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U.S. Coast Guard Personnel Service Center Machinery Technician Assignments EPO Screening Process   COMMANDER (PSC-EPM-2)   PERSONNEL SERVICE CENTER   US COAST GUARD STOP 7200   4200 WILSON BLVD STE 1100   ARLINGTON VA 20598-7200

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New EPO Screening Process -
EPO Screening Job Aid
Command Endorsement Template

EPM-2 is commencing the Engineer Petty Officer (EPO) early screening process for assignment year 2011 (AY11). The revised EPO screening process will apply for all open ashore and afloat MK1, MKC, and MKCS EPO positions in AY11. This process will not apply to MK2 EPO positions. Members wishing to screen for MK1, MKC, and MKCS EPO positions must apply via Direct Access between May 13th and July 15th of 2010.

The early screening solicitation for EPO will be used to obtain the names of EPO applicants, verify that they have the qualifications for EPO assignment, and ensure that Commanding Officer endorsements address the performance criteria in Chapter 1.C.7.C of MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS AND AUTHORIZED ABSENCES. This process will be completed before the e-resume deadline, and will simplify our efforts during the assignment season, between October and April.

Our Goal
The former EPO slating process, which combined screening applicants for EPO assignment criteria with the slating process, had been effective. However, we have found that the early screening process implemented in AY10 streamlined our processes, improved our efficiency, and enabled AO’s to focus more time on providing career counseling and feedback. Another benefit to this screening process is that it ensures that all applicants who successfully screen for EPO will have an opportunity to re-compete for EPO positions if they do not earn an assignment on their e-resume. This will afford more EPO opportunities for members who would “take any EPO assignment” to earn an EPO assignment.

Potential Applicants to Early Screen

Screening Process
The EPO screening process will consider MK1 through MKCS’s who possess qualifications for EPO assignment, are tour complete in 2011 and request to be screened IAW the guidelines below. Candidates will be considered for every afloat and ashore position that they are qualified for and list on their AY11 e-resume.

The following information will be screened IAW Art. 1.C.7.B of MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS AND AUTHORIZED ABSENCES:

1. MARKS:  Applicants with any mark less than 4 or unsatisfactory conduct after 15 JUL 2008 will be disqualified.
2. DISCIPLINE:  Members with a record of civil arrest, court martial, non-judicial punishment, alcohol situation or incident, drug misuse, indebtedness, etc. after 15 JUL 2008 will be disqualified.
3. COMMAND ENDORSEMENT:  Eresumes must include a current endorsement from the member’s Commanding Officer (CO), Officer in Charge (OIC), or designated CO of enlisted personnel.  The endorsement must address the following:
   1. Leadership required for Independent Duty
   2. Technical competence required for the job.
   3. Maturity
   4. Dedication
   5. Professionalism
   6. Military bearing and appearance, to include whether member meets COMDT’s weight standards.

Simply listing that the member meets all requirements for EPO per 1.C.7 does not suffice.  Specific examples or an explanation of how the member meets these criteria must be written.

CLICK HERE for the new CO Endorsement Template, which can be copied and pasted into the command endorsement section of your e-resume in Direct Access.

Application Procedures
To request an EPO assignment, members will need to submit two e-resumes.  The first, due on 15 JUL 10, is used to apply to screen for EPO, and should only include “MK EPO SCREENING PANEL” in the job basket. 

 EPO Screening Job Aid– Click here for step by step procedures for applying for the EPO Screening.

The second e-resume must be submitted prior to the AY11 e-resume deadline, which will be published via ALCGENL later in the assignment season. It is highly recommended that you wait until after the EPO screening results and the AY11 Shopping List are published prior to submitting your list of desired billets.

EPO Screening Results
An ALCGENL message will be released OOA Sep 2010 announcing the completion of the EPO screening process.  The message will refer members to our website to access the list of applicants who successfully screened for EPO.  We will not publish a list of those members who failed the screening.

E-resume Guidance
Members who apply to screen for EPO are highly encouraged to contact their detailer during our Career Counseling period, which runs until 31 AUG 10, or speak to them in person in an upcoming Roadshow.  This would offer an opportunity for some additional e-resume guidance based on your personal career history, quals, performance and desires. We also remind you to continue to read future MK Assignment SITREPs and check our website for additional guidance.

Please use these general guidelines for submitting your e-resume for EPO positions:

1.      Do not submit your e-resume until the results of the EPO screening panel and the AY11 Shopping List are published in the fall.  This will ensure you apply for positions that you are qualified for and are available for assignment.

2.      List EPO positions first, then general duty billets below.  EPO positions are slated before all others, and not following this guidance will hinder your chances of being selected for EPO.  Remember you are a candidate for general duty as well as EPO positions, so general duty billets SHOULD ALSO be listed following EPO positions.

3.      List as many EPO billets that you are willing to go to as possible.  Our number one goal is to get you assigned to your first pick.  However, if we cannot, we can consider you for many more EPO positions early in the slating process if you submit a significant list of EPO positions. 

4.      AO’s will strive to diversify members’ careers across the rating.   Craft your e-resume to ensure a diverse assignment path.  No member should try or expect to remain in one mission area for an entire career.

5.      If a member is currently serving in an afloat position, they should consider listing ashore assignments and vice versa.

6.      A member who is completing back to back assignments on the same platform should expect assignment to a different platform.  Failure to apply for jobs on different platforms will result in assignment decisions being postponed until all other members have been slated.  For example, if you have been on two or more back to back cutters, you will only be assigned to another cutter in the event the candidate pool across all assignment priorities is exhausted.  This will allow the AO’s to ensure assignment diversity across the entire rating, and afford afloat opportunities to those who need sea time for advancement.

If you are in need of sea time to advance or diversify your career, you should provide a variety of classes of cutters on your e-resume.  For example, placing only WPB’s and 65’ cutters on your e-resume is unrealistic, as these are highly desired and competitive positions.

Assignment Process
EPM-2 recognizes that the motivations for competing for EPO assignments may be different than those of Executive Petty Officer or OIC applicants. While EPO assignment is not required for advancement, it is an important stepping stone in career and leadership development as MK’s advance in the rating.  We hope to develop every MK’s career so that they may all be quality EPO’s and leaders on other platforms as they become E-7’s, E-8’s and E-9’s.  These leadership platforms include RFO Teams, Sector Engineering, SFLC, SILC, MK Instructors, and large cutters.

The EPO slating process will commence immediately after the EPO panel results are published.  AO’s will slate all open MK1 through MKCS EPO positions using the guidelines set forth in Art. 1.C.7 and 1.B.1.g of MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS AND AUTHORIZED ABSENCES.  Successful screening does not guarantee assignment, extension, or fleet-up to an EPO position.

Second Chance for EPO Assignment
If a screened EPO candidate does not receive an EPO position on their e-resume, the AO’s will offer him or her an opportunity via email or phone call to reapply for the remaining EPO positions.  These members will be invited to email their AO a rank ordered list of  the remaining EPO positions, or otherwise inform their AO that they desire only to compete for regular duty positions remaining on their e-resume.

The Bottom Line
The same assignment factors listed in Chapter 1.C.7 and 1.B.1 of MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS AND AUTHORIZED ABSENCES will continue to be used for EPO assignments. There will be no change in how AO’s make these and all MK assignment decisions this year, and you should not be worried about how this may affect your chances for EPO positions. The bottom line is, the EPO screening process is separate from the assignment process in order to improve our efficiency in house, and improve our customer service with the fleet. If you have any questions after consulting our website and the EPO Screening message, feel free to contact your Assignment Officer for additional guidance.

Top 10 Ways to make yourself competitive for EPO Assignment:
1. Be familiar with Chapter 1.C.7 of MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS AND AUTHORIZED ABSENCES.
2. Ensure you have an excellent endorsement that meets MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS AND AUTHORIZED ABSENCES requirements.
3. Have no unsatisfactory mark or mark of less than 4 in the past 2 years.
4. Have no NJP or civil arrest in the last 2 years.
5. Have engineering quals for boat forces and/or cutter units. (Go to HOME > DEVELOP WORKFORCE > PLAN CAREERS > USE > CG MEMBER INFO ADDITIONAL to verify that your competencies and training are reflected. In Direct Access)
6. Have platform experience for boat forces and/or cutter units.
7. Be compliant with COMDT’s weight standards.
8. Display leadership abilities.
9. Apply to screen for EPO by the 15 July deadline.
10. Submit your e-resume by the e-resume deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions:
1. So how many e-resumes do I need to submit if I want an EPO job next year? You need to submit two e-resumes. First, you should submit an e-resume before July 15th with only “MK EPO Screening Panel” in your job basket. That is the only position you need to apply for to screen for EPO. In that e-resume, you must have a CO’s endorsement for EPO. The second time you submit your e-resume, you will create a normal REALISTIC e-resume listing every position you are interested in, including EPO and non-EPO positions. This must be submitted by the normal AY11 e-resume deadline.

2. By applying to screen for EPO, am I picking a specific EPO billet? No; you are only requesting to screen for qualification for assignment for EPO positions in general. You will list your specific desired billets in your normal e-resume, which should not be crafted until AFTER the shopping list is officially published by EPM-2. See EPM-2 SITREPs for the official shopping list date, e-resume deadline, and other AY timeline updates.

3. How will I know if I successfully screened for EPO? An ALCGENL message will be released, announcing the completion of the EPO screening process OOA Sep 2010.  The message will refer members to our website to access the list of applicants who successfully screened for EPO.  We will not publish a list of those members who failed the screening.

4. Does this mean that my priority has no impact on whether or not I’ll be slated for an EPO position? No. A person’s priority is still used as one of the 14 assignment factors discussed in Chapter 1.B.1.g of MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS AND AUTHORIZED ABSENCES. Keep in mind, a person’s priority is not the all deciding factor when it comes to job placement.

5. What if I don’t apply to screen for EPO before the deadline in July? Can I still compete for an EPO assignment? Yes, but persons who have applied IAW the message will be considered before people who apply for EPO after the deadline. It is in your best interest to apply before the deadline.

6. Does this mean if I successfully screen for EPO that I’ll definitely get an EPO job? No. Even if you screen successfully there is no guarantee that you will win an EPO job. For an example, there might be more people applying than there are jobs, in which case the more qualified candidates who meet all assignment factors will earn EPO positions.

7. What if I care more about where I am being geographically assigned, and I only am interested in one EPO job in a certain area? Should I still screen? Always submit your e-resume WITH EPO POSITIONS LISTED FIRST.  Keep in mind, you are limiting yourself to a small amount of jobs. There is a chance that you would not receive orders to an EPO job on your e-resume, and you would have to compete for non-EPO positions remaining on your e-resume later in the assignment season.

8. What if I care more about my collocation or special needs, and I am only interested in one EPO job in a certain area. Should I still screen? COLOs and Special Needs are a very different assignment factor and are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. You should still screen for EPO if you are interested at all in an EPO position, and submit an e-resume based on your desires. Check out EPM-2 “Hot Topics” to find more information regarding COLOs and Special Needs. If you are still unsure about your particular case, contact your detailer for additional guidance.

9. If I successfully screen does this mean I can get orders to any EPO position, anywhere? This possibility does exist. However, above all we try to ensure personnel are slated into a position on their e-resume. If an EPO position on your e-resume is not available, you will have the opportunity to select from the remaining EPO positions a second time when you are contacted by your detailer. If you are not interested in the remaining available EPO positions, you may compete for regular duty positions that are on your e-resume.

10. If there is an off season solicitation for EPO positions, will we need to have been screened for EPO in order to compete for that assignment? Yes; we will do an off season screening to find qualified candidates using the same screening procedures that we have used in the past, and in accordance with Chapter 1.C.7 of MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS AND AUTHORIZED ABSENCES.

11. If I am only requesting an extension as an EPO, why do I need to apply to screen for EPO again? We need to consider all of the assignment factors before granting an extension, including command concerns, command endorsement, and how desirable the position may be. By screening for EPO extension, it will notify the AO’s early in the assignment year that you are interested in the extension. It will give AO’s an opportunity to consider the extension request, and your command’s support for the extension, before we publish the shopping list and review all applicants for the job. It is in your best interest to ensure that your AO knows you want the extension during this phase of the assignment season, so we can consider all the assignment factors early on.

12. Does this mean an MK1 that gets assigned to an EPO position might get his or her orders before an MKCS who is not screening for EPO? Yes, MK1 through MKCS EPO positions will be slated before all regular duty positions, no matter what rank the regular duty positions might be.

13. Does this mean an MK2 that gets assigned to an EPO position might get his or her orders before an MKCS who is not screening for EPO? No; MK2 screening and assignments to EPO positions will be done during the normal assignment season, and therefore after MKCS assignments.

14. Who must write my endorsement? Does my XO, or my OIC count as my Commanding Officer? In accordance with MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS AND AUTHORIZED ABSENCES Chapter 1.C.7.c. 2. The CO or OIC shall endorse the member’s request. How about my Logistics Department Head at the Sector? In some cases, the Sector Commander designates the Logistics Department Head or another member of the Command as the CO of Enlisted Personnel. The designated CO of Enlisted Personnel in that case would be authorized to write the endorsement. Your Department Head, Supervisor, Chief, EPO, or XPO do not qualify as the CO or OIC, unless they are designated in writing.

15. My CO is really busy! How can I expect him or her to write an endorsement that meets all this criteria? Your CO is probably a very busy individual; then again we all are. It is his or her job to ensure you have the strongest endorsement in accordance with MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS AND AUTHORIZED ABSENCES Chapter 1.C.7.c. You may help your CO by providing them with bullets or working with your supervisor to provide your CO with supporting documentation for the endorsement.

16. If I am underway this summer or in PATFORSWA with little connectivity, can I still screen for EPO? What if Direct Access doesn’t work long enough for me to get my e-resume and endorsement in? Yes, you can still request to screen via CGMS Traffic. However, once Direct Access connectivity is available you must submit your request via e-resume.

17. How can I make myself more competitive to screen for EPO? Make sure you are qualified before applying as per MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS AND AUTHORIZED ABSENCES 1.C.7. If you want an EPO position more than any other type of position, then do not limit the billets on your e-resume to a specific area or platform. Use our Top Ten List above to make sure you are most competitive for the positions on your e-resume. Since this is such a new process, please feel free to contact your AO for proper career counseling.

18. Why does this process not apply to MK2 EPO positions? We have created this process to improve our efficiency at EPM-2. Due to the large volume of MK2 EPO position applicants, and small number of MK2 EPO vacancies this year, we will not solicit to early screen the MK2’s. They will follow the same e-resume, screening, and assignment process as we used in AY09..

19. Chapter 1.C.7.e.1 states that EPO's that have successfully completed an EPO assignment and hold the appropriate qualification code are eligible for subsequent assignment; or something to that effect. Will EPO's that meet this criteria have to screen for future assignments? While 1.C.7.E says that "personnel who have served satisfactorily as EPO...are considered eligible for subsequent EPO assignments..." we still need to screen them to determine if they DID serve satisfactorily and still meet qualification criteria listed in 1.C.7.b. In other words, we need to screen all applicants to ensure they have not received UNSAT marks, NJP, arrest, etc. When reviewing prior EPO's, we're particularly concerned with whether these members had satisfactory marks, no NJP, and that their CO endorsed them for future EPO positions during their last EPO tour. This screening process allows AO's to determine whether members did have a satisfactory EPO tour, and whether they are still qualified for further EPO assignments.

AO Contact Information

 Machinery Technician

CWO Scott Moore
Assignment Officer  Districts 08, 09
Phone: (202)493-1255

CWO2 Doug Linklater
Assignment Officer Districts 01, 07
Phone: (202)493-1254

CWO3 Casher Haggerty
Assignment Officer Districts 11, 13, 14, 17
Phone: (202)493-1248

CWO4 Alberto Garofalo
Assignment Officer
District 05, MK A-School, PATFORSWA
Phone: (202)493-1256

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