DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS
FINAL DECISION
BCMR Docket No. 2004-012
Application for the Correction of
the Coast Guard Record of:
SUMMARY OF THE RECORD
The applicant requested that the Board reinstate his entitlement to the Zone B selective
reenlistment bonus (SRB) that was promised to him when he reenlisted for six years on June 9,
2003. The applicant reenlisted at that time to have enough obligated service to complete a full
three-year tour of duty upon reporting to his new duty station under permanent change of
station (PCS) orders issued on February 24, 2003. The orders stated, "This assignment requires a
minimum of three years [obligated service]." The orders also stated that the period of travel
was between June 1, 2003 and July 1, 2003, with the applicant to report to his new command by
July 1, 2003. The applicant's then enlistment was due to expire on March 5, 2006. Therefore,
upon reporting to his new duty station on July 1, 2003, the applicant would have been
approximately four months short of having the necessary three years of obligated service as
required in the PCS orders. So, on June 9, 2003, instead of executing a four-month extension,
the applicant chose to reenlist for six-years to fulfill the obligated service requirement upon
reporting to his new duty station and to obtain an SRB.
Subsequent to reporting to the new duty station, the applicant was informed by Coast
Guard Personnel Command (CGPC) that he was not eligible for the SRB because according to
Article 4.B.6.a.2. of the Personnel Manual, he already had three years of service remaining on
his then enlistment (apparently CGPC used the date the orders were issued rather than the date
the applicant was due to report to his new duty station in calculating the three year
requirement). Article 4.B.6.a.2. states the following: "Personnel E-4 and above with over six
years of active duty are considered to be in a career status. Unless otherwise indicated, they are
required to have one year of [obligated service] upon reporting to the new unit." Emphasis added.
Although required to have three years, when the applicant reported to his unit on July 1, 2003,
he had only two years and eight months of obligated service remaining.
The Judge Advocate General (TJAG) of the Coast Guard recommended that the Board
grant relief. He stated that the applicant was required to obligate additional service to have
three years of service remaining upon reporting to his new duty station. He noted that the
applicant was required to obligate an additional four months to have the three years of service
required by the PCS orders.
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
The Personnel Manual requires that members in pay grade E-4 and above with six years
of active duty, like the applicant, have one year of remaining obligated service upon reporting to
a new duty station, unless otherwise indicated. The applicant's PCS orders clearly stated that the
applicant was required to have a minimum of three years of obligated service. The applicant
was scheduled to report to his new duty station by July 1, 2003, at which time he would have
had two years and eight months of obligated service remaining on his then current enlistment.
Therefore, he was required to extend or reenlist for an additional four months to have the full
three years of obligated service required by his PCS orders. When a member is required to
extend or reenlist for transfer purposes, he or she may extend or reenlist for a longer period to
obtain an SRB, which is the applicant's situation. See Article 3.C.5. of the Personnel Manual.
The Coast Guard committed an error by refusing to pay the SRB and by informing the
applicant that he was not eligible for the SRB because he had the necessary three years of
obligated service before the PCS orders were issued. The obligated service requirement is
calculated from the time of reporting to the new duty station, not from the time of issuance of
PCS orders. See Article 4.B.6. of the Personnel Manual. Accordingly the applicant is entitled to
relief.
ORDER
The military record of XXXXXXXXXXXXXX, USCG, shall be corrected to show that he
reenlisted on June 9, 2003 and was entitled to a Zone B SRB under ALCOAST 329/02. The
Coast Guard shall pay the applicant the SRB to which he is entitled under this contract.
Philip B. Busch
Richard Walter
Suzanne L. Wilson
June 30, 2004
Date
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