By Christie St. Clair

The Coast Guard is encouraging members not to separate or retire just yet.

As COVID-19 challenges the Coast Guard’s ability to recruit and train personnel, preserving today’s mission ready total workforce has never been more important, nor more challenging. The Commandant’s “Campaign to Retain” seeks to preserve the Coast Guard’s unique talent and extend opportunities for members that were planning to leave the Service this year. Especially for those in critical enlisted ratings and officers in critical specialties, there are opportunities to continue service and carry out our critical Coast Guard missions.

"These are challenging times, and we need Coast Guardsmen that are ready to meet these challenges head on," said CAPT Todd Prestidge, Commander of the Personnel Service Center. "You have been there for our Service, time and time again. Now, we want you to know that we are here for you. If you were planning to separate, but are willing to explore opportunities to remain in the Coast Guard or delay your transition, just give us a call."

Here are the critical specialties:

Officers: Aviators, Engineers, Marine Inspector, and Cyber Specialties

Aviators, Engineers, Marine Inspector, and Cyber Specialties Enlisted: BMs, CSs, MEs, MKs, OSs, and YNs, as well as ETs with weapons system qualifications

BMs, CSs, MEs, MKs, OSs, and YNs, as well as ETs with weapons system qualifications Reserve: Junior officers of all specialties and junior enlisted members of all ratings.

You can find more details in ALCOAST 153/20, in addition to the guidance and resources below.

INTERESTED MEMBERS – WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IF:

You intend to RELAD or voluntarily separate from the Coast Guard this year:

Contact your assignment officer to discuss incentives and opportunities for continued employment with the Coast Guard or the Coast Guard Reserve.

You have an approved TEMPSEP:

Contact Personnel Service Center to discuss canceling your separation. If you are currently on TEMPSEP, and interested in returning expeditiously or in AY21, we would like to talk to you. OPM, EPM, and RPM are planning a webinar to discuss how you can expedite your re-affiliation with the active duty. Please watch for additional details on how you can participate in this first-ever TEMPSEP webinar.



Your plans have changed but you still want to separate:

We are ready to discuss flexible career opportunities and options—from pushing back your separation dates, to extending Service contracts, to offering you the opportunity to serve in the CG Reserve. Contact Personnel Service Center to discuss canceling your separation.



You are retiring from active duty in the summer of 2020 and would like to consider canceling your voluntary retirement:

The service may have a need for your continued service. Do not hesitate to initiate this discussion with your Assignment Officer.



You are not in a critical rating, but are interested in staying or desire flexibility:

Contact your Assignment Officer to discuss incentives and opportunities for continued employment with the Coast Guard or the Coast Guard Reserve. We are ready to discuss flexible career opportunities and options—from pushing back your separation dates to extending Service contracts. Any members willing to consider a change in rating, either in the active duty or reserve components, should reach out immediately to Personnel Service Center.



You are – or you know – a member who separated from the service, and want to come back:

Engage your local recruiter, or the In-Service Transfer Team, directly for reenlistment consideration and streamlined accession opportunities, as long as you (a) separated with Honorable discharge and a reenlistment code of RE-1, or (b) are a Coast Guard Reserve member in the Individual Ready Reserve.

ALL COMMANDS – WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

Commanding officers, officers in charge, and supervisors should engage your members immediately if they’re seeking voluntary release from active duty or voluntary discharge. Listen to their unique circumstances and help us explain the benefits of continued service. A Command Retention Tool Kit is forthcoming to help foster and shepherd those conversations.

Also, please be aware that members facing involuntary separation or retirement (Misconduct, Disability, High Year Tenure, Senior Enlisted Continuation Board) may not be candidates for long-term retention. However, EPM is granting delays to these separations. If you have members in these categories who would prefer to stay on active duty, encourage them to talk to EPM.

KEY RESOURCES

Enlisted:

Your Servicing Personnel Office can facilitate your extension, retention, or reenlistment. As policy requires, submit those requests to HQS-SMB-CGPSC-EPM-1-Career-Retentions@uscg.mil.

Submit command-endorsed requests to delay enlisted separations to HQS-SMB-CGPSC-EPM-1-Separations@uscg.mil.

Retiring members that wish to delay or cancel an enlisted retirement should submit their requests to HQS-SMB-CGPSC-EPM-1-Retirements@uscg.mil.

For Reserve members desiring to integrate onto active duty, submit a command approved CG-3472 to HQS-SMB-CGPSC-EPM-1-Career-Retentions@uscg.mil.

The In-Service Transfer Team can facilitate your transition to the Reserve Component. Contact them at CGR-SMB-ISTT@uscg.mil.



Officers:

Active Duty desiring retention and Reserve Officers desiring integration onto active duty should submit their request to the OPM-1 Separations section: ARL-PF-CGPSC-opm-1-Separations@uscg.mil.

Members and commands should review additional guidance available on the OPM-1 Separations portal page: https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/psc/psc-opm/1/f/SitePages/Home.aspx.

Assignment Officers are available for career counseling. OPM-2’s phone contact list is located at: https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/psc/opm-2/SitePages/Home.aspx.

For general career counseling questions, please email PSC OPM-4: HQS-SMB-CGPSC-OPM-4@uscg.mil.

Active duty Officers interested in affiliating with the Reserve Component should contact RPM-1 to discuss options: hqs-smb-cgpsc-rpm-boardspanels@uscg.mil.



Reserve:

For career counseling and questions regarding the CGR opportunities, contact PSC RPM at: https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Human-Resources-CG-1/Personnel-Service-Center-PSC/Reserve-Personnel-Management-PSC-RPM/RPM-2/ROCC/

Resources

Campaign to Retain Infographic