Pohanic v. United States

48 Fed. Cl. 166, 2000 U.S. Claims LEXIS 143, 2000 WL 1728454
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedJuly 25, 2000
DocketNo. 99-852C
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 48 Fed. Cl. 166 (Pohanic v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pohanic v. United States, 48 Fed. Cl. 166, 2000 U.S. Claims LEXIS 143, 2000 WL 1728454 (uscfc 2000).

Opinion

Opinion and Order

WEINSTEIN, Judge.

This military pay case is before the court on defendant’s motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. See Rule 12(b)(4) of the Rules of the United States Court of Federal Claims (RCFC). The case presents an issue of first impression: Can a National Guardsman serving on full-time active duty pursuant to 32 U.S.C. § 502(f) (1994), and paid pursuant to 37 U.S.C. § 204(a)(1) (1994), rely on section 204(a)(1) as the money-mandating statute for a claim for back pay and reinstatement into active duty after he has been involuntarily separated from his tour of duty? The court concludes that section 204(a)(1) is not money-mandating under the Tucker Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1491(a)(1) (1994), under these circumstances. Accordingly, plaintiffs complaint is dismissed, with prejudice, for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.

Facts

On February 7, 1980, plaintiff enlisted in the Air National Guard of the State of Colorado and as a Reserve of the Air Force, with membership in the Air National Guard of the United States. On September 14, 1986, plaintiff re-enlisted in this status for six years.

On June 26,1989, plaintiff was assigned by order of the Governor of Colorado to a “Title 32 Active Guard/Reserve Tour” pursuant to 32 U.S.C. § 502(f). Plaintiffs service pursuant to this order constitutes “full-time National Guard duty” as that term is defined in 32 U.S.C. § 101(19) (1994) (“ ‘Full-time National Guard duty’ means training or other duty ... performed by a member of the ... Air National Guard of the United States in the member’s status as a member of the [167]*167National Guard of a State ... under section ... 502 ... of [Title 82] for which the member is entitled to pay from the United States____”), and he was paid pursuant to 37 U.S.C. § 204(a)(1), which entitles “a member of a uniformed service who is on active duty” to basic pay of the pay grade to which assigned.

Plaintiff was serving pursuant to this order when honorably discharged, by the State of Colorado Adjutant General, on October 4, 1993. Plaintiff alleges that his discharge was wrongful because it was for smoking on board an aircraft when there was no effective smoking policy or prohibition at the time. Plaintiff petitioned the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records (AFBCMR) for correction of his military records and for reinstatement to active duty, with back pay and benefits. The AFBCMR denied plaintiffs petition.

On October 1, 1999, plaintiff filed his complaint. He seeks back pay and benefits from the date of his allegedly-wrongful separation, October 4, 1993, and reinstatement into active duty retroactive to that date. Because plaintiff claims back pay pursuant to 37 U.S.C. § 204(a)(1), the court has subject matter jurisdiction under the Tucker Act. See 28 U.S.C. § 1491(a)(1); Palmer v. United States, 168 F.3d 1310, 1313 (Fed.Cir.1999) (holding that the court has subject matter jurisdiction over a claim for money damages based on military service for which the claimant had not been paid).

On December 16, 1999, defendant filed its motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. On May 17, 2000, after the motion was fully briefed, the court ordered supplemental briefs. Neither party has requested oral argument, and the court deems it unnecessary.

Discussion

A complaint may be dismissed under Rule 12(b)(4) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted “when the facts asserted by the plaintiff do not entitle him to a legal remedy.” Boyle v. United States, 200 F.3d 1369, 1372 (Fed.Cir.2000). The court “must accept all well-pled factual allegations as true and draw all reasonable inference in [the non-movant’s] favor.” Id. In this case, the facts are not in dispute.

In order to state a claim upon which relief may be granted, plaintiff must show that a statute mandating payment of money applies to him. Palmer, 168 F.3d at 1313. “Put in terms of Tucker Act jurisprudence ... [plaintiff must] have a money-mandating statute that allows the Court of Federal Claims to render judgment in his favor.” Id.

Under ordinary circumstances, section 204(a)(1) is money-mandating for servicemen paid pursuant to it who allege improper separation and seek back pay and ancillary relief. See 37 U.S.C. § 204(a)(1); see also Palmer, 168 F.3d at 1314; Holley v. United States, 124 F.3d 1462, 1465 (Fed.Cir.1997) (“It is well established that 37 U.S.C. § 204 ... serves as the money-mandating statute applicable to miliary personnel claiming damages and ancillary relief for wrongful discharge.”); Sanders v. United States, 219 Ct.Cl. 285, 594 F.2d 804, 810-11 (1979) (en banc) (“37 U.S.C. § 204 provides the basic entitlement to pay for [members of] the armed services. The statute confers ... the right to the pay ... up until [a member] is properly separated from the service.”).

On the other hand, when entitlement to pay is predicated on performance of duties, a serviceman cannot state a claim for back pay for duties not performed, whether the lack of performance is voluntary or involuntary. See Palmer, 168 F.3d at 1314 (citing Dehne v. United States, 970 F.2d 890, 894 (Fed.Cir. 1992)).

In Dehne, the Federal Circuit held that 37 U.S.C. § 206 mandates pay only “for each regular period of instruction, period of appropriate duty, at which the member is engaged for at least two hours,” or “for the performance of such other equivalent training, instruction, duty, or appropriate duties as the Secretary may prescribe,” 37 U.S.C. § 206(a)(1) & (2) (1994) (emphasis added), but “mandates compensation for constructive performance only for instruction missed due to some physical disabilities.”

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Bluebook (online)
48 Fed. Cl. 166, 2000 U.S. Claims LEXIS 143, 2000 WL 1728454, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pohanic-v-united-states-uscfc-2000.