PPC Military Accounts Support (MAS)

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Your Pay Information

This page provides easy access to guides created to help you understand the information that is presented on your LES and the Direct Access View Paycheck page.

Pay Tables and more

Please see the Latest Rates/Benefits page for links to pay tables and benefit information.

Military Pay Days

2013

Note: See E-Mail ALSPO M/12; Payroll Processing Schedule For Calendar Year 2013 Adobe Acrobat Required for the complete payroll processing schedule.

Pay Period Mid-Month Pay Day EOM Payday
April 15 April 01 May
May 15 May 31 May
June 14 June 01 July
July 15 July 1 August
August 15 August 30 August
September 13 September 1 October
October 15 October 01 November
November 15 November 29 November
December 13 December 31 December

Availability of Funds

Source: Treasury's "Green Book" Adobe Acrobat Required

In accordance with NACHA Operating Rules, consumer payments (i.e., Federal salary and travel payments, benefit payments) must be made available for withdrawal no later than the opening of business on the settlement date (provided the entries are made available to the Receiving Depositary Financial Institution (RDFI) by its ACH operator no later than 5:00 p.m. on the business day prior to the settlement date). Corporate payments (i.e., vendor payments, non-benefit payments) must be made available for withdrawal on the settlement date.

Note: The "settlement date" is the military payday as listed above. Paydays are the 1st (end of month (EOM)) and the 15th (mid-month) of each month, or the business day preceding the 1st or the 15th if either should fall on a federal holiday, Saturday or Sunday.

News Updates:

Reviewing the Monthly LES for Overseas COLA Discrepancies

By Mr. Sean Hayes, PPC (mas) 12 Apr 2013

As a simple reminder: Please review the monthly LES' as they come to the SPO to ensure that your personnel are receiving accurate and reliable pay.

I have recently completed audits of personnel that were authorized DUAL OCOLA entitlements. I discovered that several personnel were over or underpaid due to JUMPS not properly updating the daily rate. Accurate and effective review of the monthly LES can avoid large discrepancies in pay for our members.

Since there are several variables that provide the appropriate payment for a member overseas, periodically reviewing DoD's entitlement website (http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/) would be helpful in this endeavor. Being off by just 5 cents, adds up quickly. For one member I reviewed, he was underpaid 5 cents per day for one year, then overpaid by 85 cents per day, resulting in nearly a $300 debt!

Another example is that I recently reviewed a report where there were 11 personnel that had 2 open SGLI (segment 32 in JUMPS) segments, resulting in double deductions. By law, PPC can only reimburse up to 2 months of erroneous deductions requiring PPC to request from COMDT authority to reimburse the additional monies due the member. One member on my report had infrequent deductions dating all the way back to January 2009, resulting in over $850 in erroneous deductions.

While it is ultimately the member's responsibility to ensure that their own pay is accurate, many members do not fully understand their authorized entitlements/benefits. It is up to you to help educate them and to help ensure that they are being paid accurately and timely.

Thanks, Sean Hayes

Reminder: BAH for Single Recruit, OCS, or Academy Graduates In-Transit

CGA Class of 2012 Graduates
NEW LONDON, Conn. - Photo of events during the Coast Guard Academy's 131st commencement exercise May 16, 2012, in New London, Conn. In all, 233 cadets received their diplomas and commissions as new ensigns in the Coast Guard. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Patrick Kelley.

With the graduates of the Coast Guard Academy Class of 2013 reporting in to their first permanent duty stations this summer, PPC (mas) would like to remind you that single graduates from basic training, OCS and the Academy, with no prior service, are entitled to BAH-Transit Rate while in transit to their first permanent duty station (PDS). The Reporting SPO must input the BAH-Transit Rate start (effective date of PCS departure) and the BAH-Transit Rate stop (effective the day prior to PCS reporting) along with the reporting endorsement and transactions to record BAH entitlement at the member's or officer's first PDS. If the member or officer acquires a dependent or dependents while en route PCS, the reporting SPO shall:

  1. Stop BAH-Transit Rate the day prior to the date the change in dependency is effective and
  2. Start BAH-With/Dependents (if appropriate) using the zip code for the location of the member's dependent(s) effective the day the dependency change was effective. (Note: Review the Pay Manual before starting BAH especially if the member is married to another member or is not married and has a child).
  3. Submit the transaction to start BAH or OHA at the rate for new PDS and government quarters assignment status effective the date the member or officer reports to their first PDS.

See PAYMAN, 3-G-5d. (Members in Transit/New Accessions) & Fig 3-19 (Rule 7) and the PPC SPO Manual, Part II, Chapter 10-1, Basic Allowance for Housing, BAH During PCS, for more information.

Note: Always approve the PCS Reporting Endorsement before approving the PCS entitlement rows:

Clarification Entitlement to Imminent Danger -- Hostile Fire Pay for Cuba

By Mr. Sean Hayes, PPC (mas) 14 Jan 2013

PPC (MAS) has identified several overpayments of HF/ID pay for members in Cuba. The purpose of this email is to reiterate the policy for HF/ID pay for members in Cuba.

Areas designated as qualifying for HF/ID pay are listed in the DoD Financial Management Regulation (DOD FMR), Volume 7a: Military Pay Policy and Procedures - Active Duty And Reserve Pay, Chap 10, Figure 10-1 Designated Hostile Fire or Imminent Danger Pay Areas.

"HF/ID pay for Cuba is limited to service members performing duties within the Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay Detention Facilities."

Per the DOD FMR, members must be actually performing duties within the JTF detention facility to be entitled to HF/ID pay. This is different from other designated HF/ID land areas where the member usually just has to be in the country (e. g. Iraq or Afghanistan) to receive HF/ID pay.

To assist units and SPOs in the proper administration of HF/ID pay for Cuba we have added a requirement, to Chapter 7A of the Personnel and Pay Procedures Manual and Part II of the SPO Manual, to include logs showing the actual date(s) a member was on duty within the JTF Guantanamo Bay detention facilities as supporting documentation.

Reminder: Per ALCOAST 098/12, effective 1 January 2012 Imminent Danger - Hostile Fire Pay changed from a monthly entitlement to a prorated day-for-day entitlement. Members who performed qualifying service in designated areas prior to this change are entitled to the full monthly amount, $225, for service during any part of a month (i.e. 1 day in a designated area = $225). Members who perform qualifying service for less than a full month, on after 1 January 2012, will receive a daily prorated amount (i.e. 1 day in a designated area = $7.50). See http://www.uscg.mil/ppc/mas.asp#idhf for more information on the 2012 change.

High Dollar Overpayments

By CWO4 Cindy Luna-Ketter, PPC (mas)

On November 20, 2009, the President issued Executive Order 13520 on reducing improper payments and eliminating waste in Federal programs. The purpose of Executive Order 13520 was to reduce improper payments by intensifying efforts to eliminate payment error, waste, fraud, and abuse in the major programs administered by the Government. This order set out a comprehensive set of policies including public scrutiny of significant payment errors throughout the Federal Government, meaning information about improper payments is now published on the internet for the general public to view.

Every month PPC reports High Dollar Overpayments of $5000 or more to DHS. PPC is also required to provide supporting information on these overpayments including: how/why they occurred; what steps are being taken to prevent similar occurrences from happening in the future and; the status of recovery efforts.

Below are two recent examples:

  1. A petty officer was on Title 10 orders originally scheduled to end on 30 Sep 2012. The PO's orders ended early on 15 Feb 2012. The SPO did not receive required notification that the member's orders ended early and finally submitted the RELAD on 31 Jul 2012. The PO was paid for 5 1/2 months resulting in a $29,842.78 overpayment. The PO and his unit failed to report as required in that (1) the PO should have immediately reported that he was being paid after being released from active duty and (2) the unit failed to notify the SPO of early termination of orders.

  2. An officer was brought on ADOS scheduled for 1 Feb 2012 - 29 Jul 2012. During this period the SPO tried to submit 14 IDT drills during the months of May and June. Of course these drills did not process because member was supposed to be on ADOS through end of July. Upon finding that the drills did not process, the SPO followed up and discovered the officer's orders ended early on 4 May 2012. This resulted in a $20,703.69 overpayment to the officer. Fortunately the member had 14 IDT drills to offset the debt bringing it down to $8,724.42. Again, the officer should have immediately reported that his orders ended early and that he was receiving regular pay and allowances and the unit failed to notify the SPO of early termination of orders.

A number of the debts reported as High Dollar Overpayments are reserve debts due to early termination of orders. As per 3PM Article 11.A.11, SPO's should remind units that they are responsible for keeping track of reservists on active duty and must ensure their timely removal from that status to prevent their being overpaid.

PPC is also reporting these High Dollar Overpayments to members' commands questioning how and why the overpayment occurred and what steps were being taken to prevent a similar overpayment from happening in the future.

Members who are overpaid pay and allowances will be required to repay such overpayments plus interest. Collection actions may include garnishment of civilian wages or referral to the U.S. Treasury offset program.

Reducing overpayments will require a coordinated effort between the member, the unit, the SPO and PPC. Please submit your ideas for reducing overpayments and your best business practices to prevent improper payments to CWO4 Cindy Luna-Ketter. More to come!

Below is the link to view the High Dollar Overpayments for agencies under DHS.

http://www.dhs.gov/high-dollar-overpayments-report.

Savngs Deposit Plan (SDP)

By Mr. Sean T. Hayes, Military Pay Systems Specialist, PPC (mas)

When being deployed to Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA) in the Middle East, the SDP is an incentive program I would highly suggest each member take advantage of while deployed.

The deployed member is guaranteed 10% interest, compounded quarterly. One aspect of the program that is not understood very well is the fact the member is only allowed to deposit earned income WHILE deployed. This is stipulated in chapter 6-F-3(a) of the Coast Guard Pay Manual, where it states:

"Deposits may not be more than the member's unalloted current pay and allowances. Unallotted current pay and allowances is defined as the amount of money a member is entitled to receive on the payday immediately before the date of deposit, less authorized deductions and allotments."

As a Yeoman, it is up to YOU to explain this to your deployed members. The best way to maximize the opportunities of this program is to set up allotments for the deposits beginning with the first month of deployment.

PPC routinely receives deposits for the full $10,000 interest bearing value; this is understandable as members want to receive the full benefit of the interest. However, if a member only earns $3,000 in a given month, they are not eligible to deposit and receive interest based on the full $10,000 maximum interest value, although we can pay interest based on the average value of the quarterly deposits.

Example: If a member deposits $1,000 per month, after 3 months, they will be paid interest based on $2,000 ($1,000 +$2,000+$3,000/3) deposited after the quarter has been completed. Once the second quarter has been achieved, they will be paid interest based on $5,050 ($4,000+$5,000+$6,000/3 + $50 interest earned in the first quarter), provided the levels of deposits remain at $1,000 per month.

One item of note that is STRICTLY prohibited is the use of ADVANCE PAY taken to be used as a means of depositing the maximum value for interest purposes. This would be the equivalent of taking an interest-free loan from the US Government and then being paid interest in the investment of these funds.

BAH for Personnel in Paygrades E-3 and Below Assigned to Career Sea Pay Eligible Vessels

By CWO Daniel Shearin, Commandant (CG-1222) - Military Compensation Division

There have been an increasing number of waiver and remission cases involving erroneous BAH payments to members stationed aboard a cutter. Below are some errors that are being made by Servicing Personnel Offices (SPO):

  1. An E-3 or below reports to a cutter, is divorced, is paying child support, and does not have actual physical custody of his/her child(ren). The SPO erroneously authorizes BAH w/dep based upon the payment of child support. The correct entitlement would be BAH DIFF. If the member's ex-spouse is on active duty, has custody of the child(ren), and is either in receipt of BAH-with dependents or assigned to adequate government family quarters, only BAH-PARTIAL is authorized, not BAH-DIFF or BAH-with. Same goes for situation where ex-spouse has custody of child(ren), is re-married to an active duty member that is in receipt of BAH-with dependents or assigned to adequate family quarters - BAH-PARTIAL only.

  2. A married E-3or below reports to a cutter and his/her spouse is an active duty member (any Uniformed Service) that is stationed ashore. The member-married-to-member (M-2-M) couple does not have children or dependent adult parents. The SPO erroneously authorizes BAH without/dep for the member assigned afloat. The correct entitlement would be BAH PARTIAL. In the foregoing case, the BAH entitlement outcome would be the same if the afloat non-rated member acquired shore-based active duty spouse after reporting to cutter.

  3. An E-3 or below reports to a cutter, is married to an active duty member, and they have children. The spouse is stationed ashore and has the children listed under him/her as dependents. The SPO erroneously authorizes BAH w/dep or BAH without/dep. The correct entitlement would be BAH PARTIAL. In the foregoing case, it would be more advantageous for the cutter-based spouse to claim the children as dependents and the shore-based spouse to be the without-dependent member for BAH purposes. M-2-M couples can make this election any time, but the election cannot be retroactive. M-2-M couples cannot each claim different children in the same household so that both become eligible for BAH-with dependents (in almost all such cases, one member receives BAH-with dependents, the other BAH-w/out dependents).

  4. A single E-4 or above is stationed onboard a cutter and in receipt of BAH w/out dependents to pay for his/her commercial quarters ashore. The member is awarded NJP and is reduced in grade to E-3 or below. The SPO erroneously takes no action on the BAH entitlement. The correct action would be to change the BAH w/out entitlement to BAH PARTIAL (or BAH-DIFF if the member is paying child support as described in 1. above), effective the date of reduction in rank. In these cases, the unit must order the member into either shipboard quarters, UPH, or UPLH and fund storage of HHGs in NTS at the unit's expense.

  5. A single E-4 reports aboard a cutter and is paying child support. At his previous shore unit the member received BAH with dependents based on paying child support. The BAH/Housing Worksheet (CG-2025A) the member submits indicates paying for private sector quarters, but the current housing address the member places on the CG-2025A is not in the vicinity of the cutter's home port. The address is actually near their previous duty station. The SPO starts BAH with dependents based on the payment of child support but the member actually resides in his shipboard quarters when not required by overnight duty or underway. The member's BAH authorization will be the BAH Differential (BAH DIFF) amount for their pay grade because the member is considered assigned to government (shipboard) quarters.

I recommend all SPO and unit YNs read sections 3.E.4.b.(1 thru 4), 3.G.1.d.(4), 3.G.1.e, and 3-G-1.a of the Coast Guard Pay Manual, COMDTINST M7220.29B. To avoid an erroneous BAH payment, if there is ever a doubt about a BAH entitlement please contact CG-1222, Mr. Pete Bekken or CWO Daniel Shearin, for a BAH entitlement determination.

Imminent Danger -- Hostile Fire Pay Procedural Update

Per ALCOAST 098/12, effective 1 January 2012 Imminent Danger - Hostile Fire Pay changed from a monthly entitlement to a prorated day-for-day entitlement. Members who performed qualifying service in designated areas prior to this change are entitled to the full monthly amount, $225, for service during any part of a month (i.e. 1 day in a designated area = $225). Members who perform qualifying service for less than a full month, on after 1 January 2012, will receive a daily prorated amount (i.e. 1 day in a designated area = $7.50).

Extensive system changes are necessary to fully implement the new Imminent Danger/Hostile Fire Pay entitlement policy in JUMPS. The following procedure will be used to help minimize overpayments while reprogramming effort is underway:

The Employee Entitlements component in Direct Access has been changed to allow for the entry of actual start and stop dates on Imminent Danger/Hostile Fire Pay transactions. Previously, the system would set the start date to the first of the month and the stop date to the last day of the month.
Correct usage of start and stop dates for 2011 and 2012 transactions

The "Imminent Danger -- Hostile Fire Pay - This Month Only" Earnings Type Code cannot be selected if the start date is 1 January 2012 or later.

Until it is reprogrammed, JUMPS will continue to process Imminent Danger/Hostile Fire Pay transactions as monthly entitlements. PPC (mas) will query JUMPS following each update cycle to identify new Imminent Danger/Hostile Fire Pay starts or stops (dated on or after 01 Jan 2012) and, using the actual start/stop dates entered by the SPO on the transaction in DA, submit transactions to debit and balance the member's account. The member's LES will reflect the full monthly Imminent Danger/Hostile Fire Pay entitlement and the offsetting debits. For example, the LES for a member who served 10 days in a designated area in January 2012 will show an entitlement in the amount of $225 Imminent Danger/Hostile Fire Pay and a deduction in the amount of $150 for Imminent Danger/Hostile Fire Pay.

Revised DA procedures for Imminent Danger/Hostile Fire Pay transactions are available in the Coast Guard Servicing Personnel Office (SPO) Manual, PPCINST M5231.3, see Part II, Pay Entitlements, Chapter 11, Special and Incentive Pays, Section L, Imminent Danger - Hostile Fire Pay.

No Need for Stop Dates on Pay Entitlements Started for Members on Long Term AD or Contingency Orders

PPC (mas) Welcomes a New(?) Military Pay Systems Specialist

Hello all! My name is Sean Hayes. I've taken over for Steve Maupin, who retired after many, many years of service to the Coast Guard and PPC. A little about myself: I am a retired YNC, after 21 years of active duty; I spent two tours here at PPC in various functions, spending time in Travel, Exception Review (ERT), Planning, Process Improvement (PPI), SES, and back to ERT. I'm excited about stepping into Steve's legendary shoes and once again serving the Coast Guard. I bring extensive knowledge of pay and personnel, JUMPS, and Direct Access (DA). I encourage you to contact me if you have questions. I'd rather you ask me a question and we work things out to do the right thing first rather than having to clean things up!

As a segue toward getting things right, I'm encountering issues I think are easily correctable. Each update/compute cycle, I get a "Resync" report. This lets me know when there are pay entitlements (segments) open in JUMPS, but have a closed pay entitlements row in DA. What I've encountered is that when Reserve Members are called to active duty (Long-term/Contingency Orders) for terms generally longer than 139 days, there is an L68C (Endorsement on Orders transaction) generated for JUMPS. This document will provide JUMPS the necessary information to set the member's segments.

According to Part VII (Reserve Unique Transactions), Chapter 4 (Reserve Active Duty Orders) of the Coast Guard SPO Manual (PPCINST M5231.3), when entitlements such as BAH and COLA are to be submitted in conjunction with the call up, you are to leave the stop date BLANK. If you put a future date for the stop date (such as 9/30/2012), the system adds the entitlement to my Resync report so that I can investigate why there is an entitlement open in JUMPS and closed in DA.

IfThen
The Type of Orders is
Long Term/Contingency
Type of orders selection		 Leave the Stop Date field on
pay entitlement rows blank
pay entitlement row

The reason you should NOT put a stop date in the row in DA is that when you process a Release from Active Duty (RELAD) separation, the row will close in DA and the segment close in JUMPS based on the date of the separation.

I look forward to serving the SPOs as I move forward in my new position. I hope that I can impart my knowledge that will help shape future YNs and make life a little easier for those of you that have been around a while!

Sean Hayes
Military Pay Systems Specialist
Military Accounts Support (MAS) Branch
Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center

Employee Entitlements: Using the Manual Row Switch

If you need to enter an entitlement with an effective date earlier than the date on the oldest existing row, you will need to use the "Manual Row Switch" checkbox to override the system edits. Only SPO Supervisors (CGHRSUP Role Users) can enter and save transactions requiring the use of the "Manual Row Switch" checkbox. DO NOT attempt to delete an existing row (that has been approved and transmitted -- approval status "A") in order to enter a row with an earlier effective date. Cancel any changes you've made, exit the system, and ask your SPO Supervisor to enter the transaction.

Note: When a CGHRSUP Role User creates an entitlement row it must be approved by another CGHRSUP Role User. A transaction cannot be approved by the same person who created the transaction. Create the entitlement entry and click the Approve button to route the transaction to another CGHRSUP Role User for approval.

employee entitlement route for approval screen

Example:

Using the Manual Row Switch checkbox allowed the CGHRSUP Role User to save the transaction (as indicated by the Approval Status of "A") with a start date, in row #1, earlier than the start date in the oldest row (#4).

employee entitlement data entry screen

The rows will appear in the correct sequence the next time you visit the member's Entitlement Detail page.

employee entitlement data entry screen

Source: CG SPO Manual, Part II, Pay Entitlements, Chapter 3, Employee Entitlement Navigation and Data Entry, Page II-3-9, Working With Effective Dates

Military and Civilian Clothing Allowances for FY13

Here are the uniform and clothing allowance rates effective 1 October 2013:

Career Sea Pay Premium Start Date Calculator

This spreadsheet MS Excel Icon has dates fields on the second tab that will help you determine the correct date to use when starting Career Sea Pay Premium.

Basic Rules from CG Pay Manual, Chapter 4, Section C:

  1. Payable to members E-4 through O-6.
  2. Career Sea Pay Premium begins on DAY 1 of the 37th MONTH of Consecutive Sea Duty.
  3. The rate of pay is $100 per month, based on a 30-day month. (Prorated for periods less than 30 days.)
  4. The 31st day is not counted for "Pay" purposes. However, for determination of entitlement termination while "TDY", the 31st day is counted. (e.g. When determining the last day of entitlement, the 31st day of the month is counted.)
  5. Career Sea Pay Premium is subject to Federal and State Income Tax - it NOT subject to FICA Tax.
  6. Career Sea Time counts for Premium when:
    1. Permanently assigned to a Career Sea Pay eligible vessel.
    2. Temporarily or Permanently assigned to a mobile unit other than for administrative duties.
    3. Temporarily or Permanently assigned to ship-based aviation unit or ship-based staff embarked on a Career Sea Pay eligible vessel
    4. Temporarily or Permanently assigned to a mobile unit to perform administrative duties and is embarked on a Career Sea Pay eligible vessel.
  7. Neutral Time for Career Sea Pay Premium:
    1. Permanently assigned to a ship-based staff and is not embarked on a Career Sea Pay eligible vessel.
    2. Temporarily or Permanently assigned to a mobile unit and is not entitled to Career Sea Pay.
    3. Normal delay en route on PCS transfer from on Career Sea Pay eligible vessel to another to include: Leave, Proceed Time, Travel Time, TDY. **This includes transfer to a pre-commissioning unit preparing a Career Sea Pay eligible vessel for placement in an active status and transfer to a decommissioning unit preparing a vessel for deactivation.
    4. TDY away from a Career Sea Pay eligible vessel greater than 30 days and not otherwise entitled.
    5. Temporarily assigned ashore due to: Limited Duty, HUMS, Hospitalization, or Sick Leave.
    6. Incurs deductible time due to: UA, Confinement, Non-Performance of Duty (i.e. Civil Arrest) , or Absence due to Misconduct.
    7. Is on one or more PCS school assignments with a total duration less than one year AND is between permanent assignments of two Career Sea Pay eligible vessels IF the training is necessary for the follow-on sea duty assignment. For example: A-School, C-School, and OCS. Personal profession development schools do not count. For example: Undergraduate and Post-graduate school, Staff or War College. A request for determination will be sent to CG-1222 when qualifying training / schooling exceeds one year.

NOTE: When using February 29th in your sea pay premium calculations, it may be necessary to compute the correct sea pay premium start date by hand. The reference for computing sea time can be found in Appendix C of the 3PM.

Do NOT forget to check all Segment 07's and 69's for sea time and sea time adjustments!

Career Sea Pay Premium Start Date CalculatorMS Excel Icon

Process for Reporting Name Changes

The Military Accounts Support branch at the Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center has been receiving memorandums requesting that we change a member's name in Direct Access due to a marriage or divorce. In accordance with 5.D.11.4 of the CG Personnel and Pay Procedures Manual, these requests should be forwarded to the SPO. The SPO Manual has the step-by-step instructions on how to complete the action (See Part III, Chapter 8.B).

Effect of Short Homeport Visit on Family Separation Allowance (FSA-S) Entitlement

Question: My cutter is on a 34 day patrol. If we pull into homeport for a Brief Stop for Logistics (6 hours to transfer personnel, mail, get food) on the 19th day of the patrol and grant no liberty ... would the crew still be entitled to FSA-S?

Answer: Any return of the cutter to home port will interrupt the 30-day FSA-S deployment counter and force it to be re-set to zero.

This seems unfair, and it probably is, but the law that authorizes FSA (title 37 USC §427) is definite about the requirement to remain away from homeport for a minimum of 30 continuous days. The issue of a short return to home port has been extensively reviewed and the applicable case law (see 44 COMP GEN 324 decision) makes it clear that the 30-day counter for FSA-S must start over for any return of a vessel to home port, however short the duration of that return. The law provides for no exceptions nor any discretion for the service or Secretary concerned to override or waive the continuous 30-day requirement.

If possible, deployed cutter commanding officers should try to avoid interrupting the 30-day qualifying period by arranging an alternate means for delivery of supplies, mail, or personnel transfer, such as an underway replenishment drill with an out-bound cutter (two birds with one stone - UNREP training & resupply) or by helicopter (if flight deck-equipped) if operations permit this.

Cliff Samuel
Pay & Benefits Policy Team Leader
Military Compensation Division
USCG Headquarters (CG-1222)

Career Sea Pay (CSP) Entitlement While TDY to a Cutter in Shipyard

Career Sea Pay (CSP) is intended to compensate members assigned to sea duty for the general arduousness of life aboard any CSP-eligible vessel (not to be confused with the unusual arduousness of certain classes of vessels that meet the requirements of being away from home port in long time segments for over 50% of each year). While reviewing the issue, we have to consider the intent as well as the letter of the Coast Guard's regulations (U. S. Coast Guard Pay Manual, COMDTINST M7220.29 (series), Section 4-B) concerning entitlement to CSP. In general, TDY on a CSP-eligible vessel involves performing duty as a member of the crew or in direct support of the unit's mission while that vessel is underway and away from home port. We extend CSP entitlement to members of mobile units who regularly deploy to CSP-eligible vessels (e.g., mobile units) and to personnel assigned on a TDY basis aboard CSP-eligible vessels who are performing duty as a crewmember.

The Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell in Drydock
The Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell in Drydock

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell is shown in drydock here, Dec. 19, 2008. Boutwell was lifted out of the water to repair and perform maintenance on its rudder assembly in preperation for its upcoming out of hemisphere deployment. (U.S. Coast Guard photo illustration by Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Anderson) This Illustration was created by using High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDRI). HDRI merges multiple exposures of the same image and allows a greater dynamic range of luminances between light and dark areas of a scene than normal digital imaging techniques. The intention of HDRI is to accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes ranging from direct sunlight to shadows.

U. S. Coast Guard photo-081219-G-6349A-004

What is not envisioned in the Coast Guard's CSP regulation is creation of an entitlement through the technicality of TDY orders assigning a member to a ship when the circumstances of that assignment are not commensurate with its intent. CSP for assignment to a WPB while it is in a shipyard or in a "Charlie" (Maintenance) status for dockside maintenance availability was never intended, unless the TDY member was in receipt of CSP prior to the vessel entering the shipyard or maintenance availability (U. S. Coast Guard Pay Manual, Rule 6 of Figure 4-5). It is hard to characterize TDY aboard a cutter while it is in a shipyard as "sea duty" when a member receives travel allowances for residing in commercial quarters and subsistence at the same time. It could certainly be considered sea duty if a member were berthed and subsisted aboard a vessel while TDY - but such a situation would preclude travel allowances per JFTR U4102.J. An order by itself does not create an entitlement, only the conditions of duty or status within the context of the authorizing law and regulation creates an entitlement.

Further, in considering the "letter" of the regulation, U. S. Coast Guard Pay Manual, Subsection 4-B-2 states that CSP is authorized for members that are permanently or temporarily assigned for duty to a vessel pursuant to competent orders and that the unit's mission is underway. If duty performed was on or about the vessel while it was not underway and the TDY member was not accruing CSP prior to the cutters entry into the shipyard means that there is no entitlement to CSP during that period.

Look for future changes to the U. S. Coast Guard Pay Manual's language and rules concerning CSP entitlement while TDY to a vessel to remove any future confusion on this subject.

Cliff Samuel
Military Pay & Benefits Policy Team Leader
Compensation Division
USCG Headquarters (CG-1222)

TRICARE Dental Premiums for Enrollment Year May 1, 2012 - Jan 31, 2013:

Monthly premium rates are based on the sponsor's military status (active duty, Selected Reserve or Individual Ready Reserve [IRR]) and type of enrollment:

The rates listed on the page linked below are for May 1, 2012 - January 31, 2013. After that, premium rates will be adjusted annually every February.

TSP Contribution Limits:

The TSP Web Site provides the limits for TSP contributions: https://www.tsp.gov/whatsnew/rates/currentLimitsAndRates.shtml.

Please vist our TSP procedures and information page for enrollment information and forms.

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Last Modified 4/24/2013