DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 

BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 
Application for the Correction of 
the Coast Guard Record of: 
 
                                                                                BCMR Docket No. 2010-017 
 
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
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FINAL DECISION 

 
 
This  proceeding  was  conducted  under  the  provisions  of  section  1552  of  title  10  and 
section 425 of title 14 of the United States Code.  The Chair docketed the case after receiving the 
completed  application  on  October  27,  2009,  and  assigned  it  to  staff  member  J.  Andrews  to 
prepare the decision for the Board as required by 33 C.F.R. § 52.61(c). 
 
 
appointed members who were designated to serve as the Board in this case. 
 

This  final  decision,  dated  July  29,  2010,  is  approved  and  signed  by  the  three  duly 

APPLICANT’S REQUEST AND ALLEGATIONS 

 
 
The  applicant,  who  was  honorably  discharged  on  June  15,  2008,  asked  the  Board  to 
correct block 11 on his  DD 214 to show that he  attended “A” School to  become an electronics 
technician  (ET).    He  alleged  that  because  he  successfully  graduated  from  ET  “A”  School,  his 
specialty should be noted in block 11.  In support of this allegation, he submitted a copy of his 
DD 214.  Block 11 of his DD 214 contains the notation “NA,” for not applicable, and many Xes.  
The  title  for  block  11  is  “PRIMARY  SPECIALTY  (List  number,  title  and  years  and  months  in 
specialty.  List additional specialty numbers and titles involving periods of one or more years.)”  
He also submitted copies of certificates showing that he successfully completed ET “A” School 
on February 18, 2005. 
 

Block 4.a. of a DD 214 shows a member’s grade, rate, or rank.  On the applicant’s DD 
214,  block  4.a.  shows  his  rate  as  ET3.    Block  14  of  a  DD  214  shows  a  member’s  military 
education.  The entries in block 14 on the applicant’s DD 214 are continued in block 18 because 
they overrun the space in block 14.  Block 18 contains the remark “BLOCK 14 CONTINUED:  
… ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN, (30/WKS) MAR 2005 ….” 
 

 

 

VIEWS OF THE COAST GUARD 

 

 
On  March  12,  2010,  the  Judge  Advocate  General  of  the  Coast  Guard  submitted  an 
advisory  opinion  adopting  the  findings  and  analysis  of  the  case  provided  in  a  memorandum 
prepared by the Personnel Service Center (PSC). 
 
 
The PSC stated that DD 214s are prepared in accordance with the regulations published 
in  COMDTINST  M1900.4D.   The  instructions  in  the  manual  state  that,  for  enlisted  personnel, 
block  11  should  contain  only  the  entry  “NA.”    The  PSC  pointed  out  that  a  member’s  military 
education is properly shown in block 14 of a DD 214 and alleged that the applicant’s completion 
of 30 weeks of Electronics Technician School is therefore shown in the proper place on his  DD 
214.    The  PSC  argued  that  the  applicant’s  request  should  be  denied  because  he  has  failed  to 
substantiate an error in his record. 
 

APPLICANT’S RESPONSE TO THE VIEWS OF THE COAST GUARD 

On March 15, 2010, the Chair sent the applicant a copy of the views of the Coast Guard 

 
 
and invited him to respond within 30 days.  No response was received.   
 

APPLICABLE REGULATIONS 

 

Chapter 1.E. of COMDTINST M1900.4D contains the following regulations for prepar-

 
ing DD 214s: 
 

Block 4a. Grade, Rate, or Rank. Enter the abbreviation for grade or rate in which separated. The 
commissioned grade will be shown for a temporary officer reverting to permanent enlisted status 
for the purpose of retiring under the enlisted "20-year" bill and released from active duty effective 
on the same date. In the case of a cadet, enter "CADET".  
 
Block  4b.  Pay  Grade.      Enter  the  pay  grade  in  which  separated:  “O-4”,  “W-1”,  “E-3”,  etc.    For 
cadets enter “NA”. 

●   ●   ● 

Block 11. Primary Specialty Number, Title and Years and Months in Specialty.  
1. Enlisted Personnel. Enter "NA".  
2.  Officers.  Enter  the  specialty  or  experience  indicator  as  shown  in  current  Register  of  Officers 
(COMDTINST  M1427.1  (series)),  or  the  Register  of  Reserve  Officers  (COMDTINST  M1427.2 
(series)).  

Block 12h. Effective Date of Pay Grade. Enter the year, month, and day as follows:  
1. Enlisted Personnel. Date of advancement.  

●   ●   ● 

●   ●   ● 

Block 14. Military Education. To assist the former service member in employment placement and 
job  counseling,  those  formal  service  schools  and  in-service  training  courses  captured  in  PMIS/ 
JUMPS  and  successfully  completed  during  the  period  of  service  covered  by  the  form  will  be  in 
this  block,  e.g.,  medical  and  dental,  electronics,  supply  administration,  personnel,  or  heavy 
equipment operations. Enter all course titles, number of weeks, and year completed, from the date 
entered in block 12a through the date entered in block 12b.  

 
 
space on the DD 214 should contain Xes. 

Chapter  1.D.2.c.(2)  of  COMDTINST  M1900.4D  states  that  any  large  blocks  of  blank 

 

 

 

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS 

The Board makes the following findings and conclusions on the basis of the applicant's 

 
 
military record and submissions, the Coast Guard's submissions, and applicable law: 
 

1. 

The Board has jurisdiction concerning this matter pursuant to  10 U.S.C. § 1552.  

The application is timely. 

 
2. 

The applicant alleged that block 11 of his DD 214 is improperly prepared because 
it fails to show that he successfully completed ET “A” School.  The Board begins its analysis in 
every  case  by  presuming  that  the  disputed  information  in  the  applicant’s  military  record  is 
correct as it appears in his record, and the applicant bears the burden of proving by a preponder-
ance of the evidence that  the disputed information  is  erroneous or unjust.1  Absent  evidence to 
the  contrary,  the  Board  presumes  that  Coast  Guard  officials  and  other  Government  employees 
have carried out their duties “correctly, lawfully, and in good faith.”2 

 
3. 

Preparation of a DD 214 is governed by regulation. Chapter 1.E. of COMDTINST 
M1900.4D clearly states that, for an enlisted member, block 11 should contain only the notation 
“NA,”  meaning  that  the  block  is  inapplicable  for  an  enlisted  member.    Apparently,  because 
enlisted members’ skill ratings are shown in block 4.a., block 11 is only completed for officers, 
whose job skills are not revealed by the rank shown in block 4.a.   

 
4. 

With  the  notation  “NA”  and  many  Xes,  block  11  of  the  applicant’s  DD  214  is 
properly prepared in accordance with Chapters 1.E. and 1.D.2.c.(2) of COMDTINST M1900.4D.  
In addition, the Board notes that the applicant’s rate of ET3 properly appears in block 4.a. of his 
DD  214;  his  date  of  advancement  to  ET3  is  shown  in  block  12.h.;  and  his  military  education, 
including his completion of ET “A” School, is shown in blocks 14 and 18.  Therefore, the Board 
finds that the applicant has failed to prove that his DD 214 is improperly completed. 

 
5. 
 
 
 
 

Accordingly, the applicant’s request should be denied.   

[ORDER AND SIGNATURES APPEAR ON NEXT PAGE]

                                                 
1 33 C.F.R. § 52.24(b); see Docket No. 2000-194, at 35-40 (DOT BCMR, Apr. 25, 2002, approved by the Deputy 
General Counsel, May 29, 2002) (rejecting the “clear and convincing” evidence standard recommended by the Coast 
Guard and adopting the “preponderance of the evidence” standard for all cases prior to the promulgation of the latter 
standard in 2003 in 33 C.F.R.§ 52.24(b)). 

2 Arens v. United States, 969 F.2d 1034, 1037 (Fed. Cir. 1992); Sanders v. United States, 594 F.2d 804, 813 (Ct. Cl. 
1979). 

 

 

The  application  of  former  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,  USCG,  for  correction  of 

his military record is denied. 

ORDER 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 Nancy L. Friedman 

 

 

 

 
 
 Robert S. Johnson, Jr. 

 

 

 
 Lynda K. Pilgrim