Health, Safety and Work-Life (HSWL) Regional Practice Boston
Helping you balance your Work and your Life
Transition Assistance
Relocation
Receiving Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders to a new command is the first step towards moving. Your gaining unit provides unit and local information. The resources below are available to assist you during your transition between commands. Housing is a primary factor when relocating to a new area.
ISC Boston’s Housing Website.
The
Coast Guard Spouse Handbook also provides a wealth of information for everyone.
If you wish to request additional relocation information, e-mail or hard copy, please specify how you would like the information provided. Fill out the form below, and send to:
June.A.Kononchuk@uscg.mil
- Name
- Address
- Phone
- E-mail
- Specific Information
If you require additional assistance, please contact the Integrated Support Command Administration Office at (617) 223-3452.
ISC Boston is located at 427 Commercial Street in the North End of Boston on the waterfront. You can arrive via Interstate 93. From the South exit at Causeway Street, take a right turn, go straight thru the traffic lights, you are now on Commercial Street. From the North exit at the North Station exit, bear right; continue to the right and at first traffic light turn left. Continue past The Fleet Center and you will arrive at a large intersection. Go straight through the intersection to Commercial St, follow the road. The Support Command is on your left approximately 1/2 mile at the corner of Commercial and Hanover Street. There is a 7-Eleven store on the right, turn left into the Support Command. Due to major construction in the city, directions can change at any time. Please refer to http://www.mapquest.com for further information.
Logan Airport, Boston, Massachusetts, is the closest airport to ISC Boston. During “non-commuter hours”, it is usually a 15-minute drive to the Integrated Support Command. Other times it may take 30-45 minutes.
Transportation from Logan Airport to ISC Boston can be obtained from local taxi services, the subway, or via commercial bus to “South Station” (30 minute walk to ISC Boston). Taxis can be located outside baggage claims at the airport. Concord Trailways is a popular commercial bus that travels to/from South Station.
When reporting between the hours of 0800-1600, please check in at the Administration Office located in Building 8,7th Deck. When reporting before 0800 or after 1600, please report to the Officer of the Day, or the Junior Officer of the Day. The civilian security guards at the main gate at the Integrated Support Command will notify them of your arrival. Your orders will then be endorsed, questions answered, and directions given to the barracks and or the Administration Office.
The Uniform of the Day must be worn when you are checking in to the Integrated Support Command during working hours. If arriving during non-working hours please make arrangements to arrive prior to 2200 hours and or after 0630 hours.
Depending on where you work on base, your uniform will either be Tropical Blue Long or the Operational Dress Uniform (ODU). Please make sure you have a complete sea bag upon arrival.
The local housing branch controls the barracks, and CG Owned/Leased Housing. Housing Officer - 617-223-3366.
Barracks - Unaccompanied (single) enlisted personnel permanently assigned to the Integrated Support Command may reside in the Barracks in lieu of receiving BAH. Transient quarters are sometimes available for up to 30 days. Please contact the Barrack’s Manager at 617-223-3171 for further information regarding barracks occupancy.
All weapons, ammunition, gunpowder, and archery gear must be checked in with OOD before proceeding on the Integrated Support Command.
Family housing - Member must obtain a release from housing before procuring quarters in the community. Permanently assigned eligible personnel may be assigned Government Leased or Owned housing upon request, depending on availability.
Rent is higher here than in most cities. Most available off-base housing is relatively far from the Integrated Support Command. Rent costs increase as you approach the city. The figures below provide a general guideline as to the housing costs you can expect:
- Two bedroom apartment rentals $1250/$1800/mo.
- Two-three bedroom house rentals $1300/$1600/mo.
- Median range selling price of homes $300,000
In addition to administering the Family Child Care Program, the Family Child Care Coordinator has information on local child care resources and the Coast Guard- and GSA-sponsored subsidies.
Family Child Care Program -
http://www.uscg.mil/mlclant/iscboston/FCC.asp
The Family Child Care (FCC) Program enables spouses or other family members of Coast Guard members to operate a child care business in their homes. The FCC Program provides cost-effective convenient child care for members. It offers greater flexibility than center-based daycare while providing a second source of income for the FCC provider.
ANY INDIVIDUAL OPERATING A DAYCARE (sometimes called babysitting) IN COAST GUARD-OWNED OR -LEASED HOUSING MUST BE CERTIFIED AS AN FCC PROVIDER. For these purposes, a daycare is any child care arrangement where parents leave their child/children at the provider's home. It can be full day, after school, 3 times a week, occasional, etc. If the individual providing the child care services does so for more than 10 hours a week, then their child care must be certified by the Coast Guard. Please contact the
Family Child Care Coordinator (FCC) Coordinator if you have questions.
Coast Guard welcomes new Family Child Care providers! Please contact the
Family Child Care Coordinator (FCC) if you are interested. If you operate a daycare in your home and you are not certified, please contact us so we can certify you.
Spouse
Transition Assistance
TAP seminars are available to Coast Guard members on Active Duty, Reserves, Retirees, and their spouses.
The TAP seminars provide information and assistance to all separating and retiring members to ensure they transition effectively from military to civilian life. The main purpose of TAP is to advise separating members of the numerous benefits, programs, and services available to them during the transition process. Resume writing, Job/Career search, Approved Dress for and Job Interviewing techniques, Survivor benefits, Veteran’s benefits, Tricare, and Delta Dental benefits are topics addressed in the TAP workshop.
TAP attendance is encouraged for –
- Members within 180 days of Separating
- 2 years of Retirement
Download and Bring to Class -
Preseparation Counseling Checklist, DD2648
To register for a TAP seminar that accommodates your schedule, please contact the Point of Contact (POC) listed for the specific site. If for any reason you are unable to attend a TAP class you have signed up for, please cancel as someone else may need to attend.
Retirees/Separatees
When a military retiree dies their retirement pay stops. This means that the surviving spouse will be left without a substantial income source. If you are a retiree you need to give serious thought to how you can protect your spouse from the hardships caused by the loss your retirement pay.
One option available to you is the Survivor Benefit Plan. The SBP is an insurance plan that will pay your surviving spouse a monthly payment (annuity) to help make up for the loss of your retirement income. The plan is designed to protect your survivors against the risks of:
- Your early death;
- Your survivor outliving the benefits; and
- Inflation.
Survivor Benefit Plan Update: Participants in the Uniformed Services Survivor Benefit Plan for retired military members now have a new milestone to mark on their calendars.
Effective October 1, 2008, SBP participants who reach 70 years of age and have made 360 payments (30 years), will no longer have to pay premiums for continued SBP coverage and will be placed in "Paid-up SBP" status.
How SBP Works
At retirement, full basic SBP for spouse and children will take effect automatically if you make no other valid election. You may not reduce or decline spouse coverage without your spouse's written consent. This means you will have to have your spouses input in the decision and his or her signature is required. You may choose coverage for a former spouse or, if you have no spouse or children, you may be able to cover an "insurable interest" (such as, a business partner or parent).
Link to
MOAA power point for Post 9/11 GI Bill details
see ALCOAST 443/09 Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, Education Benefits
Delta Dental - Retirees may purchase
Tricare - Medical insurance for military families and retirees.
Area veterans may be eligible for training in the green jobs industry as part
of a grant from Department of Labor. The program could create 200 to 250 jobs
for veterans across eastern Massachusetts. go to
http://greenjobs4vets.us/
The $500,000 grant, part of the Veterans Workforce Investment Program, is one of
17 nationwide that combined invest more than $7.5 million creating 3,000 jobs.
Massachusetts received two grants — one for eastern Massachusetts through The
Northeast Veterans Outreach Center
http://www.northeastveterans.org in Haverhill and another through a
Worcester agency.
Career Planning
Sponsorship
As of February, 2000, routine assignment of sponsors is only required for recruits and academy graduates. If you would like a sponsor, you may need to request one.
Military Handbooks
Free military handbooks are available at
http://www.militaryhandbooks.com/
DISCLAIMER
The links provided herein do not constitute an endorsement by the U. S. Coast Guard. These sites contain information that may interest you and are for informational purposes only. The U.S. Coast Guard does not guarantee that all functions contained in these web sites willbe operational, that defects will be corrected or that the servers will make this information available free of viruses or any other harmful components. You are encouraged to thoroughly investigate and evaluate items of interest prior to entering into contractual obligations.
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