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NAVY | BCNR | CY2000 | 08242-00
Original file (08242-00.pdf) Auto-classification: Approved
D E P A R T M E N T  OF  THE  NAVY 

B O A R D   F O R   C O R R E C T I O N   O F   N A V A L   R E C O R D S  

2  N A V Y   A N N E X  

AEG 
Docket No. 8242-00 
10 April 2002 

W A S H I N G T O N   D C   2 0 3 7 0 - 5 1 0 0  

~ubj: REVIEW OF NAVAL RECORD OF - Ref:  (a) 10 U.S.C.  1552 

From: Chairman, Board for Correction of Naval Records 
To:  Secretary of the Navy 

Encl:  (1) Case Summary 

(2) Subject's Naval Record 

1. Pursuant to the provisions of reference (a), Petitioner, a 
former enlisted member of the Marine Corps, applied to this Board 
requesting that his naval record be corrected by changing his 
separation code to make him eligible for separation pay. 

2. The Board, consisting of Messrs. Mackey and Pauling and Ms. 
Mc~ormick reviewed Petitioner's allegations of error and 
injustice on 9 April 2002 and, pursuant to its regulations, 
determined that the corrective action indicated below should be 
taken on the evidence of record.  Documentary material considered 
by the Board consisted of the enclosures, naval records and 
applicable statutes, regulations and policies. 

3.  The Board, having reviewed all the facts of record pertaining 
to Petitioner's allegations of error and injustice, finds as 
follows: 

a.  Before applying to this Board, Petitioner exhausted all 

administrative remedies available under existing law and 
regulations within the Department of the Navy. 

b.  Petitioner's application to the Board was filed in a timely 

manner. 

c. Petitioner first enlisted in the Marine Corps on 13 June 

1988 and he reenlisted on 4 November 1993.  He then served until 
7 January 1998, when he received a general discharge by  reason of 
misconduct.  At that time, he received an RE-4 reenlistment code, 
which disqualified him from future active or reserve service. 
Even though he served on active duty for 9% years over the course 
of two enlistments, Petitioner was not eligible to receive 
separation pay because he was discharged by reason of misconduct. 

d. In June 2000 the Naval Discharge Review Board  (NDRB) 

reviewed Petitioner's case and changed the characterization of 

service to honorable and the reason for separation to secretarial 
authority, with a separation code of "JFF.It  Petitioner 
subsequently contacted the Defense Finance and Accounting Service 
(DFAS), advised DFAS of NDRB1s favorable action and requested 
separation pay.  However, on 15 November 2000 DFAS advised him 
that Ityour separation code of JFF does not authorize any monetary 
payment of separation pay." 

e. The Deputy ~ssistant Judge Advocate General (DAJAG) for 
~dministrative Law has provided an advisory opinion of 4 April 
2002 to the effect that petitioner's discharge by reason of 
secretarial authority entitles him to separation pay.  In support 
of this conclusion, the opinion cites 10 U.S.C.  §  1174(b), 
Department of Defense Instruction (DODINST) 1332.29, Secretary of 
the Navy Instruction (SECNAVINST) 1900.7GI and Appendix D of the 
Procedures Training Guide of the Defense Joint ~ilitary Pay 
System  (DJMS) . 

f. 10 U.S.C.  §  1174 states, in part, as follows: 

(b) Regular enlisted members.--(l)  A regular enlisted 
member of an armed force who is discharged involuntarily 
.  .  . and who has completed six or more, but less than 20, 
years of active service immediately before that discharge 
is entitled to separation pay computed under subsection (d) 
unless the Secretary concerned determines that the 
conditions under which the member is discharged do not 
warrant payment of such pay. 

(2) Separation pay of an enlisted member shall be 

computed under paragraph  (1) of subsection (d) except that 
such pay shall be computed under paragraph  (2) of such 
subsection in the case of a member who is discharged under 
criteria prescribed by the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF). 

(d) Amount of separation pay.--The  amount of separation 

pay which may be paid to a member under this section is-- 

(1) 10 percent of the product of  (A) his years of active 

service and  (B) 12 timcs  the m o n t h l y   basic pay to which he 
was entitled at the time of his discharge or release from 
active duty; or 

(2) one-half of the amount computed under clause (1). 

§  1174(e)  states that in order to receive separation pay, an 
individual must agree to serve for three years in the ready 
reserve after discharge. 

g. In accordance with the authority set forth in S  1174(b)(l), 

DODINST 1332.29'  and SECNAVINST 1 9 0 0 . 7 ~ ~  list certain 
circumstances which render an individual ineligible for 

separation pay.  However, neither list states that separation by 
reason of secretarial authority is a disqualifying factor. 

h.  DODINST 1332.29 implements the authority set forth in 5 

1174(b)(2)  by directing only half separation pay for individuals 
separated involuntarily with an honorable or general discharge 
who are not fully qualified for retenti~n.~ However, this 
authority is limited to those individuals separated for certain 
reasons.  Secretarial authority is not one of these reasons. 4 
Provisions of SECNAVINST 1900.7G are in accord with the 
foregoing. 5 

i. The DJMS Procedures Training Guide states that an 

individual separated by  reason of secretarial authority, with 
separation code JFF, is entitled to full separation pay. 6 

CONCLUSION: 

Upon review and consideration of all the evidence of record, the 
Board concludes that corrective action is warranted.  In this 
regard, the Board concurs with the DAJAG advisory opinion that 
Petitioner is entitled to full separation pay 

The entitlement of a regular enlisted member to separation pay is 
governed by  S  1174(b)(l).  That provision of law establishes a 
presumption that an individual such as Petitioner is so entitled, 
but also empowers the secretary concerned to disqualify certain 
individuals from receiving such pay.  However, neither DODINST 
1332.29 nor SECNAVINST 1900.7G states that individuals separated 
by  reason of secretarial authority are ineligible for separation 
pay.  Accordingly, it is clear that Petitioner is entitled to 
some measure of separation pay.  Likewise, 5  1174(b)(2) 
authorizes SECDEF to limit certain individuals to one-half of the 
full amount of separation pay.  He has exercised that authority 
in DODINST 1332.29, but individuals separated by reason of 
secretarial authority are not included in this limitation. 

Based on the foregoing, the Board concludes that Petitioner 
hccame entitled to full zcparation pay when NDRB changcd the 
reason for separation from misconduct to secretarial authority. 
This conclusion is buttressed by the fact that the Procedures 
Guide to the DJMS so states. 

The Board notes that Petitioner did not agree to serve for three 
years in the ready reserve at the time of separation.  However, 
since he was discharged for misconduct, he was ineligible for 
reserve service as well as separation pay, so he was not given an 
opportunity to fulfill this requirement.  Accordingly, his 
failure to do so should not now preclude the award of such pay. 

RECOMMENDATION: 

a. That Petitioner's naval record be corrected to show that on 7 
January 1998 he agreed to serve in the ready reserve for three 
years. 

b. That the record be further corrected by  amending Petitioner's 
Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty  (DD Form 
214) by adding to block 18  (Remarks) the statement "Entitled to 
full separation pay." 

c. That any material or entries inconsistent with or relating to 
the Board's recommendation be corrected, removed or completely 
expunged from Petitioner's record and that no such entries or 
material be added to the record in the future. 

d. That any material directed to be removed from Petitioner's 
naval record be returned to the Board, together with a copy of 
this Report of Proceedings, for retention in a confidential file 
maintained for such purpose, with no cross reference being made a 
part of Petitioner's naval record.) 

4.  It is certified that a quorum was present at the Board's 
review and deliberations, and that the foregoing is a true and 
complete record of the Board's proceedings in the above entitled 
matter. 

ROBERT D. ZSALMAN 
Recorder 

ALAN E.  GOLDSMITH 
Acting Recorder 

5. Pursuant to the delegation of authority set out in Section 5e 
of the Procedures for the Board for correction of Naval Records 
(32 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 723.6[eJ), and having 
ensured compliance with its provisions, it is hereby announced 
that the foregoing corrective action, taken under the provisions 
of r e l e ~ e n c c  (a), has been dpproved  by the Board on behalf of the 
Secretary of the Navy. 

Executive D 



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