P 201359Z MAR 12

ALCOAST 135/12
COMDTNOTE 1050
SUBJ: DIRECT ACCESS (DA) SELF SERVICE - ABSENCE REQUEST
A. PERSONNEL AND PAY PROCEDURES MANUAL, PPCINST M1000.2 (SERIES)
B. MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS AND AUTHORIZED ABSENCES, COMDTINST M1000.8
(SERIES)
C. COAST GUARD SERVICING PERSONNEL OFFICE (SPO) MANUAL, PPCINST
M5231.3 (SERIES)
1. THE COAST GUARD IS DEPLOYING A NEW FUNCTIONALITY IN DIRECT ACCESS
(DA) CALLED ABSENCE REQUEST TO SIMPLIFY AND IMPROVE THE TIMELINESS OF
MILITARY LEAVE TRANSACTIONS. THIS MESSAGE OUTLINES THE NEW METHOD OF
LEAVE REQUEST AND ACCOUNTING FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL. THE PAPER-BASED
METHOD CURRENTLY IN USE (IAW REF A) IS SLOW AND INEFFICIENT. A RECENT
DHS OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT SHOWED THAT LEAVE PROCESSING
CAN TAKE UP TO 90 DAYS TO REPORT COMPLETED MILITARY LEAVE
TRANSACTIONS. LEAVE IS CONSIDERED A FINANCIAL TRANSACTION THAT
AFFECTS MEMBERS PAY. AS SUCH, OUR GOAL IS TO PROCESS LEAVE
TRANSACTIONS WITHIN 2 DAYS. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DA ABSENCE
REQUEST DOES NOT CHANGE EXISTING POLICY FOR GRANTING LEAVE OR OTHER
AUTHORIZED ABSENCE.
2. THE ABSENCE REQUEST COMPONENT IN DA SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES THE NEED
TO COMPLETE A LEAVE AUTHORIZATION, FORM CG-2519, AND ROUTE IT TO THE
SPO FOR DATA ENTRY. MEMBERS WILL NOW SUBMIT REQUESTS FOR LEAVE TO
THEIR APPROVING OFFICIAL USING DA SELF SERVICE. ONCE THE REQUEST IS
APPROVED, THE APPLICATION WILL HOLD THE REQUEST UNTIL THE END DATE
(RETURN DATE) OF THE LEAVE REQUEST AND THEN IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY
CHARGE THE LEAVE VIA JOINT UNIFORM MILITARY PAY SYSTEM (JUMPS) AND
IMMEDIATELY UPDATE THE MEMBERS LEAVE AND EARNING STATEMENT (LES).
3. THE DA ABSENCE REQUEST AUTOMATES THE OFFICIAL APPROVAL OF THE
MEMBERS LEAVE. IF DESIRED, UNITS MAY EMPLOY LOCAL METHODS (ELECTRONIC
OR PAPER-BASED) TO CAPTURE INTERMEDIATE APPROVALS. TO FACILITATE THIS
ACTION, DA ABSENCE REQUEST INCLUDES THE ABILITY TO ADD SCANNED OR
ELECTRONIC SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS TO THE REQUEST. FOR EXAMPLE, IF LOCAL
POLICY REQUIRES A DUTY COORDINATOR TO SIGN OFF ON ALL LEAVE CHITS,
THE MEMBER COULD EMAIL A REQUEST FOR LEAVE TO THE DUTY COORDINATOR.
THE DUTY COORDINATORS REPLY TO THE EMAIL CAN THEN BE PRINTED TO A
FILE (USING PRINT TO PDF CAPABILITY) AND UPLOADED TO THE ABSENCE
REQUEST WHERE IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW BY THE LEAVE APPROVING
OFFICIAL.
4. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY, LEAVE APPROVING OFFICIALS
WILL NOT NEED ADDITIONAL PERMISSIONS IN DA. NEW USER ACCESS FORMS
WILL NOT BE REQUIRED. COMMANDS SHOULD REVIEW THEIR EXISTING LOCAL
POLICIES FOR GRANTING LEAVE, AND ESTABLISH WRITTEN POLICY DESIGNATING
LEAVE APPROVING OFFICIALS AS NECESSARY. DESIGNATIONS CAN BE MADE BY
NAME OR BY POSITION (E.G. THE OPERATIONS OFFICER IS THE LEAVE
APPROVING OFFICIAL FOR ALL PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO THE OPERATIONS
DEPARTMENT.). COMMANDS SHALL ENSURE LEAVE APPROVING OFFICIALS ARE
FAMILIAR WITH THE POLICIES IN REF B. ADDITIONALLY, AN ABSENCE REQUEST
REPORT IS AVAILABLE FOR COMMANDS TO MONITOR LEAVE TRANSACTIONS.
5. THERE WILL BE CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN A MEMBER CANNOT SUBMIT AN ABSENCE
REQUEST IN DA OR THEIR LEAVE APPROVING OFFICIAL IS NOT A DA USER
(E.G. PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO OTHER AGENCIES). IN THESE INSTANCES, A
LEAVE AUTHORIZATION, FORM CG-2519, SHALL BE FORWARDED TO THE
SPO/ADMIN FOR ENTRY INTO DA IAW REF C.
6. ANY CHANGES TO APPROVED ABSENCE REQUESTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE
AFTER THE LAST DAY OF THE APPROVED LEAVE (RETURN DATE) MUST BE
PROCESSED BY THE SPO/ADMIN. MEMBERS AND LEAVE APPROVING OFFICIALS CAN
MAKE CHANGES TO APPROVED REQUESTS (WITHDRAW / CANCEL THE REQUEST,
EXTEND OR REDUCE THE NUMBER DAYS) ANY TIME UP TO THE LAST DAY OF THE
APPROVED REQUEST. ONCE THE APPROVED REQUEST DATE PASSES, THE LEAVE IS
AUTOMATICALLY CHARGED VIA JUMPS AND MUST BE MODIFIED BY THE
SPO/ADMIN.
7. TESTING OF THE NEW ABSENCE REQUEST COMPONENT HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
THE DEPLOYMENT DATE IS SCHEDULED FOR 26 MARCH 2012. A BRIEF SYSTEM
OUTAGE IS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW FUNCTIONALITY. THE DATE AND
TIME FOR THE SYSTEM OUTAGE WILL BE BROADCAST ON THE MYPORTALDIRECT
HOME PAGE (HTTPS://EP.DIRECT-ACCESS.US) AND TRANSMITTED BY PPC VIA
EMAIL AND RECORD MESSAGE TRAFFIC. UPON DEPLOYMENT OF THE DA ABSENCE
REQUEST, ALL COAST GUARD MEMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO USE THE SELF SERVICE
FUNCTIONALITY TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE. SPO ENTRY OF LEAVE
SHOULD BE KEPT TO A MINIMUM, AND AS CIRCUMSTANCES WARRANT.
8. ABSENCE REQUEST FAQS AND USER GUIDES FOR MEMBERS, LEAVE APPROVING
OFFICIALS AND SPOS CAN BE ACCESSED VIA THE LINKS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENTS
AREA OF THE MYPORTALDIRECT HOME PAGE, THE DA ONLINE HELP
(HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/PPC/PS) OR THE ABSENCE REQUEST LAUNCH PAGE
(HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/PPC/ELEAVE). I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE COMMANDS TO
REVIEW THE AVAILABLE GUIDANCE.
9. QUESTIONS REGARDING ABSENCE REQUEST MAY BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO
THE COMDT (CG-1) PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE AT
PPC-CG1-DG-PMO(AT)USCG.MIL.
10. RADM R.T. HEWITT, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT FOR HUMAN RESOURCES,
SENDS.
11. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.