PSC: Enlisted Personnel Management

Security Levels

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

New EPO Screening Process -
CLICK HERE for EPO Screening Job Aid

EPM-2 is commencing the Engineer Petty Officer (EPO) early screening process for assignment year 2010 (AY10). The revised EPO screening process will apply for all open ashore and afloat MK1, MKC, and MKCS EPO positions in AY10. 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 22 and July 10th of 2009.

The new 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 4.C.7.C of the Personnel Manual (PERSMAN). 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 current EPO slating process, which combines screening applicants for EPO assignment criteria with the slating process, has been effective. However, we are seeking to improve the screening process to make it less time intensive during the assignment season. The primary goal of revising the screening process is to streamline our processes, improve our efficiency, and enable AO’s to focus more time on providing career counseling and feedback. Another benefit to our new screening process is that it will ensure all applicants that 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
A. ALL TOUR COMPLETE MK’S WHO ARE INTERESTED IN ASSIGNMENT TO MK1 THROUGH MKCS EPO POSITIONS IN AY10.

B. INCUMBENT EPOS THAT INTEND TO REQUEST AN EXTENSION ARE REQUIRED TO APPLY AND MUST SUBMIT A COMMAND ENDORSEMENT FOR AN EXTENSION.

C. MEMBERS SEEKING TO FLEET UP TO AN EPO POSITION DUE TO ADVANCEMENT SHOULD ALSO APPLY.

D. PERSONNEL WHO HAVE TAKEN THE NOVEMBER 2008 MK1 SERVICE WIDE EXAM (SWE) AND MAY 2009 MK1, MKC, AND MKCS SWE ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. KEEP IN MIND, IAW ART 4.C.3.A OF the PERSMAN, PERSONNEL SHOULD NOT COMPETE FOR ADVANCEMENT UNLESS THEY ARE PREPARED TO BE TRANSFERRED TO FILL ANY AUTHORIZED VACANT POSITION IN THE NEXT HIGHER PAYGRADE. THIS MEANS THAT IF YOU ARE NOT TOUR COMPLETE IN AY10 AND YOU ARE AT ANY TIME ABOVE THE CUT THERE EXISTS THE HIGH PROBABILITY OF BEING SHORT-TOURED.

***IMPORTANT!!!***MK2 EPO APPLICANTS WILL BE SCREENED AND ASSIGNED DURING THE NORMAL ASSIGNMENT SEASON THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS USED IN PREVIOUS YEARS. THESE MEMBERS SHOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE EARLY SOLICITATION.

Screening Process
THE EPO SCREENING PROCESS WILL CONSIDER MK1 THROUGH MKCS’S WHO POSSESS QUALIFICATIONS FOR EPO ASSIGNMENT, ARE TOUR-COMPLETE IN 2010 AND REQUEST TO BE SCREENED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES BELOW. CANDIDATES WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR EVERY AFLOAT AND ASHORE PLATFORM THAT THEY ARE QUALIFIED FOR AND REQUESTING ON THEIR AY10 E-RESUME. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WILL BE SCREENED IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 4.C.7.B OF THE PERSMAN:

A. MARKS: APPLICANTS WITH ANY MARKS LESS THAN 4 OR UNSATISFACTORY CONDUCT AFTER 10 JUL 2007 WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

B. DISCIPLINE: MEMBERS WITH RECORD OF CIVIL ARREST, COURT-MARTIAL, NON-JUDICIAL PUNISHMENT, ALCOHOL SITUATION OR INCIDENT, DRUG MISUSE, INDEBTEDNESS, ETC. AFTER 10 JUL 2007 WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

C. COMMAND ENDORSEMENT: E-RESUMES MUST INCLUDE A CURRENT ENDORSEMENT FROM THE MEMBER’S COMMANDING OFFICER (CO), OFFICER IN CHARGE (OIC), OR DESIGNATED CO OF ENLISTED PERSONNEL. THE ENDORSEMENT SHALL 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 COMDTS’ WEIGHT POLICY

Application Procedures
TO REQUEST AN EPO ASSIGNMENT, MEMBERS WILL NEED TO SUBMIT TWO E-RESUMES. THE FIRST E-RESUME, DUE ON 10 JUL 09, IS USED TO APPLY TO SCREEN FOR EPO, AND SHOULD ONLY INCLUDE “MK EPO SCREENING PANEL” IN THE JOB BASKET. DO NOT REQUEST A SPECIFIC BILLET, UNIT, OR POSITION ON THIS FIRST E-RESUME. MEMBERS MUST SUBMIT A SECOND E-RESUME BY THE AY10 E-RESUME DEADLINE TO REQUEST SPECIFIC EPO AND/OR NON-EPO ASSIGNMENTS. MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO FOLLOW GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING A REALISTIC E-RESUME FOUND IN EPM-2’S UPCOMING AY10 SITREP AND AT OUR WEBSITES.

USE THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES TO SUBMIT FIRST ERESUME TO APPLY TO SCREEN FOR EPO:

A. CREATE A NEW E-RESUME IN DIRECT ACCESS, UNDER
HOME > SELF SERVICE > EMPLOYEE > TASKS > CREATE E-RESUME.

B. SELECT “COMMAND SCREENING” FROM THE "POSITION SOURCE" PULL-DOWN MENU.

C. SELECT “MK” FROM THE "JOB FAMILY" PULL-DOWN MENU AND CLICK ON
THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED BUTTON LABELED "SEARCH".

D. SELECT “MK EPO SCREENING” FROM THE LISTING BY CLICKING ON THE CHECK BOX UNDER THE COLUMN TO THE FAR RIGHT OF YOUR SCREEN LABELED "JOB BASKET".

E. AFTER SELECTING THE SCREENING PANEL, CLICK THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED BOX AT THE BOTTOM LEFT OF YOUR SCREEN LABELED "ADD SELECTED TO JOB BASKET".

F. CLICK ON THE LINK LABELED "VIEW JOB BASKET" DIRECTLY TO THE
RIGHT OF THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED BOX YOU USED TO ADD THE SELECTIONS
TO YOUR JOB BASKET. THIS ACTION WILL OPEN A NEW SCREEN. ENSURE THAT
THE “MK EPO SCREENING PANEL” SELECTION APPEARS.

G. WHEN YOU SEE YOUR SELECTION IN YOUR JOB BASKET AS DESIRED, CLICK
ON "APPLY FOR JOBS IN BASKET" TO PROCEED WITH E-RESUME SUBMISSION.
A SCREEN WITH "13 STEPS" WILL OPEN.

H. WHILE ON THE "STEP 12" LEAVE THE BOX LABELED "NO ENDORSEMENT REQUIRED" UNCHECKED. ENTER CO, OFFICER IN CHARGE, OR DESIGNATED CO’S EMPLOYEE ID INTO TEXT BOX. SELECT THE YELLOW ARROW BUTTON RESPECTIVE TO THE POSITION DESCRIPTION IN ORDER TO MOVE THE POSITION FROM THE LEFT HAND COLUMN TO THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN ON YOUR SCREEN. ONCE YOUR DESIRED PANEL SCREENING SELECTION IS IN THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN OF YOUR SCREEN, SELECT THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED BOX LABELED “NEXT” AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN. THE WINDOW FOR "STEP 13" WILL OPEN.

I. IF YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH YOUR SELECTION, SELECT THE YELLOW
HIGHLIGHTED BUTTON LABELED "SUBMIT". ONCE YOU SELECT "SUBMIT",
YOUR E-RESUME IS COMPLETE. YOU SHOULD RECEIVE A VERIFICATION E-MAIL
FROM DIRECT ACCESS INDICATING YOUR E-RESUME IS IN THE SYSTEM.

J. YOU SHOULD THOROUGHLY REVIEW THE INFORMATION IN ALL "13 STEPS"
IN THE E-RESUME IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE INFORMATION IS UP TO DATE AND ACCURATE.

Assignment Process
EPM-2 RECOGNIZES THAT THE MOTIVATIONS FOR COMPETING FOR EPO ASSIGNMENT ARE MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THOSE OF EXECUTIVE PETTY OFFICER OR OIC APPLICANTS. WHILE EPO ASSIGNMENT IS NOT REQUIRED FOR ADVANCEMENT, MANY MEMBERS COMPETE FOR THESE ASSIGNMENTS BASED ON LOCATION, PLATFORM, OR PERSONAL DESIRES, AND MAY RANK THESE POSITIONS DIFFERENTLY AMONG NON-EPO POSITIONS. WHILE WE ENCOURAGE MEMBERS TO RANK EPO POSITIONS HIGHLY ON THEIR E-RESUME IN ORDER TO FURTHER THEIR CAREER DEVELOPMENT, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SLATE EPO ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE REGULAR ASSIGNMENT SEASON SO THAT AO’S CAN FULLY BALANCE MEMBER DESIRES WITH ALL OTHER ASSIGNMENT FACTORS.

EPO APPLICANTS SHOULD SUBMIT AN E-RESUME RANKING ALL DESIRED EPO AND REGULAR DUTY ASSIGNMENTS BY THE AY10 E-RESUME SUBMISSION DEADLINE. EPO ASSIGNMENTS WILL COMMENCE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE DEADLINE. AO’S WILL SLATE ALL OPEN MK1 THROUGH MKCS EPO POSITIONS USING THE GUIDELINES SET FORTH IN ART 4.C.7 AND 4.B.1.G OF THE PERSMAN. 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 THESE MEMBERS AN OPPORTUNITY VIA EMAIL TO REAPPLY FOR THE REMAINING EPO POSITIONS. THESE MEMBERS WILL BE INVITED TO SEND AN EMAIL TO THEIR AO RANK ORDERING THE REMAINING EPO POSITIONS THAT THEY DESIRE. IF THESE CANDIDATES ARE NOT INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE REMAINING EPO POSITIONS, THEY MAY INFORM THEIR AO THAT THEY DESIRE ONLY TO COMPETE TO THE POSITIONS REMAINING ON THEIR E-RESUME. AFTER SCREENED EPO CANDIDATES HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RE-COMPETE FOR EPO ASSIGNMENTS, AO’S WILL BEGIN SLATING REGULAR DUTY POSITIONS.

The Bottom Line
Remember, EPM is not trying to change any existing policies in the PERSMAN on how we make EPO assignments. The same assignment factors listed in Chapter 4.C.7 and 4.B.1 of the PERSMAN 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, we are separating the EPO screening process 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 4.C.7 of the PERSMAN.
2. Ensure you have an excellent endorsement that meets PERSMAN 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 10 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 10th 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 AY10 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? Members who do not successfully screen for EPO will be notified via email from their detailer. If you do not receive such an email by 1 September, then you may safely assume that you screened. In order to protect everyone’s privacy, and because there are SO MANY EPO applicants, we do not want to release a message or email to all applicants listing everyone who did and did not successfully screen for EPO.

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 4.B.1.g of the PERSMAN. Keep in mind, a person’s priority is not the all deciding factor when it comes to job placement. Also be advised that this year, just as last year, fiscal stewardship is a factor in the assignment process.

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? If you are more concerned with geo-stability, then submit your e-resume for those EPO positions; however, 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 4.C.7 of the PERSMAN.

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 the PERSMAN Chapter 4.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 the PERSMAN Chapter 4.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 PERSMAN 4.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 4.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 4.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 4.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

CWO2 John Hollins: Machinery Technician North (D8 and D9)
John.Hollins@uscg.mil ; (202) 493-1255

CWO3 Keith Bopp: Machinery Technician Central (D5, MK "A" School, & PATFORSWA)
Keith.A.Bopp@uscg.mil ; (202) 493-1256

CWO3 Dave Iwanicki: Machinery Technician South (D1 and D7)
David.F.Iwanicki@uscg.mil ; (202) 493-1254

CWO4 Alberto Garofalo: Machinery Technician West (D11, D13, D14, & D17)
Alberto.Garofalo@uscg.mil ; (202) 493-1248

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Last Modified 10/20/2009