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My Coast Guard
Commentary | March 4, 2021

Major cutters: New policy will support members' resilience

Members who are assigned to major cutters may be eligible for up to 15 days of resiliency absence.

The Coast Guard is authorizing the use of administrative absence for members assigned to major cutters (levels four and five), in an effort to promote physical, mental and spiritual health of members who had significant restrictions of movement or impact to cutter port calls due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The strength and resolve of those standing the watch on our largest cutters at sea during the pandemic these last 12 months has been absolutely inspiring. However, the missed port calls, restriction of movement periods, and cancelled leave takes a toll on the individual and on the family," said Master Chief Phil Payne, the CG-1 Command Master Chief. "This dedicated resiliency absence time is well deserved and highly critical to our members getting rested, rejuvenated, and back online doing the mission, back at their absolute best."

Commanding officers can approve up to 15 days of resiliency absence; evaluating individual circumstances when determining how many days to authorize.

Factors to consider include time onboard, restrict of movement periods, missed leave, and operational tempo.

Resiliency absence can be used consecutively or non-consecutively and can be extended by combining it with weekends, holidays, leave, liberty or TDY.

Any unused days will expire one year from now, or upon permanent transfer off the cutter, whichever comes first. It is not authorized for use in conjunction with a PCS transfer, or to be used as travel or proceed time, and it is not entered into Direct Access.

CO’s should not withhold normally authorized administrative absence in lieu of approving resiliency absence. For example, it should not be used to conduct house hunting and familiarization.

Resources

  • ACN 025/21 - MAR 2021 COVID-19: MAJOR CUTTER RESILIENCY ABSENCE
  • You can find more information and resources related to resilience at https://www.uscg.mil/Coronavirus/Resilience 
  • For questions about resiliency absence or human resource management, email the Office of Military Personnel Policy (CG-133) at: HQSPolicyandStandards@uscg.mil