ALCGENL 105/08 SUBJ: PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES FOR VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT REQUESTS BY COAST GUARD ENLISTED PERSONNEL A. CG PERSONNEL MANUAL, COMDTINST M1000.6 (SERIES) B. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 171433Z JUN 08 (ALCOAST 293/08) C. TITLE 5, U. S. CODE, SECTION 8301 1. THIS ALCGENL IS INTENDED TO ADDRESS COAST GUARD ENLISTED PERSONNEL NON-DISABILITY RETIREMENT PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES OUTLINED IN COAST GUARD POLICY, ART 12.C. OF REF A AND REF B. IT SHOULD HELP CLARIFY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AMONG MEMBERS REQUESTING TO RETIRE AND COMMANDS ENDORSING REQUESTS TO RETIRE. 2. AN ENLISTED MEMBER'S NON-DISABILITY RETIREMENT OCCURS AT THE DISCRETION OF COMMANDER (CGPC-EPM). THEREFORE, AN ENLISTED MEMBER'S REQUEST WILL BE CONSIDERED ON THE BASIS OF OVERALL SERVICE NEEDS. IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE SERVICE A MEMBER'S RETIREMENT DATE MAY BE APPROVED FOR A DATE LATER THAN REQUESTED. A. THE DECISION TO RETIRE SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. IN ORDER TO OPTIMIZE STAFFING THROUGHOUT THE COAST GUARD, RETIREMENT REQUESTS ARE REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED TO ARRIVE AT THE PERSONNEL COMMAND (CGPC-EPM-1) NO MORE THAN TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS IN ADVANCE OF THE REQUESTED RETIREMENT DATE AND NO LESS THAN SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE REQUESTED RETIREMENT DATE. AS REQUIRED BY REF C, NORMAL VOLUNTARY RETIREMENTS ARE APPROVED FOR THE FIRST OF THE MONTH. B. SEPTEMBER THROUGH DECEMBER IS THE IDEAL TIME TO SCHEDULE RETIREMENT. NORMALLY ENLISTED RETIREMENTS ARE APPROVED FOR THE FIRST DAY OF ANY MONTH BETWEEN SEPTEMBER AND DECEMBER TO MINIMIZE VACANT (GAP) POSITIONS RESULTING FROM ASSIGNMENT YEAR TRANSFERS. REQUESTS TO RETIRE OUTSIDE THIS WINDOW WILL BE CONSIDERED IF ACCOMPANIED BY A COMMAND ENDORSEMENT CONTAINING AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE POSITION GAP. BY SYNCHRONIZING ENLISTED RETIREMENTS WITH THE ASSIGNMENT CYCLE, CGPC-EPM STRIVES TO MINIMIZE THE EFFECTS OF ENLISTED RETIREMENTS ON UNIT-LEVEL READINESS AND OTHER MEMBERS. C. IN ORDER FOR AN ENLISTED MEMBER TO VOLUNTARILY REQUEST TO RETIRE, ALL OBLIGATED SERVICE REQUIREMENTS MUST BE SATISFIED BY THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF RETIREMENT. REQUESTS TO WAIVE THE OBLIGATED SERVICE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PURPOSES OF VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT ARE RARELY APPROVED. 3. THE DETERMINATION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSING AND ENTITLEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH RETIREMENT IS CAPTURED ON CG- PSC-2045, THE CAREER INTENTIONS WORKSHEET. THE CAREER INTENTIONS WORKSHEET CANNOT BE COMPLETED UNTIL SUCH TIME THE ENLISTED MEMBER HAS AN APPROVED RETIREMENT DATE. ONCE THE CAREER INTENTIONS WORKSHEET IS COMPLETED IN CONNECTION WITH AN APPROVED RETIREMENT DATE, THE COMMANDING OFFICER CAN THEN ADEQUATELY ASSESS READINESS CONCERNS RELATED TO LEAVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCES FOR RETIRING MEMBERS. A. AT THEIR DISCRETION, THE COMMANDING OFFICER MAY GRANT EARNED OR ADVANCE LEAVE ACCOMPANYING RETIREMENT ORDERS. THIS DECISION TO GRANT LEAVE IS THE COMMANDING OFFICER'S ALONE. A RELIEF FOR A RETIRING MEMBER NORMALLY COINCIDES NOT WITH THE DATE THE MEMBER DEPARTS ON LEAVE BUT WITH THE SCHEDULED RETIREMENT DATE. REQUESTS TO DELAY AN APPROVED RETIREMENT IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE LEAVE ARE NOT APPROVED. B. AT THEIR DISCRETION, THE COMMANDING OFFICER MAY GRANT ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE TO RETIRING MEMBERS TO FACILITATE RELOCATION, I.E. PRE-EMPLOYMENT SEARCH OR HOUSING HUNTING. THE LIMITATIONS, CONDITIONS, AND RESTRICTIONS ARE OUTLINED IN ART. 12.C.1.F OF REF A. THIS ADMINISTRATIVE ABSENCE IS NOT AN ENTITLEMENT AND THE DECISION TO GRANT THIS ABSENCE IS THE COMMANDING OFFICER'S ALONE. REQUESTS TO DELAY AN APPROVED RETIREMENT IN ORDER FOR RETIRING MEMBERS TO CONTINUE HOUSE AND JOB HUNTING ARE NOT APPROVED. C. THE RETIREMENT PROCESSING POINT POLICY WAS ESTABLISHED TO FACILITATE EFFICIENT RETIREMENT PROCESSING FOR MEMBERS ASSIGNED OCONUS OR IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES BY RETURNING THOSE RETIRING MEMBERS TO CONUS FOR RETIREMENT PROCESSING WHO DO NOT INTEND TO DESIGNATE THE OVERSEAS AREA AS HOME OF SELECTION AND DO NOT DESIRE TO RETIRE AT THE OVERSEAS DUTY STATION. RETIRING MEMBERS STATIONED IN CONUS OR AT A NON- RESTRICTED DUTY STATION IN A STATE, COMMONWEALTH OR UNITED STATES POSSESSION OUTSIDE CONUS NORMALLY ARE NOT TRANSFERRED TO A NEW PERMANENT DUTY STATION BEFORE RETIREMENT. THE RETIRING MEMBER'S LAST PERMANENT DUTY STATION SERVES AS THE PROCESSING STATION AND THE GOVERNMENT INCURS NO ADDITIONAL EXPENSE IN PROCESSING THE RETIREMENT. HOWEVER UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATIONS, FOR PERSONAL CONVENIENCE, THESE RETIRING MEMBERS MAY REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FROM COMMANDER (CGPC-EPM-1) TO UTILIZE A CG SHORE UNIT CONVENIENT TO HIS OR HER DESIGNATED HOME OF SELECTION AS THEIR RETIREMENT PROCESSING POINT UNDER THE CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS OUTLINED IN ART. 12.C.1.E.1 OF REF A. 4. A REQUEST FOR RETIREMENT TRIGGERS TRANSFER AND ADVANCEMENT ACTIONS THAT IF REVERSED HAS THE POTENTIAL OF CAUSING HARDSHIP TO OTHER MEMBERS. THEREFORE, UNLESS A SPECIFIC SERVICE NEED EXISTS AND UNDER THE CONDITIONS SET FORTH IN ART. 12.C.11.C, REQUESTS TO DELAY OR CANCEL AN APPROVED RETIREMENT WILL NOT BE APPROVED. 5. IN OUR CONTINUED EFFORTS TO STREAMLINE THE ENLISTED VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT PROCESS, THIS OFFICE HAS ESTABLISHED AN EMAIL ADDRESS TO WHICH COMMAND ENDORSED VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT REQUESTS CAN BE ELECTRONICALLY SENT. THIS NOT ONLY WILL HELP REDUCE UNIT LEVEL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH MAILING OF THESE REQUESTS; IT WILL HELP REDUCE DELAYS RESULTING FROM LOCAL MAILING PROCESSES OR LOSS MAIL. THEREFORE, THE PREFERRED METHOD OF SUBMITTING ENLISTED VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT REQUESTS IS BY SENDING SCANNED COMMAND ENDORSED MEMO WITH ALL SIGNATURES VISIBLE VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL TO ARL-PF-CGPC-EPM-1-RETIREMENTS(AT) USCG.MIL. REQUESTS SUBMITTED VIA EMAIL DO NOT REQUIRE SEPARATE PAPER-COPY SENT BY MAIL. IN ADDITION, ANY ENLISTED RETIREMENT QUESTIONS OR INQUIRIES MAY ALSO BE SENT VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL TO THIS EMAIL ADDRESS. 6. FOR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR CLARIFICATION TO THIS ALCGENL, THE POC IS MR. SID EAGERTON AT (202) 493-1296 OR E-MAIL (GLOBAL). FOR MORE INFORMATION ON VOLUNTARY RETIREMENTS, VISIT CGPC- EPM-1'S WEB PAGE AT HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/HQ/CG1/CGPC/EPM/. 7. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.