985, 
* Systems Automation Course, 25 March - 19 July 1985 

5.  The applicant transferred to the Retired Reserve effective 24 June 2011 because he had reached his maximum authorized years of service as per Orders 11-144-00008 issued by Headquarters, 99th Regional Support Command on 24 May 2011. 

6.  The applicant did not provide a copy of his DD Form 2586 or his electronic VMET in support of his application.  

7.  Army Regulation 635-5 (Personnel Separations – Separation Documents), in effect at the time, stated that formal in-service (full-time attendance) training courses successfully completed during the period of service covered will be entered in Item 14.  This information is to assist the Soldier after separation in job placement and counseling; therefore, training courses for combat skills will not be listed.

8.  The DoD Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for Service Members and Veterans website at https:dmdc.osd.mil/tgps/pages/VMET/faqs.xhtml states that the VMET document (electronic DD Form 2586) lists a service member’s military experience and training which may have application to employment in the private sector.  

   a.  This document can be used as a tool to prepare job applications, in concert with evaluation reports, training certificates, awards, transcripts and other pertinent documents.  It is not an official transcript for purposes of granting college credit, but it can be used to support having met training and/or course requirements to qualify for civilian occupations, certificates, licenses, or programs of study.  
   
   b.  The VMET database is maintained by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC).  It is noted that not all military course completions are listed on a VMET document because the Services do no report all of them.  The only military course completions that are reported by each Service's electronic data feed (to include in the VMET documents) are those courses where the attendance data is available from an automated source.  And since many older courses and unit/base level courses of short duration do not have automated attendance data, they never get reported in the Service's electronic data feed to be included in VMET documents – even if the service member completed it and has a hard copy certificate of completion or listed on their Joint Service Transcript (https://jst.doded.mil) or similar document.  For corrections, the Services are responsible and many times the Services do not make changes when a correction would not result in any new descriptive data on the form.  Furthermore, many services are not able to correct errors after a member's separation or retirement. 

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS:

1.  The applicant requests his DD Form 214 and electronic DD Form 2586 be corrected to show his successful completion of additional military training.

2.  The DD Form 214 is a summary of a Soldier's most recent period of continuous active duty.  It provides a brief, clear-cut record of active duty service at the time of release from active duty, retirement, or discharge (emphasis added).  

3.  The fact that the applicant successfully completed additional training is not in question.  However, the evidence shows the applicant completed these courses prior to the active duty service dates listed on his four DD Forms 214.  There is no provision to enter military training courses completed outside the period of the DD Form 214.

4.  Concerning correcting his electronic DD Form 2586, as he is now in the Retired Reserve there is no provision to correct this record.  In addition, the courses were completed during the period from 1984 through 1985 and probably completed prior to the start of automated attendance records.  Therefore, as the courses did not have an automated attendance source, there is no provision now to add his identified courses to his VMET document. 

5.  For the reasons listed above, his request should be denied.

BOARD VOTE:

________  ________  ________  GRANT FULL RELIEF 

________  ________  ________  GRANT PARTIAL RELIEF 

________  ________  ________  GRANT FORMAL HEARING

____X____  ____X____  ____X____  DENY APPLICATION

BOARD DETERMINATION/RECOMMENDATION:

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.




      _______ _   __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)                                         AR20140011111



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ABCMR Record of Proceedings (cont)                                         AR20140011111



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