DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 

BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 
Application for the Correction of 
the Coast Guard Record of: 
 
                                                                                        BCMR Docket No. 2004-060 
 
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
   

 

 
 

FINAL DECISION 

 
AUTHOR: Ulmer, D. 
 
 
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 January 20, 2004, upon the 
BCMR’s receipt of the applicant’s completed application. 
 
 
members who were designated to serve as the Board in this case. 
 

This final decision, dated October 13, 2004, is signed by the three duly appointed 

APPLICANT’S REQUEST AND ALLEGATIONS 

 
 
The applicant asked the Board to correct his military record so that he is entitled 
to the Selected Reserve1 (SELRES) enlistment bonus that was allegedly promised to him 
when  he  enlisted  in  the  Coast  Guard  Reserve  on  August  31,  2002.  However,  the 
enlistment  contract  does  not  contain  a  promise  for  a  SELRES  bonus  and  the  Coast 
Guard has refused to pay one.   

 
The applicant submitted a copy of an administrative remarks page (page 7) dated 
August  31,  2002.    The  applicant  signed  the  page  7  on  April  19,  2003,  and  the  Coast 
Guard  counselor  signed  it  on  April  21,  2003.    The  page  7  contained  the  following 
pertinent information: 
 

                                                 
1   The Selected Reserve (SELRES) are those individuals in the Ready Reserve designated as so essential to 
initial contingency requirements that they have priority over all other Reserve elements.  SELRES mem-
bers are generally authorized 48 paid Inactive Duty Training (IDT) drills and at least 12 paid Active Duty 
Training (ADT) days per fiscal year.  Chapter 1.C.2a. of the Reserve Policy Manual.   

I  have  [been]  advised  that  I  am  currently  eligible  for  a  Level  I  Selective 
Reserve Affiliation Bonus as listed in ALCOAST 231/02, which has been 
made available [to] me.   
 
I am eligible to serve up to a maximum of 72 months.  My bonus will be 
computed based on 72 months of obligated service.   
 
I hereby acknowledge that I have read and fully understand the contents 
and explanation of COMDTINST 7220.1 (series).  I have been counseled on 
the  opportunity  to  have  my  SRB  payments  contributed  to  the  Thrift 
Saving Plan (TSP). 

SUMMARY OF THE RECORD 

  

 
 
On November 18, 1991, the applicant enlisted in the Coast Guard for four years.  
On September 1, 1995, he reenlisted for 4 years, and on January 20, 1999, he extended 
this  enlistment  for  eight  months.    On  August  31,  1999,  he  again  reenlisted  for  three 
years  and  on  August  30,  2002  he  was  honorably  discharged  from  the  regular  Coast 
Guard, after having served on active duty for ten years, eight months, and 13 days.  On 
August 31, 2002, he enlisted in the Coast Guard Reserve.   
 

VIEWS OF THE COAST GUARD 

 
 
On  April  19,  2004,  the  Judge  Advocate  General  (TJAG)  of  the  Coast  Guard 
submitted  an  advisory  opinion  in  which  he  recommended  that  the  Board  deny  the 
applicant’s  request.  TJAG  argued  that  the  applicant  has  produced  no  evidence  to 
support  his  claim  that  he  was  entitled  to  a  bonus.    He  further  stated,  "Applicant 
received the benefit of the bargain he struck; he has been accepted into the Coast Guard 
Selected  Reserve  at  the  pay  grade  of  E-6  and  is  receiving  pay  and  allowances  for  the 
same.  He is "entitled" to no more." 
 
 
TJAG attached to his advisory opinion a memorandum on the case prepared by 
the Commander, Coast Guard Personnel Command (CGPC).  CGPC stated that at the 
time the applicant enlisted in the Coast Guard Reserve he had already met his initial 8-
year  military  service  obligation,  and  therefore,  he  was  not  eligible  for  an  affiliation 
bonus.2    In  addition,  CGPC  stated  that  ALCOAST  231/02  clearly  stated  that  an 
individual in the applicant's situation was ineligible for a bonus.  In this regard, CGPC 
stated  that  the  applicant  signed  a  page  7  dated  August  31,  2002,  acknowledging  that 
ALCOAST 231/02 had been made available to him and he understood its provisions.  
CGPC  concluded  his  comments  with  the  following:    "Applicant  has  no  basis  for 
requesting  [a]  SELRES  Affiliation  Bonus  or  SELRES  Enlistment  Bonus.    At  no  point 

                                                 
2    An  affiliation  bonus  was  offered  to  those  members  of  the  Reserve  who  had  time  remaining  on  their 
initial eight-year military obligations and who agreed to affiliate with the SELRES.  

during  applicant's  separation  process  was  a  bonus  available  for  enlisting  into  the 
SELRES."  
 

APPLICANT’S RESPONSE TO THE COAST GUARD’S VIEWS 

On April 23, 2004, the BCMR sent the applicant a copy of the Coast Guard views 

 
 
and invited him to respond.   He did not submit a response.  
 
 
 
 
 

APPLICABLE REGULATION 

 

Selected Reserve Enlisted Bonus Programs (COMDTINST 7220.1A) 
 
 
Paragraph  1  of  Enclosure  (4)  states  that  the  SELRES  Prior  Service  Enlistment 
Program "provides a bonus to eligible prior service personnel who enlist in the SELRES 
(Selected Reserve) in ratings, billets, or units designated most critical (Level 1) or critical 
(Level 11).  The criticality of ratings, billets, or units are periodically revised by ALDIST 
to maintain currency."  
 

Paragraph  2  of  the  Enclosure lists the following pertinent eligibility criteria for 

the Prior Service SELRES Bonus Program:   

 
"a.  Enlistment must be for three to five years in the SELRES to qualify for 
the three-year bonus or six to eight years in the SELRES to qualify for the 
six-year bonus. 
 
"b.  Total prior service must be less than 14 years at the time of enlistment.  
Total  prior  service  to  date  of  enlistment  is  the  total  active  and  inactive 
service, regardless of branch … 
 
"c.    Members  who  have  not  completed  their  Military  Service  Obligation 
(MSO)  may  enlist  up  to  90  days  prior  to  their  normal  EOS.    In  cases  of 
early  enlistment,  the  term  of  the  new  contract  will  begin  on  the  date  of 
enlistment, unless waived by the other service . . .    
 
"e.    Member  must  hold  or  be  assigned  to  a  bonus-eligible  permanent 
rating, billet, or unit listed the current ALDIST bonus message at the time 
of enlistment.     
        
"f.  Member must agree to serve in the SELRES in the same rating, billet, or 
unit, for which the bonus was authorized . . . 

 
"g.  Member must execute a written agreement [sample shown in instruc-
tion]." 

 
 
Paragraph 4 contains the administrative procedures for bonus payment.  It pro-
vides that members must sign an agreement made on a page 7 when enlisting. Under 
the instruction, the recruiting office reviews the following documents to make sure they 
are correct: 
 

"(1) Current Enlisted Application and Orders to a RPAL billet 
 
"(2) Report of Separation from Active Duty (DD Form 214) 
 
"(3) Enlistment/Reenlistment Document–Armed Forces of the United 
States (DD Form 4) 
 
"(4) Record of Military Processing - Armed Forces of the United States 
(DD Form 1966) 
 
"(5) Written Agreement (CG-3307 [page 7]) for SELRES Prior Service 
Enlistment Bonus." 

 
ALCOAST 231/02  
 
 
This  ALCOAST  was  published  and  became  effective  on  May  6,  2002.    It 
authorized Level I and Level II bonuses for assignment in certain billets at certain units 
of the SELRES for prior service personnel who enlisted in the Reserve.   Members in the 
FS  rating  who were permanently assigned to the Naval Coastal Warfare Forces Units 
were  eligible  for  the  Level  I  bonus,  if  they  met  the  requirements  of  COMDTINST 
7220.1A.    The  ALCOAST  further  authorized  the  payment  of  this  bonus  for  members 
with  over  7  years,  9  months  prior  service  but  less  than  14  years  prior  active/inactive 
service.   
  

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 was timely. 

 

2.    As  CGPC  stated,  the  applicant  had  completed  his  initial  eight-year  military 
obligation  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Reserve,  and  therefore,  he  was  not  eligible  for  an 
affiliation bonus.   

 
3.    However,  in  addition  to  authorizing  affiliation  bonuses,  ALCOAST  231/02 
also authorized SELRES enlistment bonuses for prior service personnel.  Paragraph 7 of 
ALCOAST  231/02  authorized  SELRES  enlistment  bonuses  for  prior  service  personnel 
who, like the applicant, held critical ratings and who were assigned to certain SELRES 
units  and  billets  if  they  met  the  eligibility  requirements  of  COMDTINST  7220.1A.   
ALCOAST 231/02 became effective on May 6, 2002 and remained in effect until April 
28, 2003.  

 
4.  Paragraph 2.g. of Enclosure (4) to COMDTINST 7220.1A states that a member 
must execute a written agreement for a SELRES bonus.  In addition, Paragraph 4 states 
that the "member must sign an agreement on [a page 7] when enlisting."  The applicant 
has offered insufficient proof to establish that he executed a written agreement or that 
he  was  promised  a  prior  service  SELRES  bonus  at  the  time  he  enlisted  in  the  Coast 
Guard Reserve.  
 

5.    The  page  7  offered  by  the  applicant  to  prove  that  he  was  promised  the 
SELRES  bonus  was  signed  by  the  applicant  and  the  Coast  Guard  in  April  2003, 
approximately  seven  months  after  the  applicant  enlisted  in  the  Coast  Guard  Reserve. 
COMDTINST  7220.1A  contains  no  provision  for  executing  this  agreement  after  the 
member has already enlisted. 

 
 6.  The applicant has provided nothing to show that at the time he enlisted in the 
Coast  Guard  Reserve  on  August  31,  2002,  he  was  promised  a  prior  service  SELRES 
enlistment  bonus.    He  could  have  submitted  a  statement  from  the  recruiter/service 
member  who  enlisted  him  verifying  or  confirming  that  it  was  the  intention  of  the 
parties that the applicant would be assigned to a SELRES unit and billet that qualified 
for  a  SELRES  bonus,  as authorized by COMDTINST 7220.1A.  Without this evidence, 
the Board has no way of knowing whether the offer of a SELRES bonus for the applicant 
was an inducement for his enlistment in the Reserve on August 31, 2002. 

 
7.  Accordingly, the applicant has not proven his case by a preponderance of the 

evidence and it should be denied.   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

[ORDER AND SIGNATURES ON NEXT PAGE]

 
 

 

ORDER 

The  application  of  xxxxxxxxxxxxx,  USCGR,  for  the  correction  of  his  military 

 
 

record is denied.   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 

 
 Julia Andrews 

 

 

 

 
 
 Nancy L. Friedman  

 

 

 
 Kathryn Sinniger