DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 
Application for Correction of 
the Coast Guard Record of: 
 
                                                                                     BCMR Docket No. 2002-008 
 
XXXXXX, XXXXXX X. 
XXX XX XXXX, XXX 
   

 

 
 

FINAL DECISION 

 
GARMON, Attorney-Advisor: 
 
 
This is a proceeding under the provisions of section 1552 of title 10 and section 
425 of title 14 of the United States Code.  It was docketed on November 8, 2001, upon 
the BCMR’s receipt of the applicant’s request for correction. 
 
 
appointed members who were designated to serve as the Board in this case. 

This  final  decision,  dated  September  12,  2002  is  signed  by  the  three  duly 

APPLICANT’S REQUEST AND ALLEGATIONS 

 

 

The  applicant  asked  the  Board  to  correct  his  record  to  show  that  he  was 
discharged,  and  immediately  reenlisted  for  a  period  of  six  years  on  his  tenth 
anniversary  of  military  service1  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  a  Zone  B  selective 
reenlistment bonus (SRB).  He stated that on his tenth anniversary of military service, he 
was  never  counseled  about  his  eligibility  to  receive  a  Zone  B  SRB  under  ALCOASTs 
127/01 and 198/01.  In support of his allegations, he submitted a copy of his April 5, 
1999 reenlistment contract and a page 7 for that reenlistment, neither of which indicated 
a promise of or counseling for an SRB.  He also submitted a signed statement from a 
petty officer second class, indicating that the applicant’s tenth anniversary had passed 
prior to the applicant receiving counseling on his SRB entitlement. 
 

 

                                                 
1  To  be  clear,  in  accordance  with  pertinent  SRB  regulations,  it  is  the  ten-year  active  duty  service 
anniversary that entitles members to a Zone B SRB, not a ten-year military service anniversary. 

Final Decision in BCMR Docket No. 2002-008                                                               p. 2  

 

SUMMARY OF  THE APPLICANT’S RECORD 

On  June  10,  1991,  the  applicant  enlisted  in  the  Coast  Guard  Reserve  under  the 
Delayed Entry/Enlistment Program (DEP) for eight years.  On October 7, 1991, he was 
honorably  discharged  from  DEP  and  enlisted  in  the  Coast  Guard  for  four  years  on 
active  duty,  followed  by  a  four-year  Coast  Guard  Reserve  obligation.  On  October  6, 
1995, he extended his active duty enlistment for six months, through April 6, 1996.  On 
April 4, 1996, he was released from active duty upon the expiration of his active duty 
obligation and immediately transferred to the Coast Guard Reserve.  At the time of his 
release  from  active  duty,  the  applicant  had  served  4  years  5  months  and  28  days  on 
active duty. 

 
On April 4, 1999, he reenlisted in the regular component of the Coast Guard for a 
term of three years.  To date, he continues to serve on active duty in the Coast Guard.  
There  is  no  evidence  in  the  applicant’s  record  showing  that  he  was  on  active  duty 
between April 5, 1996 and April 3, 1999. 
 
 

VIEWS OF THE COAST GUARD 

 
 
 
On March 7, 2002, the Chief Counsel provided the Coast Guard’s comments to 
the  Board.    The  Chief  Counsel  recommended  that  the  Board  deny  the  applicant’s 
request for lack of merit, as follows: 
 

As  indicated  [i]n  the  [Coast  Guard’s  personnel  management  data  base] 
CG  PMIS  …  Applicant’s  active  duty  base  date  is  31  July  1994.2    Hence, 
Applicant’s  10-year  service  anniversary  date  is  31  July  2004,  not  07 
October 2001 as alleged.  Hence, Applicant’s allegation of error is without 
merit and should be dismissed with prejudice. 

 
 

APPLICANT’S RESPONSE TO THE VIEWS OF THE COAST GUARD 

 
On April 3, 2002, the Chair sent a copy of the views of the Coast Guard to the 
 
applicant and invited him to respond within 15 days.  No response was received by the 
Board.   
 
 
                                                 
2 Active duty base dates are supposed to reflect all periods of active duty served by members in the U. S. 
military forces.  The active duty base date is calculated as if the member’s previous active duty service 
had been served continuously up to the date of the subject reenlistment.  Thus, having 4 years 5 months 
and 28 days of previously served active duty at the time of his April 5, 1999 reenlistment, the applicant 
had an active duty base date calculated as July 31, 1994. 

Final Decision in BCMR Docket No. 2002-008                                                               p. 3  

APPLICABLE LAW 

 
 
Article  3.d.(1)  of  Enclosure  (1)  to  the  Commandant  Instruction  7220.33 
(Reenlistment  Bonus  Programs  Administration)  states  that  members  with  exactly  6 
years  active  duty  on  the  date  of  reenlistment  or  operative  date  of  extension  will  be 
entitled to the Zone A multiple in effect for their rating if they are otherwise eligible.  If 
they have previously received a Zone A bonus or no Zone A bonus is designated, they 
are entitled to a Zone B bonus if one is in effect. 
 

Article  3.d.(2)  of  the  instruction  provides  that  members  with  exactly  10  years 
active duty on the date of reenlistment or operative date of extension will be entitled to 
the Zone B multiple in effect for their rating if they are otherwise eligible.  If they have 
previously received a Zone B bonus or no Zone B bonus is designated, they are entitled 
to a Zone C bonus if one is in effect.  
 
 
Article  3.d.(9)  of  the  instruction  provides  that  “[c]ommanding  officers  are 
authorized to effect early discharge and reenlist members within 3 months prior to their 
6th,  10th,  or  14th  year  active  service  anniversary  dates  (not  to  be  confused  with  the 
normal expiration of enlistment), for the purpose of qualifying for a Zone A, B, or C SRB 
respectively.  …” 
 
 
ALCOAST  218/00,  issued  by  the  Commandant  on  May  19,  2000,  authorized 
members who reenlisted or extended their current enlistments between July 1, 2000 and 
January  31,  2001.    An  SRB  with  a  multiple  of  three  and  one-half  was  authorized  for 
members  in  the  xx  rating  in  Zone  A  (having  no  more  than  six  years  of  active  duty 
service). 
 
 

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS 

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

 
The  Board  makes  the  following  findings  and  conclusions  on  the  basis  of  the 
 
applicant's military record and submissions, the Coast Guard's submission, and appli-
cable law: 
 
 
§ 1552.  The application was timely. 
 
 
The applicant failed to show by a preponderance of the evidence that he 
was  entitled  to  SRB  counseling  on  October  7,  2001.    Although  the  applicant  entered 
active duty initially on October 7, 1991, he had a three-year break in active duty service 
between  April  5,  1996  and  April  3,  1999.    Therefore,  as  the  Chief  Counsel  stated,  the 
applicant’s ten-year anniversary date is July 31, 2004.  The applicant is correct that he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  military  in  several  capacities  since  1991,  however,  it  is  ten 

1. 

2. 

Final Decision in BCMR Docket No. 2002-008                                                               p. 4  

years of active duty, not ten years of military service, that entitles a member to a Zone B 
SRB if one is available on his ten-year active duty anniversary date.  See Articles 3.d.(2) 
and  3.d.(9)  of  Enclosure  (1)  to  COMDTINST  7220.33.    The  applicant  did  not  have  ten 
years of active duty on October 7, 2001. 
 
 
Although not eligible for a Zone B SRB, it appears that the applicant was 
entitled to a Zone A SRB on his sixth year active duty anniversary date of July 31, 2000.  
See  Articles  3.d.(1)  and  3.d.(9)  of  Enclosure  (1)  to  COMDTINST  7220.33.    ALCOAST 
218/00 announced a Zone A multiple for the applicant’s rating with an effective date of 
July 1, 2000.  ALCOAST 218/00 was canceled on January 31, 2001 by ALCOAST 488/00.  
There  is  no  page  7  entry  in  the  applicant’s  military  record  showing  that  he  was 
counseled  about  his  eligibility  for  a  Zone  A  SRB  on  his  sixth-year  active  duty 
anniversary.    Because  the  applicant  was  eligible  for  this  SRB,  the  Coast  Guard 
committed  an  error  by  not  counseling  him  about  it.    The  Board  finds  no  reasons 
weighing against the correction of the applicant’s record to show that he was eligible for 
a  Zone  A  SRB  on  his  sixth  year  active  duty  anniversary,  as  the  Board  has  granted 
similar relief in other cases. 
 
 
reenlisted on his sixth year active duty anniversary for a Zone A SRB. 
 
 

Accordingly,  the  applicant’s  record  should  be  corrected  to  show  that  he 

3. 

4. 

[ORDER AND SIGNATURES APPEAR ON NEXT PAGE]

Final Decision in BCMR Docket No. 2002-008                                                               p. 5  

ORDER 

 

 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

        

 
Michael K. Nolan  

The  application  of  XXX  XXXXXX  X.  XXXXXX,  XXX  XX  XXXX,  USCG,  for  the 

 
 
correction of his military record is granted as follows: 
 
 
The applicant shall be offered the opportunity of having his record corrected to 
show  that  on  July  31,  2000,  his  sixth  active  duty  anniversary,  he  was  discharged  and 
reenlisted for a term of three, four, five, or six years, at his discretion.  If he chooses to 
reenlist as of July 31, 2000, the Coast Guard shall pay the him the Zone A SRB he would 
be due under ALCOAST 218/00 as a result of this correction.   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Dorothy J. Ulmer  

 

 
Sherri L. Pappas