Strickland v. United States

36 Fed. Cl. 651, 1996 U.S. Claims LEXIS 175, 1996 WL 558313
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedOctober 2, 1996
DocketNo. 95-504C
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 36 Fed. Cl. 651 (Strickland 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
Strickland v. United States, 36 Fed. Cl. 651, 1996 U.S. Claims LEXIS 175, 1996 WL 558313 (uscfc 1996).

Opinion

OPINION

ROBINSON, Judge:

This military pay ease is before the court on defendant’s motion to dismiss, or in the alternative, for judgment upon the administrative record and plaintiffs cross-motion for summary judgment.

Plaintiff, Mr. Timothy C. Strickland, was a Technical Sergeant in the United States Air Force with over twenty years of active military service at the time of his honorable discharge. Plaintiff was required to retire because he had not been promoted to Master Sergeant prior to twenty years of active service. Plaintiff contends that his discharge was unlawful and seeks restoration to active duty, promotion to the rank of Master Sergeant and Senior Master Sergeant, and back pay. Defendant argues that this court cannot adjudicate this claim because the issue is nonjustieiable in that the military has discretion in deciding whether to promote a service member. In the alternative, defendant argues that plaintiff is entitled only to judgment upon the administrative record because the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Record’s (“AFBCMR”) decision denying plaintiff relief was not arbitrary, capricious, or contrary to law or regulation.

The issues were fully briefed. Defendant’s motion was filed January 2, 1996, and plaintiff responded to this motion on March 19, 1996. Defendant filed a reply to plaintiffs response on April 26, 1996. Oral argument is unnecessary. For the reasons that follow, the court grants defendant’s motion and denies plaintiffs cross-motion.

Background

In July and August of 1990, plaintiff was serving on active duty in the Air Force in the grade of Technical Sergeant and was assigned to perform duties at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. Plaintiff received an Enlisted Performance Report (“EPR”) for the [653]*653period of November 21, 1989, through August 31, 1990 (“1990 EPR”), for his performance at Kunsan Air Base. Plaintiffs EPR came as the result of a change of his reporting official (“CRO”). In this case, the CRO was due to plaintiffs rater changing duties. The Air Force regulations define “rater” as “[t]he person designated according to AFM 30-130 ... to provide periodic performance feedback when required and to prepare an enlisted performance report (EPR) when required. The rater is usually the ratee’s immediate supervisor.” Air Force Regulation (“AFR”) 39-62, para. 2-22 (parenthetical omitted); Administrative Record (“AR”), vol. I at 57. The closeout date of plaintiffs EPR is presumed to be the day before the effective date of the change of rater’s duties.1 A.R., vol. I at 5. Plaintiffs 1990 EPR reflected performance evaluations and promotion recommendations by his rater, indor-ser, and commander. A.R., vol. I at 16-17.

In the,1990 EPR, plaintiffs rater was Senior Master Sergeant (“SMSgt.”) Daniel R. Treiber. SMSgt. Treiber rated plaintiff for promotion purposes as a “3” on a scale of “1” to “5”. Command Senior Master Sergeant (“CMSgt.”) Kenneth Smillie, SMSgt. Treiber’s supervisor at the time of the 1990 EPR, served as plaintiffs indorser and rated plaintiff as a “3”. Lieutenant Colonel William C. McCammon, plaintiffs commander, concurred with the ratings given by the rater and indorser. AR., vol. I at 16-17.

On June 14, 1993, plaintiff applied to the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records (“AFBCMR”) requesting that the AFBCMR remove his 1990 EPR from his records, alleging that his 1990 EPR was prepared in an untimely manner and that he was rated by the wrong indorser. AR., vol. I at 13. Plaintiff also requested a hearing before the AFBCMR. In formulating its decision, the AFBCMR relied upon an advisory opinion dated October 21,1993. AR., vol. I at 9-12, 31-32. Plaintiff was allowed to comment on the advisory opinion. AR., vol. I at 43. On December 9, 1993, the AFBCMR denied plaintiff’s application without a hearing. A.R., vol. I at 9-12.

The “High Year Tenure” policy of the Air Force requires enlisted members who have not reached the rank of Master Sergeant by their twentieth year in the Air Force to retire. As a result of the High Tenure policy, plaintiff retired from active duty in the Air Force on January 1,1994. AR., vol. I at 10.

On January 14, 1994, the Deputy for Air Force Review Boards accepted the AFBCMR’s decision. A.R., vol. I at 8. On May 5, 1994, plaintiff reasserted his request that AFBCMR remove his 1990 EPR from his records. In his May 5, 1994 application for relief, plaintiff reiterated the contentions contained in his first application to the AFBCMR and requested a hearing with the AFBCMR. AR., vol. I at 4.

On January 5, 1995, the AFBCMR denied plaintiffs application without a hearing. AR., vol. I at 3-6. The AFBCMR relied upon an advisory opinion dated June 17, 1994. AR., vol. I at 4-6, 73-74. Plaintiff was allowed to comment on the advisory opimon. AR., vol. I at 5. In its decision, the AFBCMR found that plaintiff presented insufficient evidence to demonstrate the existence of a probable error or injustice and that there was an absence of persuasive evidence showing that the 1990 EPR was erroneously endorsed. AR., vol. I at 5-6.

On August 4, 1995, plaintiff filed a complaint in this court seeking restoration to active duty, promotion, and back pay. Defendant then moved the court to dismiss plaintiffs complaint under Rule of the United States Court of Federal Claims (“RCFC”) 12(b)(4) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted or, alternatively, to grant judgment upon the administrative record under RCFC 56.1. Plaintiff opposed defendant’s motion to dismiss and cross-moved for summary judgment.

Contentions of the Parties

Plaintiff contends that his 1990 EPR should not have been included in his personnel records because the EPR did not have the correct indorser sign the report. Plaintiff alleges that Air Force regulations and [654]*654directives were violated, and that due to the 1990 EPR, he was not promoted to Master Sergeant.

Plaintiff asserts that the reason for the 1990 EPR was the changing of his reporting official. According to plaintiff, the closeout date for the EPR should have been July 11, 1990 and not August 31, 1990, because SMSgt. Treiber changed duties on July 11, 1990. Plaintiff contends that if the closeout date for the EPR had been July 11,1990, the indorser would have been SMSgt. Randy R. Hofferber rather than CMSgt. Smillie, who actually signed the 1990 EPR. Plaintiff argues that if the indorser had been SMSgt. Hofferber, plaintiff would have received the highest rating, a “5”, rather than a “3”.

Plaintiff argues that if the correct indorser had rated and signed the 1990 EPR, plaintiff would have received a significantly higher rating on the EPR and would have been promoted to Master Sergeant. If plaintiff had been promoted, he would not have been forced to retire. Plaintiff also contends that the AFBCMR’s decision to deny him a hearing was arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and contrary to law or regulations.

Defendant’s threshold argument is that the Air Force’s decision not to promote plaintiff is nonjusticiable; therefore, judicial review is not available.

Defendant alternatively argues that the AFBCMR considered plaintiffs allegations on two occasions and properly denied plaintiff’s applications to remove his 1990 EPR from his personnel records.

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Bluebook (online)
36 Fed. Cl. 651, 1996 U.S. Claims LEXIS 175, 1996 WL 558313, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/strickland-v-united-states-uscfc-1996.