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My Coast Guard
Commentary | May 10, 2022

Enlisted members: Here’s what you need to know for the upcoming assignment year 

By Chief Warrant Officer 4 Allyson E.T. Conroy

Every spring the Coast Guard gets ready for about one-third of its workforce to transition. The Enlisted Personnel Management team (EPM) is kicking off Assignment Year 2023 (AY23) and outlined expectations and timelines to keep the enlisted workforce informed. 

If you are tour complete in AY23, you are highly encouraged to take the next couple of months to think about your next assignment, your career aspirations, and professional development opportunities. This is also the time to seek guidance from your supervisors and mentors. 

Commands should begin evaluating readiness impacts and preparing command concerns they expect in the next assignment season. Commands should also counsel tour complete members so they are ready and available for their next assignment in accordance with the Military Assignments and Authorized Absences instruction

Timeline
The following is a general timeline for all ratings. You should review your rating’s kickoff message or assignment officer (AO) portal pages for more specific guidance.

  • Standard assignment timeline: May 2 – Aug. 1: Contact your AOs for career counseling. Counseling will continue until all requests are filled.
  • May 2 – Aug. 1: Commands/AOs conduct Personnel Allowance List (PAL) validation.
  • May 2 – Aug. 1: AOs and central assignment coordinators (CACs) conduct EPM roadshows.
  • Aug. 1: Command concerns (COMCONs) due.
  • Sept. 7 – Sept. 23: Unofficial shopping lists published/commands validate shopping lists.
  • Sept 27: Official shopping lists published.
  • Nov. 2: PCS e-Resumes due for most ratings.
  • Nov. 3 – March 31, 2023: AOs slate members and issue orders.

EPM-2 will publish supplemental timelines for specific ratings, command positions, and detached duty assignments as necessary. Please refer to rating-specific messages and EPM-2 Assignment Officer Portal pages for additional guidance and deadlines.  Special assignments will be shopped earlier than general assignments. Timeline information related to special assignments will be posted separately. 

Member counseling/guidance

If you expect to rotate in AY23, took the May 2022 servicewide exam, are above the cut for advancement, or if you are in a double-encumbered positon you are highly encouraged to contact your AO directly to schedule an appointment for career counseling. If you do not fall into any of the above categories, you are still encouraged to seek career counseling from your AO. 

Take the time between May 2 and Aug. 2 to communicate with your AO increasing your awareness of professional development opportunities and provide the foundation to create a realistic PCS e-Resume. For those who are seeking co-locations, review the policy pertaining to co-location assignments contained in the Military Assignments and Authorized Absences instruction. The best way to assure co-location early is to contact your AOs for advice on creating a realistic PCS e-Resume.

To schedule career counseling, please email to your respective AO with the subject line “Career Counseling-Name-EMPLID”. Career counseling requests for AY23 may be submitted until Aug. 1, and counseling will continue until all requests are fulfilled. Counseling for members who appear above a new or revised cut is also available throughout the year. Members are encouraged to contact their AOs within two weeks of the published SWE cut or revision message.

AY23 Intentions
Afloat positions will be filled earlier in the assignment process. Anyone who is tour complete may compete for an afloat assignment in November. 

Women afloat opportunities continue to expand each year with the new platforms, positions, and conversion of cutters. Women are encouraged to apply for any afloat position. In addition to AO counseling, women and commands seeking information on women afloat assignments are highly encouraged to reach out to the Women Afloat Coordinator, Senior Chief Petty Officer Ramona Mason at 202-795-6573 to further discuss these career enhancing opportunities.

Special needs is a mandatory program and if your family is enrolled in the program, updates must be initiated at least nine months before your projected rotation date. A categorization system is in place for dependents in the program. Commands and members should carefully review the Promulgation of the Special Needs Program ACN 50-20 to learn how these changes could affect their assignment options.

Overseas Assignments If you are interested in competing for or if you receive orders to an overseas billet, you will need to follow the procedures noted in the Screening for Overseas Duty Instruction. This includes the use of forms CG-1300, 1300A, and 1300B for member and dependents, and receiving a command endorsement prior to submitting your e-Resume. Do not delay initiating this process, especially for e-Resume submissions.

Enlisted Career Advisory and Development Branch, EPM-4
In September 2021, EPM announced a new branch, which will be dedicated to members’ professional development. EPM expects this branch to achieve full operating capacity in October 2022. Stay tuned for more information about EPM-4 and how it will be able to help the enlisted workforce. EPM-4 will be one of many tools available for enlisted members to help balance personal and professional desires. Enlisted Career Advisors (ECA) will complement, not replace, the career counseling that current AOs already provide. As always, you are encouraged to seek guidance from your Chief Petty Officer Mess, participate in local and Coast Guard-sponsored mentorship programs, and engage with your respective AOs when considering future assignments or professional development opportunities.

EPM Roadshows
If your unit is interested in receiving an EPM presentation on assignment and career development in preparation forAY23, please reach out to EPM-2. 

“These roadshows offer opportunities for career counselors to connect with those who are transferring this year, or very soon,” Lt. Kim Jenish, who is this season’s roadshow coordinator. “We highly encourage members to attend a roadshow if they are tour complete or took the May servicewide exam. These informative presentations will provide valuable information for the enlisted workforce.”

  • Topics covered in the roadshows include:
  • Enlisted assignments
  • Transfer requests
  • Career progression
  • Separations,
  • High Year Tenure

Senior Enlisted Continuation Board

If your unit is interested in hosting a roadshow either in person or virtually, please email Jenish by May 31 to schedule that opportunity. In that request you should include a unit point of contact, the name(s) of the units that will attend, an estimate of how many will attend, preferred date and alternate date, and preferred rating AOs. 

Check out the EPM calendar for available dates for webinars or onsite roadshows in your area.

Command responsibilities:

Prior to the upcoming assignment year, units must conduct a personnel allowance list validation (PALVAL) to ensure the correct positions and members are shopped during the assignment year. Commands should validate their personnel allowance list (PAL) using the command information page in Direct Access on a regular basis so that position numbers reflect where members are currently assigned.  

All unit commanders, commanding officers, and officers in charge must have your executive officers/executive petty officers submit your unit’s command concerns (COMCON) as stated in the Military Assignments and Authorized Absences instruction no later than Aug. 1. A valuable COMCON will address any proposed billet changes, extensions, separations, PAL discrepancies, or similar unit and personnel requests. 

Please see EPM’s comprehensive guide and template on how to submit unit command concerns. 

For any concerns, please contact EPM-2 Chief Warrant Officer Christopher Wolf at 202-795-6617 or Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Barefield at 202-795-6617. Please see the AY23 EPM Command Concerns and PAL Validation ALCGENL 051-22 for further guidance.

Career Intentions

Commands should notify EPM when a member communicates her/his intention of separating from service. This communication with EPM will help prevent any unanticipated long-term gaps. EPM-2 will accept Career Intention Worksheets (CIW) beyond six months to mitigate unanticipated gaps. Commands that are aware of a member who intends to separate prior to Oct. 1, 2023, should notify EPM-2 using the CIW. 

Members who change their decision to separate and desire to remain in service after the signature date of the CIW may be issued orders to a service need position, depending on timeline and AO notification. 

If you decide that you would like to separate from active duty, there is the option to continue to serve in the reserves. If this interests you, please contact the Inter Service Transfer Team, Coast Guard Recruiting Command.

In the News:

Resources: 

  • Enlisted Personnel Management (EPM) Assignment Year 2023 Kick-Off ALCGENL 044/22
  • AY23 Enlisted Personnel Management (EPM) Roadshow Solicitation ALCGENL 045/22
  • AY23 EPM Command Concerns and PAL Validation ALCGENL 051/22
  • Military Assignments and Authorized Absences instruction