UNITED STAT ES COURT OF AP P EALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS

N O . 02-2405
R ONN I E A. B UR TON , A PP EL L ANT ,

V
. R. J A M ES N I C HOL S ON , S EC RE T A RY O F V ET ER A N S A FF A I RS , A PPEL L EE
.

On Ap pe a l f ro m th e B oa

rd of Ve te ra ns ' Ap pe a ls
(De cided August 5, 2005 )

Ronnie A. Burton, pro se, filed an infor mal brief.
Tim S. Mc Lai n , Ge ne ra l Co un se l; R. Ra nd all Cam pb e ll , A ssi sta

nt G e ne ra l Co un se l; Brian Rippel , Deputy Assistant Gener al Counsel; and Erika E. Liem , all of Washington, D.C., we re on the pleadingfor the a

ppellee.
Be fore IVERS, Chief Judge , and GREENE a nd HAGEL , Judges

. IVERS, Chief Judge : The appellant, Ronnie A. Bur ton, a ppeals an August 20, 2002, Boar d of Ve tera ns' Appea ls (Boa

rd) de cision in which the Bo ar d d eter mined that he wa s not eligible f or educational-assistance benef its pursuant to the Montgome ry GI bill, chapte r 30, title 38, U.S. Code [hereinaf ter Chapter

30]. R ecor d (R.) at 3. The appellant f iled an informa l brief, a

nd the Secr etar

y fi le d a br ie f. Th is a

pp e a l is tim e ly , and the Court ha s juri sd ic tio n o ve r t he c a se purs ua

nt t o 3 8 U .S. C. § 7252(a) . For

the re asons set for

th below, the Court will affir m the Boa

rd dec ision.

I. F AC TS The a ppellant serve d on active duty in the U.S. Air For ce f

rom J une 1973 to J uly

1974. R. at 15

. He en tere d the U.S. Air F orce Aca demy in J uly 1974 and upon graduation in May 1978, was commissioned as an of

fi cer in the U.S. Navy

. Id. He se rv e d o n a c tiv e duty fr om Jun e 19 78 to Au gus t 19 94

. R. at 16

. In May 19 94 , a VA re g ion a l of fi c e de nie d his c la im fo r educatio na l-2

assistance benef

its under Chapter 30 . R . at 26 . In M arc h 1 9 9 8 , follow in g h is a pp ea l, th e B o ard al so deni ed that

cl ai m . R

. at 66. I n S eptem ber 1998, the appel l ant m oved t o vaca t e the M ar ch 1998 B oar d deci si on; he cont ended that he had n ot

been pr ovi ded w i th a r eques t ed per sonal hea r i ng on hi s c l ai m be f or e a m ember of the Boa r d. R. at 75. The a pp el l ant

was pr ov i de d a
pe rso n al h ea rin g in Jan u ary 1 9 9 9 (R . at 80 -96 ), an d aft er c o n sid erin g th e m att er, t h e B o ard

va c ated the M ar c h 199 8 Boar d de c i s i on on A ug us t 11, 199 9 ( R. at 101 )

. O n A ug us t

19, 199 9, h o w e v e r, th e B o a rd a g a in d e n ie d th e a p p e ll a n t's c la im
. R . a t 1 0 6 . H e a p p e a le d to th e C o u rt. I n an A pr i l 200 1 or de r , the C our t va c ated the A ug us t 199 9 Boa r d de c i s i on a nd r emande d t he

m at t erf or r eadj udi cati on in l i ght of the enact m ent

of the V et er ans C l ai m s A ssis t ance A ct of 2 0 0 0 (V C A A ), P u b

. L . N o . 1 0 6 -47 5 , 1 1 4 S t at. 20 9 6 (N o v . 9 , 2 0 0 0 ). R . at 16 0 -61 . T h ere aft er, in th e A u g u st 20 , 2 0 0 2 , B o ard d ec isio n o n ap pe al, t h e B o ard ag ain d en ied th e c laim

.

II. AN ALYSIS I niti al l y , the C our t not es that neit her par t y has al l eged any e r r or r egar di ng the appl i cati on

o f th e V C A A t o th is cla im . T h ere fore, t h e C o u rt w ill n o t ad d ress th e m att er. S ee Max son v . Principi , 1 5 V et.A pp . 2 4 1 , 2 4 2 (2 0 0 1 ) (pe r cu riam o rde r); Telle x v. Pr inc ipi , 15 Vet

. A pp . 233 , 240 (2 0 0 1 ). C h ap t er 3 4 o f title 3 8 , U .S . C o d e [h ere in aft er C h ap t er 3 4 ], th e V ietn a m -e ra G I b ill,
pr ovi ded f

or educati onal- as si st ance benef i t s to vet er ans w ho ser

ved on act ive du t

y f or a per i od

o f 1 8 0 d ays , an y pa rt

o f w h ich o cc u rred b etw ee n Jan u ary 3 1 , 1 9 5 5 , an d Jan u ary 1 , 1 9 7 7

. See 3 8 U .S .C . § 3 4 5 2 (a ) ( 1 ) ( A ) . C h ap t er 3 4 ed u ca t ion al-ass istan ce b en efit s w ere , h o w ev er, t er m i nat ed ef

f ective D ecem ber 31, 1989. See 3 8 U .S. C

. § 34 62(e ) ( no edu cati onal a ss i st ance be nef i t s s ha l l be af

f or de d a ny el i gi bl e ve t er an und er , i nt eral i a, C ha pter34 a f t erD ec ember31, 1 9 8 9 )

. Ch a p t e r 3 0 n o w p r o v i d e s f o r e d u c a t i o n a l b e n e f

i t s f o r v e t e r a n s , a n d i s av a i l a b l e t o s o me

v etera n s w h o pre v iou sly qu alified for b en efit s un d er C h ap t er 3 4 . T h es e b en efit s a re av aila b le
t o " Cha p t e r 34 c o nv e r t e r s " i f s uc h p e r s o n ( 1) wa s e l i g i bl e f o r Cha p t e r 34 be ne f

i t s as of D ec ember31, 198 9; ( 2) was on a c t ive dut yat anyt i m e d ur i ng t

he p er i od f

r om O ct obe r 19, 1984, thr ough J ul y1, 1985; ( 3) cont i nu ed on active du t y w i thout a b r eak in ser

vi ce; and (4) af

t er J un e 30, 1985, ser

ved at l eas t thr ee y ear s of cont i nu ous active dut y w i thout a br eak i n ser

vi ce. 38 U

. S. C

. § 3011(a ) ( 1) ( B )

. Th at el i gi bi l i t y , how ever , i s not w i thout exce pt i on, an d a p er son3

w ho, af t erD ecem ber 31, 1976, r eceived a com m i ss i on as an of f i ceri n the A r m ed For ces upon g rad u ation for a m ilit ary aca d em y "is n o t elig ib le for e d u ca t ion al a ssis t an ce u n d er C h ap t er 3 0 ." 3 8 U .S .C . § 3 0 1 1 (c)(2 ). T h is b en efit s-eligib ilit

y fr am ew o rk is ec h o ed in th e co n t rollin g reg u lation s. See 38 C. F

. R. §§ 21. 704 4( a) ( 200 4) ( de s c r i bi n g eli gi bi l i t yf orC ha pter30 b ene f

i t s ba s ed on C ha pter34 el i gi bi l i t y ) ; 21. 7044(c) ( st at i ng that " an indi vi dual , w ho w oul d o th erw ise be el i gi bl e f or ed u cati onal a ss i st ance un der [ that r egul at i on], i s not

el i gi bl e f or educati onal a ss i st ance un der [ C ha pter30] , i f

af t erD ec ember31, 197 6, he o r s he r ec eive s a c om m i s s i on as an o f f i c eri n the Ar m e d F o r c e s [ up o n gr aduat i o n f r o m a m i l i t a r

ya c a d e m y ] " )

. Add i t i o na l l y , 38 C. F

. R. § 2 1. 70 44 ( d ) s t a t e s tha t

the r e s t r i c t i o n o ut

l i ne d i n § 2 1. 70 44 ( c ) d o e s no t a p p l yt o a v e t e r a n ( a nd

c o ns e q ue ntl ys uc h p e r s o n wou ld be el i gi bl e f or C ha pter30 b ene f

i t s ) who has " m et

the

r e q ui r e m e nt s f

o r e d uc a t i o na l a s s i s t a nc e un d e r p a r a g r a p h ( a )

. . . o f thi s s e c t i o n before r e c e iv i ng

a co m m issio n as an o ff

ice r in th e A rm ed F o rce s u po n g rad u ation fr o m [a m ilit ary a ca d em y]." 3 8 C .F.R . § 2 1 .7 0 4 4 (d ) (em ph as is a d d ed ); see 3 8 C .F.R . § § 2 1 .7 0 4 2 (a) (2 0 0 4 ) (ou tlin in g b as ic Cha p t e r 30 e l i g i bi l i t

yr e q ui r e m e nt s f

o r no n- Cha p t e r - 34 c o nv e r t e r s ) , 21

. 70 42 ( f ) ( p r o v i d i ng restrict ion t o elig ib ilit

y an d ex ce ption t o th at restr iction , pa rallel to § 2 1 .7 0 4 4 (c) a n d (d )). B oth par t i es c oncede that the appel l ant i s ge nera l l yel i gi bl e f or educati onal- as si st ance benef i t s un der C hapt er 34, and both pa r t i es cor r ect l y not e that C hapt er 34 benefi t s m ay g e n e ra ll yb e c o n v e rte d in to e li g ib il ity fo r C h a p te r 3 0 e d u c a tio n a l- a s s is ta n c e b e n e fi ts . A p p e ll a n t's In form al B rief (B r.) at

1 -5; S ec retary' s B r. a t 3 -7. B ec au se th e a pp ella n t g rad u ated fr o m th e A ir For ce A cadem yi n 1 978, how ever , he i s di squa l i f i ed f r om C hapt er 30 ben ef i t s under § 2 1 .7 0 4 4 (c) u n les s h e m ee t s the ex ce ption t o th at restr iction o u tlin ed in § 2 1 .7 0 4 4 (d ). For the excep t i on in par agr aph ( d) t o apply , the a ppel l ant , a C hapt er34 conver t er , has
to h a v e m e t

th e re qu irem en t s u n d er p ara g rap h (a) b efo re M ay 1 9 7 8 w h en h e re ce ive d h is

com m i ss i on f

r om the A i r For ce A cadem y . 38 C

. F. R

. § 21

. 7044. The r egul at i on req ui r es t hat
the vet er an "m ust

have been on active dut

yat any ti m e dur i ng the per i od begi nn i ng on O ctober 1 9 , 1 9 8 4 , an d en d in g o n July 1 , 1 9 8 5 , an d co n t in u ed o n ac t ive d u t y w ith o u t a b rea kin se rvic e." 3 8 C .F.R . § 2 1 .7 0 4 4 (a)(6 ). U n d er th e o n ly p o ssib le in t erp retat ion o f 3 8 C .F.R . § 2 1 .7 0 4 4 (d ),
th ese pa r agraph (a) r equ ir em en t s w ou ld h ave h ad to have b een m et be f ore M ay 19 78 . B ecau se the a p p e l l a nt d o e s no t m e e t tha t r e q ui r e m e nt , the Boa r d ' s d e c i s i o n c o m p l i e s wi th t he p r o v i s i o ns4

o f t h e s t atu t e a n d reg u lation

. See 38 U

. S. C

. § 30 11(c )(2 ). In d ee d, the B oar d cor r ect l yr el i ed

u po n a N o v em b er 1 9 9 9 V A G en era l C o u n se l op in ion o n C h ap t er 3 0 elig ib ilit y th at sp ec if

ica lly addr ess ed the questi on b ef or e us a nd concl uded: " [ I ] f an indi vi dual i s c om m i ss i oned u pon g rad u atin g fr o m a m ilit ary a ca d em y aft er D ec em b er 3 1 , 1 9 7 6 , an d b efo re c o m ple t in g th e m ilit ary

s e r v i c e n e e d e d t o e s t a b l i s h

. . . e n t i tl e me n t , th a t i n d iv i d u a l i s d i s q u a l i f

i e d " f r o m e l i g i b i l i t

y . VA G en . C o u n . P rec . 1 4 -99 (N o v . 4 , 1 9 9 9 ); see 3 8 U. S

. C. § 7 1 0 4 ( c ) ( p r e c e d e n t o p i n i o n s o f th e VA G en era l C o u n se l are b in d in g o n th e B o ard ); The iss v. Principi , 1 8 V et.A pp . 2 0 4 , 2 0 8 (2 0 0 4 ). Th e a p p e l l a nt

a r g ue s tha t V A' s i nt e r p r e t a t i o n of § 21

. 70 44 ( d ) i s c o nt r a r yt o the i nt e nt

o f C h a p te r 3 0 , w h ic h w a s m e a n t to a l l o w a v e te ra n w h o h a d e a rn e d C h a p te r 3 4 b e n e fi ts to

conver t those benef

i t s a nd r et ai n them

. H e cont ends that becaus e ther e i s no poss i bi l i t ythat h e c o u ld h av e s atisf

ied all o f t

h e re qu irem en t s o f 38 C .F.R . § 2 1 .7 0 4 4 ( d ) , th e C o u rt sh o u ld

r ever se t he Boar d' s det er m i nat i on. A ppel l ant ' s I nf or m al B r . at 1- 4. Th e C our t agr ees that , on i t s f ac e, the r eg ul ator

yex c ep t i on of

§ 21. 704 4( d) s ee m i ngl yc annot ap plyt o Chap t er34

c o n v e rte rs . T h a t

is b e c a u s e b a s ic C h a p te r 3 4 e li g ib il ity ( w h ic h o b v io u s ly m u s t e x is t p ri o r to
t r a ns f e r r i ng s uc h b e ne f

i t s t o Cha p t e r 30 be ne f

i t s ) r e q ui r e s s e r

v i c e be t ween J a nu a r

y19 55 a nd Ja n u a ry 1 9 7 7 , see 38 U

. S. C

. § 3452(a) ( 1) ( A ) , w hil e, as st at ed above, C hapt er30 el i gi bi l i t yun der 38 C

. F. R

. § 21

. 7044(a) r equi r es a ctive s er vi ce a f t er J un e 3 0, 1985, and du r i ng the per i od f r om O c t obe r 19, 198 4, t o J ul y1, 198 5. A s the Boa r d noted : G iven th at

m ost serv ic e acad em ies hav e ag e li m it at ion s an d ri gid f itn ess r equi r em ent s, the l i kel i hood that a veter an w i th ser

vi ce pr i or t o 1977 (as r equi r ed for [c]ha pter 3 4 b en efit s) w o u ld b e e ligib le to a tt en d a s erv ice ac ad em y aft er July 1 9 8 5 (as req u ired for [c]ha pter 3 0 b en efit s) is n o t o n ly im pro b ab le, bu t v irt u ally i m poss i bl e. R

. a t 9

. W e sym pa t

h ize w ith th e a pp ella n t ' s a rgu m en t ; h o w ev er, w e c an n o t ag ree w ith h is

su g g es t ion th at b ec au se h e m et th e c riteria for rece ivin g C h ap t er 3 4 b en efit s, he is a u t o m atically

en t itled t o C h ap t er 3 0 b en efit s. "C o n g ress ex pre ssly a b rog ated C h ap t er 3 4 b en efit s for al l ve t er ans on D ec ember31, 19 89 ." Kel lyv . D er winski , 3 V et.A pp . 1 7 1 , 1 7 2 (1 9 9 2 ). A lt h o u g h C h ap t er 3 0 d o es pe rm it

conver si on of those benef i t s i n m any i nst ances, this el i gi bi l i t y i s r estr i cted and indi vi dual s wh o, aft er D ec em b er 1 9 7 6 , rec eiv e a co m m issio n follow in g g rad u ation fr o m a s erv ice ac ad em y, are specif ical ly exclud ed

. 38 U .S.C . § 3 01 1(c)( 2). A lt h ou gh § 21 .704 4(d) m ay appe ar to su gge st5

that an excepti on t o this r estr i cti on exi st s, the f act that the appel l ant , and quite pos si bl yno on e,

ca n qu alify for th is ex ce ption ca n n o t em po w er t h e C o u rt t o rev erse a B o ard d ec isio n an d aw ard b en efit s w h en n o n e a re a u th o riz ed b y law

. See Kel ly , 3 V et . A pp. at 172 (" N ei ther the V A nor th e C o u rt ca n ex t en d th es e b en efit s ou t o f sym pa th y for a pa rticu lar v etera n ."); see al so Ha r vey

v. Brown , 6 V et . A pp. 416, 422 ( 1994) ( af f i r m i ng B oar d' s denial of C hapt er 30 b en efit s w hen

v etera n d id n o t

m ee t th e s ta tu t o ry- co n t in u o u s-du t y req u irem en t , an d refus in g t o "d ec lare [ve t era n ] eligib le for the se b en efit s reg ard les s o f his s t atu t o ry in elig ib ilit y"). A ddi t i ona l l y , ev en i f

the Cour t

i nva l i da t ed § 21. 704 4( d) , the a pp ell ant s t i l l woul d be

e x c l ud e d f

r o m be ne f

i t s be c a us e tha t

p r o v i s i o n, whi c h s e e m s t o e r e c t a n i m p o s s i bl e r e q ui r e m e nt f or the appel l ant , i s t

he ex cep tio n t o the gener al r ule. Se e 38 C .F. R . § 2 1.70 44 (d). If § 21. 704 4( d) is inv ali dat ed , then t he g ene r al r ul e o f

§ 20. 704 4( c ) ap pl i es i n f ul l and the

a p p e l l a nt wou l d be e x c l ud e d f

r o m r e c ei vi ng C ha p t e r 30 be ne f i t s . F ur the r m o r e , a n a r g ume nt b y th e a pp ella n t

t o "co rrect" an y in co n sisten cy in th e re g u lation s m u st be an sw ere d , n o t b y th is Cou r t , bu t

byV A, whi c h mus t c r a f t the r ul e s tha t

g o v e r n the a g e ncyp r o c e s s f o r thi s m a tt e r a nd

m u st do so in ac co rda n ce w ith th e g u id elin es for reg u lation pro m u lga t ion
. See Chevron U.S.A. , I nc. v. Na t. Res. Def

. Co uncil , I nc. , 4 6 7 U .S . 8 3 7 , 8 4 2 -44 (1 9 8 4 ); Ha gg ar Ap p arel Co

. v. Unite d S ta tes , 222 F.3d 1337, 1341- 43 (Fed. C i r . 2000). Th er ef or e, becaus e the appe l l ant i s ex cl uded f r om
rec eiv in g C h ap t er 3 0 ed u ca t ion al b en efit s, t h e B o ard d ec isio n w ill be aff irm ed

. See S a bo nis v. Br own , 6 V et . A pp . 426 , 430 ( 199 4) ( wher e l aw and not ev i de nce i s di s po s i t ive , c l ai m s hou l d be d en ied o r ap pe al term in ated b ec au se o f l ac ko f l eg al m erit)

.

III. CON CLU SION A cc o rdin g ly, u po n co n sid era t ion o f th e rec o rd a n d th e p lea d in g s fil ed for th is a pp ea l,

a n d f o r th e r e a s o n s s t a t e d h e r e i n , th e Au g u s t 2 0 , 2 0 0 2 , B o a r d d e c i s i o n i s AF F I R ME D.