WPCN(  
      *B      Y$`
iϕ<Cd[żGJjې[X?-Tl;/ۅITm4Qp_8Ϳn-d?hay[T@UoH}	5Z,N=oEz3JT	HO@˄)%W8Oy =Dȗ|\DnL[.`?R;+[GQ=ѼV醜˼Sc`3扵ecD.:œ|ki4]42~Mj ņ]j, -`'^2mm/2~Y%z;:S]vP$Aǹ1}X?.fLg]h ܬAΡ/e+tyѫsW!xn,.#GcCW<I5N+%f0~jMݤ؀}sM@Pr@(l	XG> 9           #        U   N   )  	%      w  0      }  0   ~     0   x     0   k     0   k   z  0        0   ~   	  0      	  0      
  0        0      X  0   
  O  0     Y  0   1  w  0   C    0   V    0      A  0        0        0      X  0        0        0        0      k  0        0   z     0      +  	        0   =      0   F   ]  0   P     	1        0        	1     a  0      h  0      &   U   .        }      E      #  n   X  #   U   >   $  	B       %  w   @   =%  4      }%        %       %        "(   	      *(   	      0(   	      6(   	      <(   	      B(   	      H(   H P   L a s e r J e t   5 P / 5 M P   ( H P )                             HPPCL5G      , ,,,,, 0                                                                                                                                                             nLh( hH  	   Z  6 T i m e s   N e w   R o m a n   R e g u l a r           X    (   t               F$                  7 (   X  X       d                     7     Z                V       &          8 D o c u m e n t [ 8 ]   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e   0    . .  8    `	. . `	      V                8 D o c u m e n t [ 4 ]   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e       . .  .    V                 8 D o c u m e n t [ 6 ]   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e   8    . .       V                 8 D o c u m e n t [ 5 ]   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e   0    . .       V       /         8 D o c u m e n t [ 2 ]   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e   2     A.3
   
 Ԁ
               V       &          8 D o c u m e n t [ 7 ]   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e   0    . .  0    `	. . `	      z       U          : R i g h t   P a r [ 1 ]   R i g h t - A l i g n e d   P a r a g r a p h   N u m b e r s       . .  2       I.3
   
 Ԁ     . .  0    . .       z       h          : R i g h t   P a r [ 2 ]   R i g h t - A l i g n e d   P a r a g r a p h   N u m b e r s       . .      `	. .  2      A.3
   
 Ԁ     . .  0    `	. . `	      V       ?         8 D o c u m e n t [ 3 ]   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e       . .  2     1.3
   
 Ԁ
               z       {          : R i g h t   P a r [ 3 ]   R i g h t - A l i g n e d   P a r a g r a p h   N u m b e r s       . .      `	. . `	     . . P
 2      1.3
   
 Ԁ     `	. . `	 0    . .       z                 : R i g h t   P a r [ 4 ]   R i g h t - A l i g n e d   P a r a g r a p h   N u m b e r s       . .      `	. . `	     . .      . .  2      a.3
   
 Ԁ     . .  0    . .       z                 : R i g h t   P a r [ 5 ]   R i g h t - A l i g n e d   P a r a g r a p h   N u m b e r s       . .      `	. . `	     . .      . .      h. .  2      (1)3
   
 Ԁ     . .  0    h. . h      z                 : R i g h t   P a r [ 6 ]   R i g h t - A l i g n e d   P a r a g r a p h   N u m b e r s       . .      `	. . `	     . .      . .      h. . h     . .  2      (a)3
   
 Ԁ     h. . h 0    . .       z                 : R i g h t   P a r [ 7 ]   R i g h t - A l i g n e d   P a r a g r a p h   N u m b e r s       . .      `	. . `	     . .      . .      h. . h     . .      . .  2      i)3
   
 Ԁ     . .  0    . .       z                 : R i g h t   P a r [ 8 ]   R i g h t - A l i g n e d   P a r a g r a p h   N u m b e r s       . .      `	. . `	     . .      . .      h. . h     . .      . .      p. .  2      a)3
   
 Ԁ     . .  0    p. . p      V       X         8 D o c u m e n t [ 1 ]   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e        @    . . ^ 
      2      I.3
   
 Ԁ               Ԉ     l       2         : T e c h n i c a l [ 5 ]   T e c h n i c a l   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e       . .  2     (1)3
   
 Ԁ.    l       2         : T e c h n i c a l [ 6 ]   T e c h n i c a l   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e       . .  2     (a)3
   
 Ԁ.    l       /   %      : T e c h n i c a l [ 2 ]   T e c h n i c a l   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e   2     A.3
   
 Ԁ
               . .      l       ,   !      : T e c h n i c a l [ 3 ]   T e c h n i c a l   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e   2     1.3
   
 Ԁ
               . .      l      (   !      : T e c h n i c a l [ 4 ]   T e c h n i c a l   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e   2     a.3
   
 Ԁ
               . .      l       :   0      : T e c h n i c a l [ 1 ]   T e c h n i c a l   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e   
      2      I.3
   
 Ԁ                    . .      l       1         : T e c h n i c a l [ 7 ]   T e c h n i c a l   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e       . .  2     i)3
   
 Ԁ.    l       1         : T e c h n i c a l [ 8 ]   T e c h n i c a l   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e       . .  2     a)3
   
 Ԁ.    R       &          8 B i b l i o g r p h y   B i b l i o g r a p h y   0    . .       . .      f          p        2 D o c   I n i t   I n i t i a l i z e   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e        S 	#  	     
         I. 1. A. a.(1)(a) i) a)                 S                         ! "           (                  $       0
    
  
    
     (                  $       0
    
 0
    
  
    
     (       (           $       0
    
 0
    
 0
    
  
    
   	     
     A _ e k q w    D o c u m e n t   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e   I .   1 .   A .   a .   ( 1 )   ( a )   i )   a )         j       o            4 T e c h   I n i t   I n i t i a l i z e   T e c h n i c a l   S t y l e   S 	%                      1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1                  S                                        C u y       T e c h n i c a l   T e c h n i c a l   D o c u m e n t   S t y l e   1   1 . 1   1 . 1 . 1   1 . 1 . 1 . 1   1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1   1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1   1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1   1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 1         x   F               42 P l e a d i n g   H e a d e r   f o r   n u m b e r e d   p l e a d i n g   p a p e r                      )        Ha:;     (                  2/$       
   F!            7 (  d( X X       d                  d 7     Z                < 6X  9   ` (   C o u r i e r          
   s  
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                {   D   Z/#Z/#            3| x                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
            	%   
 '           M E R E D A    0    M E R E D A   
 .      
       
       
              ȍ    u    H    w    w    w  
   F!            7 (  d( X X       d                  d 7     Z                     7 ,  3, X X       d ( X X       d 7  =    V       X       d                 d= =      X   X       d                 d=  % 6    @    s
s
  @ @  {
{
  UNITEDSTATESCOURTOFVETERANSAPPEALS   	       @    %%%  No.98595@      OswaldButler,Petitioner,   	 `	      v.  P   @    !  TogoD.West,Jr.,   	  p	   @      SecretaryofVeteransAffairs,Respondent.   	 `	
   @    

  BeforeKRAMER,HOLDAWAY,andGREENE,Judges.   	 0   @    &  ORDER   	         OnApril1,1998,thepetitionerfiledarequestforextraordinaryreliefinthenatureofmandamus,allegingthathehasbeendeniedtherighttoapplyforVAbenefitssince1959.TheSecretaryrespondedtothepetition,assertingthatthenatureofthepetitioner'sdischargefromservice,pursuantto38C.F.R.3.12(1997),isacompletebartothereceiptofVAbenefits.AnexhibitappendedtotheSecretary'sresponserevealsthatthepetitioner,inFebruary1998,soughtVAbenefitsandthat,inresponse,hewasnotifiedbyaVAregionaloffice(RO)thatthenatureofhisdischargewasabartoVAbenefitsandthatnofurtheractionwouldbetakenonhisclaim.     OnJuly10,1998,theCourtdirectedtheSecretarytoshowcauseastowhythepetitionerwasnotentitledtoanadjudicationofhisclaimratherthananotificationthatnofurtheractionwouldbetaken.InresponsetotheCourt'sorder,theSecretary,interalia,assertedthatthepetitionerhasnotsubmittedevidencethatwouldwarrantanadjudicationofhisclaimandthathehasbeenadvisedbytheROtosubmitsuchevidence.AccordingtoaletterattachedtotheSecretary'sresponse,theRO,inJuly1998,informedthepetitionerthat,inordertohavehisclaimprocessed,hemustsubmitevidenceshowingthatthecharacterofhisdischargefromservicehasbeenupgradedbytheDepartmentoftheArmy.Theappropriateformsforobtainingreconsiderationofthecharacterofhisdischargewereapparentlyprovidedtothepetitioneratthattime.TheletterfromtheROfurtherinformedthepetitionerthattheevidence"shouldbefurnishedwithin60daysfromthedateofthisϜletter.Inanycase,itmustbereceivedintheVAwithinoneyearfromthedateofthisletter.Otherwise,benefits,ifentitlementisestablished,maynotbepaidforanyperiodpriortothedateofitsreceipt."     ThisCourthasauthoritytoissueextraordinarywritsinaidofitsjurisdictionpursuanttotheAllWritsAct,28U.S.C.1651(a).SeeCoxv.West,149F.3d1360(Fed.Cir.1998).However,   	 0*%(   "[t]heremedyofmandamusisadrasticone,tobeinvokedonlyinextraordinarysituations."Kerr   	  +p&)   v.UnitedStatesDistrictCourt,426U.S.394,402(1976).Beforeacourtmayissueawrit,a   	 ,`'*   petitionermustdemonstrate:(1)aclearandindisputablerighttothewritand(2)lackofadequatealternativemeanstoobtainthereliefsought.SeeErspamerv.Derwinski,1Vet.App.3,9(1990).    -@),   Ї     Inthepresentcase,itappearsthattheROhasconstruedthepetitioner'srecentattemptsto% 8    obtainanadjudicationasthesubmissionofanincompleteclaimandhasaccordinglyrequestedthepetitionertosubmitinformationnecessarytocompletehisapplication.See38C.F.R.3.109(a)   	    (1997)("Ifaclaimant'sapplicationisincomplete,theclaimantwillbenotifiedoftheevidencenecessarytocompletetheapplication.Iftheevidenceisnotreceivedwithin1yearfromthedateofsuchnotification,...compensation...maynotbepaidbyreasonofthatapplication.").Inanyevent,theROhasproperlyactedinaccordancewiththatregulation.Becausethepetitionerthereforehasnotdemonstratedthathelacksalternativemeanstoobtainthereliefheseeks,thewritmustbedenied.SeeBullockv.Brown,7Vet.App.69,70(1994)(denyingwritbecauseitappearedthat   	 0   petitionermightsecurereliefsoughtthroughadministrativeremedies). % 7     ,  X3 X  X X             `	 Uponconsiderationoftheforegoing,itis   	  P
            `	           `	 ORDEREDthatthepetitionforawritofmandamusisDENIED.#   X  X X, X3z  #    	 2   ̜DATED:    `	  OctoberOctober30,1998     h     h % 5        h               p PERCURIAM.   	         KRAMER,Judge,concurring:InresponsetotheCourt'sJuly10,1998,order,theSecretary,   	    citingLaruanv.West,11Vet.App.80(1998)(enbanc),alsostatedthat,inordertobeentitledtoan   	    adjudication,thepetitionermustfirstsubmitevidence"thatprovesthathischaracterofdischargewouldrenderhimeligibleforVAbenefits."Secretary'sResponseat1.Laruanisinapplicablehere   	 b   becauseitappliesonlywhenveteranstatusisatissue.Althoughthepetitionerisbarred,under38U.S.C. % 3    5303(a),fromthereceiptofVAbenefitsbecausehewasanofficerwhoresignedforthegoodoftheservice,hisDDForm214demonstratesthathisdischargewas,nevertheless,"underhonorableconditions."Pursuantto38C.F.R.3.12(a)(1997),thatcharacterizationoftheϜpetitioner'sdischargeisbindingonVA.Asaconsequence,pursuantto38U.S.C.101(2),theϜpetitionerhasstatusasaveteran.See38U.S.C.101(2)("Theterm'veteran'meansapersonwho   	 R   servedintheactivemilitary,naval,orairservice,andwhowasdischargedorreleasedtherefromunderconditionsotherthandishonorable.").̜ % 4    