DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 

BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 
Application for the Correction of 
the Coast Guard Record of: 
 
                                                                                        BCMR Docket No. 2004-039 
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

 

 
 

FINAL DECISION 

 
ULMER, Chair: 
 
 
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 December 8, 2003, upon the 
BCMR’s receipt of the applicant’s completed application. 
 
 
appointed members who were designated to serve as the Board in this case. 
 

This  final  decision,  dated  September  9,  2004,  is  signed  by  the  three  duly 

APPLICANT’S REQUEST AND ALLEGATIONS 

 
 
The applicant asked the Board to correct his military record to make him entitled 
to a Zone B selective reenlistment bonus (SRB)1 with a multiple of 2.5 instead of the 2.0 
multiple he actually received.  He alleged that upon reenlisting on June 12, 2003, he was 
advised that he would receive an SRB multiple of 2.5.    However, after reenlisting he 
was  paid  a  Zone  B  SRB  with  a  multiple  of  2  because  the  higher  2.5  multiple  did  not 
become effective until July 1, 2003.  The applicant alleged that had he known that the 
additional  .5  multiple  (authorized  for  having  certain  competency  codes)  was  not 
available until July 1, 2003, he would have reenlisted on that date.  
 
 
In  support  of  his  allegations,  he  submitted  a  copy  of  his  reenlistment  contract 
showing that he was promised a Zone B SRB with a multiple 2.5.  He also submitted a 
                                                 
1 SRBs vary according to the length of each member’s active duty service, the number of months of service 
newly obligated by the reenlistment or extension of enlistment contract, and the need of the Coast Guard 
for personnel with the member’s particular skills, which is reflected in the “multiple” of the SRB author-
ized for the member’s skill/rating, which is published in an ALCOAST.  Coast Guard members who have 
at  least  6  but  no  more  than  10  years  of  active  duty  service  are  in  “Zone  B.”  Article  3.C.,  Coast  Guard 
Personnel Manual. 
 

copy of an administrative remarks (page 7) page advising him that he was eligible to 
reenlist for six years and to receive an SRB multiple of 2.5 under ALCOAST 182/03.  
 

SUMMARY OF THE RECORD 

 
 
On August 31, 1993, the applicant enlisted in the Coast Guard for a term of four 
years and has serve continuously since that time.  On July 11, 1997, he reenlisted for six 
years  that  obligated  service  through  July  10,  2003.    His  most  recent  reenlistment 
occurred on June 12, 2003 for six years, wherein he was promised the Zone B SRB with a 
multiple of 2.5.   
 

VIEWS OF THE COAST GUARD 

 
 
On  March  15,  2004,  the  Judge  Advocate  General  (TJAG)  of  the  Coast  Guard 
recommended  that  the  Board  grant  the  following  relief:  (1)  void  the  June  12,  2003 
reenlistment  contract  and  replace  it  with  a  one  year  extension,  and  (2)  reenlist  the 
applicant on July 2, 2003 for six years, which would make him eligible for the 2.5 SRB 
multiple.   
 
 
 

In recommending the above relief, TJAG stated the following: 

The  record    .  .  .  documents  that  miscounseling    .  .  .  At  the  time  of  the 
counseling ALCOAST 182/03 was the effective SRB instruction and on 1 
July  2003  contained  an  additional  multiple  of  .5  for  BM's  with  coxswain 
qualifications.    The  Coast  Guard's  Personnel  Manual,  .  .  .    (Chapter 
4.B.6.a.2) states that personnel E-4 and above with over six years of active 
duty are considered to be in a career status and are required to have one 
year  of  OBLISERV  remaining  upon  reporting  to  the  new  unit.    The 
Applicant reported to Activities New York on 1 July 2003.  If the applicant 
had  been  properly  counseled,  it  would  be  reasonable  to  assume  that  he 
would  have  extended  for  one  (01)  year  to  meet  the  obligated  service 
requirement  to  accept  his  orders  and  prior  to  the  effective  date  of  the 
extension    [July  11,  2003]  he  would  have  reenlisted  for  the  Zone  B  SRB 
multiple of [2.5] that he was promised.  The Board should grant the relief 
because  the  record  demonstrates  that  the  Applicant  intended  to  further 
obligate himself for an SRB.   

APPLICANT’S RESPONSE TO THE COAST GUARD’S VIEWS 

 

 

 
 
recommendation. 
 

On March 29, 2004, the applicant responded that he accepted the Coast Guard's 

APPLICABLE REGULATIONS 

Coast Guard Personnel Manual 
 

 
Article 3.C.3 (Written Agreements) states that "all personnel with 10 years or less 
active service who reenlist or extend for any period, however brief, shall be counseled 
on the SRB program." 

 
Article  3.C.5.6  (special  conditions  pertaining  to  SRB  entitlements)  states  the 

following: 

 
Extensions  previously  executed  by  members  may  be  canceled  prior  to 
their  operative  date  for  the  purpose  of  executing  a  longer  extension  or 
reenlistment  . . . An exception to the rule is made for extensions of 2 years 
or  less,  or  multiple  extensions  (each  of  which  is  two  years  or  less  in 
length),  required  of  a  member  for  transfer,  training,  advancement,  or 
tuition  assistance.    These  extensions  may  be  canceled  prior  to  their 
operation  date  for  the  purpose  of  immediate  reenlistment  or  longer 
extension without any loss or SRB entitlement.   

  
Pertinent ALCOASTS 
 

ALCOAST 182/03 was issued on April 24, 2003, and became effective on July 1, 
2003.  It established SRB multiples for personnel in certain skill ratings who reenlisted 
or  extended  their  enlistments  for  at  least  three  years  and  up  to  six  years.    Under 
ALCOAST  182/03,  BMs  were  eligible  for  a  Zone  B  SRB  calculated  with  a  multiple  of 
two and was entitled to an additional .5 multiple for having certain boat competency 
codes.   
 
ALCOAST 329/02 was issued on July 3, 2002 and was effective from August 5, 
2002 through June 30, 2003.  It established a multiple of 2 for BMs but did not authorize 
the additional .5 for having certain competency codes.  
 
 

 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 appli-
cable law: 
 

1. 

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

§ 1552.  The application was timely. 
 

2.  When the applicant reenlisted for six years on June 12, 2003, his then current 
six-year reenlistment was due expire on July 10, 2003.  He was incorrectly promised a 
Zone  B  SRB  with  a  multiple  of  2.5  under  ALCOAST  182/03,  which  did  not  become 

effective until July 1, 2003.  According to the SRB regulation, the applicant was entitled 
to the SRB multiple in effect at the time he reenlisted.  

 
3.  This applicant's situation was somewhat unique.  His then current enlistment 
did not expire until July 10, 2003.  Therefore he had until that date to reenlist but for the 
fact  that  he  was  required  to  commit  to  an  additional  year  of  service  to  execute  PCS 
orders prior to July 1, 2003, the date he was to report to his new unit. Article 4.B.6.a.2. of 
the  Personnel  Manual  states,  "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 OBLISERV [obligated service] remaining upon reporting to 
the  new  unit."    The  applicant  completed  his  sixth  year  of  active  duty  on  August  30, 
1999, and therefore, he was required to have only one year of service remaining on his 
enlistment  when  he  reported  to  his  new  duty  station  on  July  1,  2003.    Instead  of 
reenlisting for six years, he could have extended for one year. 

 
4.    The  Board  is  persuaded  that  the  applicant  was  given  erroneous  guidance 
about the amount of his SRB multiple when he reenlisted on June 12, 2003, as evidenced 
by a page 7 entry and his reenlistment contract.  This erroneous action on the part of a 
Coast Guard official caused the applicant to believe he was entitled to a SRB multiple of 
2.5 based on six years of service.  

[ORDER AND SIGNATURES ON NEXT PAGE] 

 
5.  The Board's policy in cases of erroneous counseling is to place the applicant in 
the position that he would have been in if he had been properly counseled. Therefore, if 
the  applicant  had  been  properly  counseled,  he  would  have  been  told  that,  under 
ALCOAST 329/02 he was eligible only for a multiple of 2.  However, he would have 
also  been  told  that  he  could  extend  his  enlistment  for  one  year  because  he  was  only 
required  to  have  one  year  of  service  remaining  upon  reporting  to  his  new  unit.    He 
would  have  been  further  advised  that  since  the  operative  date  for  the  extension  was 
July 11, 2003, he could cancel the extension after July 1, 2003, and prior to July 11, 2003 
and reenlist for a longer period to obtain the desired SRB multiple without a penalty.  
See Article 3.C.5.6. of the Personnel Manual.  Accordingly, the Coast Guard committed 
an error by providing erroneous SRB counseling to the applicant. 

 
6.  The Board finds that the following relief recommended by the Coast Guard 
and accepted by the applicant is fair and just under the circumstances of this case: (1) 
void  the June 12, 2003 reenlistment contract and replace it with a one year extension, 
and (2) on July 2, 2003 cancel the one year extension and reenlist the applicant for six 
years, making him eligible for the 2.5 SRB multiple. 
 
 
 
 
 

Accordingly, the applicant is entitled to relief. 

7. 

 

 

ORDER 

 

The  application  of  XXXXXXXXXXXXXX,  USCG,  for  correction  of  his  military 
record  is  granted.      His  record  shall  be  corrected  as  follows:  (1)  the  June  12,  2003, 
reenlistment contract shall be replaced with a one-year extension.  On July 2, 2003, the 
one year extension shall be canceled and the applicant shall be reenlisted for six years, 
making him eligible for the 2.5 SRB multiple under ALCOAST 182/03.  No SRB penalty 
shall apply under this order.  The Coast Guard shall pay the applicant the amount he is 
due as a result of this correction. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

        

 
 Julia Andrews  

 

 

 
 James E. McLeod  

 

 

 

 

 
 
 Marc J. Weinberger