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2011 Archive

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2012 Federal Income Tax Withholding

Published Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:00:16 CST

The IRS posted copies of the 2012 Percentage Method Table for Income Tax Withholding. Table 4, Monthly Payroll Period, is the table to use when computing FITW from military pay.

Note: At the time the IRS notice was prepared for release, Congress was discussing a possible change to the tax rate for the employee's share of social security tax. Check for updates at http://www.irs.gov/notice1036.

2012 Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) Rates

Published Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:00:16 CST

The monthly Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) rates, effective 1 January 2012 are:

Officers: $239.96
Enlisted: $348.44

The Enlisted Daily Discount Meal Rate (BAS-DMR) deduction is $9.90 per day, effective 1 January 2012.

The Reserve COMRATS rates for 2012 are:

Breakfast - $2.32
Lunch - $4.64
Dinner - $4.64

SPO Newsletter Issue 04/2011

Published Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:00:16 CST

The October - December issue of The SPO Newsletter is now available. This issue includes articles on:

Questions & Answers and Best Practices from the 2011 PPC YN Symposium
Stop Dates on Pay Entitlements
Note From PSC-PSD-MR on Electronic Document Submissions
Computing Good Conduct Medal Eligibility Date
2012 BAH Rates
2012 TSP Limits and New Plan Options
Travel AO News
SPO Pending Pay and Separations Transactions Query
SPO Pending SOI Query

Issue 04/11 PDF FORMAT -- October - December 2011

Computing Good Conduct Medal Eligibility Date

Published Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:00:16 CST

The Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal is awarded for satisfactory service which is defined as proficiency in rating, sobriety, obedience, industry, courage, and neatness throughout such period of service.

An individual is required to perform three consecutive years of satisfactory service to earn this award. Subsequent awards are authorized for each additional three consecutive years of satisfactory service. The three year period starts over anytime the member's conduct or performance do not meet the standards.

When issuing a Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal you need to be sure you are using the correct start date for computing the three year satisfactory service requirement. The period of eligibility begins on one of the following dates, whichever is later:

Date of entry into the Coast Guard.
Day following the previous CG Good Conduct Medal award date (e. g. Member awarded CGGM on 13 October 2009. The eligibility period for the next CGGM begins on 14 October 2009 and ends on 13 October 2012).
Date of release from confinement following conviction by court-martial.
Day following conviction by court-martial (if no confinement is included in the approved sentence).
Day following the date non-judicial punishment is awarded.
Day following return to Coast Guard jurisdiction if convicted by civil authorities.
Day following the end of the marking period in which the member received a conduct mark of "Unsatisfactory".
Day following the end of the marking period in which the total average mark in any factor was less than three.

The procedure for calculating the three year satisfactory service requirement is similar to calculating an expiration of enlistment as shown in the following example:

Step	Action	Calculation YY MM DD
1	Eligibility period start date: 14 October 2009	-09 10 14
2	Plus three years:	+03 00 00
	Result:	=12 10 14
3	Subtract one day:	-00 00 01
	Award Date: 13 October 2012	=12 10 13

The Computing Good Conduct Medal Eligibility Date guide PDF file format provides additional example calculations.

Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) Rates for 2012

Published Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2011 1100:16 CST

The 2012 BAH rates have been posted on the Defense Travel Management Office's BAH Calculator. Just enter the zip code for your duty station, your pay grade, and hit the calculator button. A new window will open to display the with and without dependents rates.

If you would like to know what happens to your pay when the BAH rate for your area is reduced from the previous year or how BAH rates are determined, or have any other questions about BAH, checkout the BAH FAQ.

2012 Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Limits and New Options

Published Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:00:16 CST

Internal Revenue Code (IRC) 2012 contribution limits

You can contribute up to $17,000 in tax-deferred money to the TSP in 2012. If you are a member of the uniformed services (serving in a combat zone), you can contribute a total of $50,000 in tax-deferred and tax-exempt money. If you will be age 50 or over in 2012, you can also contribute up to $5,500 in additional "catch-up" contributions, as long as your regular contributions for the year are expected to reach the $17,000 limit. (The catch-up contribution limit has not changed from 2011.)

Note: Employees may start, stop, or change Catch-Up contributions at any time. Catch-Up elections do not automatically continue, therefore new elections must be made for each calendar year. Coast Guard military personnel should complete form Tsp-U-1-C and fax ((785) 339-3760) or mail it to PPC (MAS) to start their 2012 TSP Catch-Up contributions. Mail completed forms to PPC (MAS-TSP):

Commanding Officer (MAS-TSP)
Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center
444 SE Quincy Street
Topeka, KS 66683-3591

Roth 401(k) Feature Expected in Second Quarter of 2012

The TSP will begin to offer a Roth 401(k) feature in the second quarter of 2012. A Roth 401(k) feature in the TSP will combine all the benefits of TSP retirement savings with the after-tax benefits of a Roth savings plan. You will not get the benefits of tax-deferred savings (an upfront tax deduction) on your Roth contributions as you do with your traditional TSP contributions, but your Roth savings will grow tax-free. When you withdraw your Roth contributions and associated earnings in retirement, you will pay no Federal income taxes on them, as long as you are at least age 59 and a half and have been making Roth contributions for a minimum of 5 years. When the time draws near to implement the TSP Roth 401(k), the TSP will make information available to help you decide whether Roth savings will benefit you (as compared to tax-deferred savings). Direct-Access, JUMPS, the payroll systems of other agencies and the TSP record keeping and accounting systems will all have to be significantly modified to accommodate the Roth feature. The TSP expects to begin accepting contributions the second quarter of 2012.

The TSP has a Fact Sheet available with more information on the TSP-Roth option PDF Warning .

Note From PSC-PSD-MR on Electronic Document Submissions

Published Date: Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:00:16 CST

All SPO Personnel;

We've been using the DOCS folder (e.g. Transmitting scanned documents for the EIPDR via email to ARL-PF-CGPSC-PSD-MR_DOCS per the procedures in Part X, Chapter 4, of the CG SPO Manual, PPCINST M5231.3(series)) a little over a year now and I have some things I need to pass to make this electronic process easier for all of us.

PAPER....PSD-MR still receives too much paper by mail from units that have scanning capability. Although certain sections of COMDTINST M1080.10I (PDR Manual) and the SPO Manual still say to mail items such as separations packages, they can and should be submitted via the DOCS folder. We're in the process of submitting a request to have these sections of the manual changed. In the meantime, sending anything to PSC-PSD-MR that gets included in the EIPDR can be sent through the DOCS folder. I can't order it, but I highly recommend it.
UNAUTHORIZED DOCUMENTS...Make sure what you send is AUTHORIZED to be in the EIPDR. The only way to know this is to read the manual. Don't guess or assume. The entire list of what's authorized to be in all the records is in Enclosure (1) of 1080.10I. Currently over 25% of what we receive through the DOCS folder is NOT AUTHORIZED to be in the EIPDR. I'll be blunt...this has to stop. You have the guides and we waste a lot of time cleaning out unauthorized documents being sent. Please read the enclosure and stick to your guns if someone tells you they want a document placed in the EIPDR that you KNOW is not authorized. I know that can be tough, but command support on the SPOs end is very important.
DUPLICATES....We are receiving many, many duplicate submissions. Unless asked specifically by PSC-PSD-MR, DO NOT RESEND documents you have already mailed/emailed for inclusion in the EIPDR. We know the folder is set up to get things entered in 14 days, but just because you don't see a document in a record you might have sent earlier, does NOT mean we need you to re-send another e-mail. If you don't receive an email failure message that says your e-mail wasn't delivered, it got here! Due to the large increase in PDR document submissions over the last several months, we are currently unable to meet the 14 day window to get all documents into the EIPDR. Because of this, you may have checked the EIPDR after 2-3 weeks and discovered your documents were not yet in the system. That doesn't mean we didn't get them. Please DO NOT resend any e-mails through the DOCS folder unless we actually tell you to do so.
DOCS QUALITY...Make sure you follow the guide about submitting documents through the DOCS folder in the SPO manual. Look at what you send us as if you were PSC-PSD-MR. We receive too many documents that are too dark, too light, smudged, upside-down, or can't be read. If you can't read them, what makes you think we can? Make sure what you send conforms to the old saying about 'garbage in, garbage out'. If it isn't right on your end, it won't magically become right when it arrives here.
URGENT ENTRIES....If you need documents to go into the EIPDR immediately (i.e. board, panel, etc.), please let PSC-PSD-MR know this by contacting us directly before you send. I'll tell you to forward it straight to me or the APM.
RECORDS POCs....Your POCs here in PSC-PSD-MR can answer any questions you have. PLEASE use us if in doubt about anything. We are Mr. Harrison Morten at 202-493-1670 (APM and first choice) and Mr. John Evans at 202-493-1661. Thanks for all your efforts. We've come a long way in a short time and all of us need to tighten this up and make our military records system the best we can for all our Coast Guard's people. Call or write if ever in doubt.

John D. Evans
PSC-PSD-MR Project Manager

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

Published Date: Thu, 01 Dec 2011 17:00:16 CST

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.

If	Then
The Type of Orders is Long Term/Contingency	Leave the Stop Date field on pay entitlement rows blank

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

November LESs and Retirement Point Statements are Online

Published Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:00:16 CST

Resynchronization from JUMPS to Direct Access (DA) for the November, 2011 production cycle is complete. Leave and Earnings Statements for November can be accessed using DA self-service View Paycheck or by SPOs using the Enterprise Menu, Compensate Employees, View.

Reserve Retirement Point Statements can also be accessed via self-service. Log in to MyPortalDirect and select the View Reserve Points link under the View column in the Employee box on the home page. If the link is not present, click the More link at the end of the list and select the View Reserve Points link.

The official pay date for end-month November 2011 is 01 December 2011. The Department of the Treasury, FMS, will not release payments to the Federal Reserve Bank until the evening prior to pay day. This means that most banks will not have your payment posted until the morning of the actual pay day and some of the smaller banks and credit unions may not have monies posted until later in the day.

LES comments/remarks for the current and previous 13 months are accessible online. LES data older than 13 months is purged from DA every month. However LESs for the previous 5 years are available in JUMPS and can be viewed or printed by your SPO.

MyPortal Direct/Direct Access Outage Planned for 25-27 Nov

Published Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:00:16 CST

MyPortalDirect, Direct-Access and Retired Global Pay, will not be available from 1100 (CST) Friday, November 25 to 0500 (CST) Sunday, November 27 (251700ZNOV 11 TO 271100Z NOV 11). The contract data center will be installing application and database updates during this period.

Please check the Customer Care web page for other system status notifications.

Corrected FY 2012 Enlisted Clothing Maintenance Allowances

Published Date: Thu, 03 Oct 2011 17:00:16 CDT

Here are the enlisted clothing maintenance allowance rates for FY12 (effective 1 October, and corrected 3 November 2011):

The amounts below have been updated to reflect corrected FY2012 rates. The amounts shown with lines through them are the incorrect amounts. The incorrect amounts were paid in members' October pay. The corrected amounts will be paid in November along with the difference between the incorrect and correct amounts paid in October (e.g. Member was paid $40.95 in October for SMA, in November the member will receive the correct amount of $41.54 plus the difference of $0.59 due from the October underpayment.).

Active Duty Basic Maintenance Allowance (BMA)

Male - ~~$28.67~~ $29.08 per month
Female - ~~$28.44~~ $28.85 per month

Active Duty Standard Maintenance Allowance (SMA)

Male - ~~$40.95~~ $41.54 per month
Female - ~~$40.62~~ $41.21 per month

Reserve* Basic Maintenance Allowance (RBMA)

Male - ~~$4.86~~ $4.96 per paid drill
Female - ~~$4.98~~ $5.09 per paid drill

Reserve* Standard Maintenance Allowance (RSMA)

Male - ~~$6.94~~ $7.08 per paid drill
Female - ~~$7.12~~ $7.27 per paid drill

*NOTE: RBMA and RSMA only is payable to member in the Selected Reserves (SELRES) in training pay category "A" or "B". The maximum number of drills for which a SELRES member may be paid RBMA and RSMA is 48 drills per year.

For comparison, the FY 2011 rates can be found on our web site.

Annual Verification of BAH, Dependency, Beneficiaries, SGLI, and Emergency Data

Published Date: Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:00:16 CDT

We have received clarification from the Office of Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (OSGLI) that completion of the latest versions of forms SGLV-8286, Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Election and Certificate (Rev. 06/2011), and SGLV-8286A, Family Coverage Election (Rev. 12/2011) IS NOT REQUIRED for members currently participating in SGLI or FSGLI. Completion of the new forms IS REQUIRED for all new participants and current participants who desire to change beneficiaries or coverage amounts.

The health-related questions (SGLV-8286, Item 4, About Your Health or SGLV-8286A, Part III - Spouse Information) on the forms are only required to be completed when the member has previously declined coverage or elected coverage for a reduced amount and now wants to reinstate or increase coverage. Please refer to this Quick Reference Guide and Chapter 5, Section A, of the Personnel and Pay Procedures Manual, for additional information on completing forms SGLV-8286 and SGLV-8286A.

FY 2012 Civilian Clothing Allowance Authorizations

Published Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:00:16 CDT

This allowance is authorized for officers and enlisted members when they are assigned to duty which REQUIRES the wearing of civilian clothing. An officer's PDS must be located outside the U.S. to qualify. Members who are merely permitted, rather than required, to wear civilian clothing are not entitled to this allowance.

Civilian Clothing Allowance Authorizations

Effective 1 October 2011

R U L E	A	B	C	D
R U L E	When a member (Note 1)	and the	then the member is authorized a	in the amount of
1	receives a PCS order to a permanent duty station(PDS) that requires the wearing of civilian clothing on duty (CGIS members see Note 2) (Officers see Note 3)	length of tour assignment is over 30 months	Initial Civilian Clothing Allowance (ICCA)(Note 4)	$1,590.00
2		length of tour assignment is 18 to 30 months		$1,272.00
3		length of tour assignment is less than 18 months		$954.00
4	is ordered: a. to a consecutive tour (not an extension) at their current PDS and a ICCA was received at their current PDS, or b. to a new PDS and a ICCA or CCCA was received at their previous PDS	continued wearing of civilian clothing is required in the performance of their duty	Partial Civilian Clothing Allowance (PCCA)	$795.00
5	is at the end of their tour length and is issued an tour extension for 12 months or more, and a ICCA was received at their current PDS		Continuing Civilian Clothing Allowance (CCCA)	$318.00
6	is ordered TDY and required to wear civilian clothing on duty (Notes 5 and , 6)	TDY period is at least 15 consecutive days, but less than 30 consecutive days	Temporary Duty Civilian Clothing Allowance (TDYCCA)	$318.00
7		TDY period is at least 30 or more consecutive days	Temporary Duty Civilian Clothing Allowance (TDYCCA)	$636.00

Notes:

If a civilian clothing allowance is authorized, members will submit the Civilian Clothing Allowance Worksheet (CG-5150) to Commandant (CG-1222), who will issue the member a memo and send a copy to their SPO.
Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) members will submit the CG-5150 to the CGIS Program Manager for review and signature - Address: Director, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Stop 7140, 4200 Wilson Blvd. Suite 740, Arlington, VA 20598-7140. The CGIS Program Manager will then forward the CG-5150 to Commandant (CG-1222) for processing.
By law, an officer is authorized a civilian clothing allowance only if the officer's permanent duty station (PDS) is located outside the United States. If the officer is ordered TDY, the TDY order must be outside the United States and the officer is required to wear civilian clothing at least 50% of the time in the performance of their official duty.
The ICCA is not payable to a member upon reassignment during a period of continuous active duty unless three or more years have elapsed between such assignments, or if the member has been out of a qualifying assignment for less than 12 months and subsequently assigned to a qualifying assignment.
A TDYCCA is not authored to a member who is already required to wear civilian clothing at their PDS for which an ICCA has been authorized. The TDYCCA is payable to members who do not wear civilian clothing at their PDS, are ordered TDY, and are required to wear civilian clothing at the TDY location.
A member who was not authorized the maximum TDYCCA amount due to the length of the first TDY, who later performs additional qualifying TDY, is authorized the lower amount. Over a 36- month period, the total TDYCCA amount a member may be authorized will not exceed the amount in rule 7.

October LESs and Retirement Point Statements are Online

Published Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:00:16 CDT

Resynchronization from JUMPS to Direct Access (DA) for the October, 2011 production cycle is complete. Leave and Earnings Statements for October can be accessed using DA self-service View Paycheck or by SPOs using the Enterprise Menu, Compensate Employees, View.

The official pay date for end-month October 2011 is 01 November 2011. The Department of the Treasury, FMS, will not release payments to the Federal Reserve Bank until the evening prior to pay day. This means that most banks will not have your payment posted until the morning of the actual pay day and some of the smaller banks and credit unions may not have monies posted until later in the day.

Yeoman Rating Force Master Chief Selection

Published Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2011 15:00:16 CDT
RFMC badge

UNCLAS //N01326//
ALCGENL 230/11

SUBJ: Yeoman Rating Force Master Chief Selection

I am pleased to announce that YNCM Julie A. Gunderson has been selected to serve as the next Rating Force Master Chief for the Yeoman rating.
YNCM Gunderson has demonstrated a high level of commitment to our core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty by her outstanding performance during her Coast Guard Career.
I would like to commend all applicants for their past service and dedication to the Coast Guard, and willingness to serve in this very demanding and key Yeoman position.
Internet release authorized.
CDR N. Nancarrow, PSC EPM-2 sends.

Payroll Processing Schedule For Calendar Year 2012

Published Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:00:16 CDT

E-Mail ALSPO H/11 message transmits the calendar year (CY) 2012 schedule for payroll transaction processing.

The processing schedule also shows the military paydays for 2012. 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.

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

Delay in Posting October LESs and Reserve Points to Direct Access

Published Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:13:16 CDT

There has been a delay in updating Direct Access with Leave and Earnings Statements (LESs - View My Paycheck in DA) and Reserve Points Statements for October 2011. The October payroll processing cycle ran successfully, but there was an unexpected error during the data resynchronization process that posts LES and points data in DA. We should have the issue resolved and the data loaded later this week.

Cancellation of Indefinite Reenlistments

Published Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:00:16 CDT

R 211659Z OCT 11

ALCGENL 225/11
SUBJ: CANCELLATION OF INDEFINITE REENLISTMENTS
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 301602Z SEP 11/ALCOAST 454/11
B. ENLISTED ACCESSIONS, EVALUATIONS AND ADVANCEMENTS, COMDTINST M1000.2 (SERIES)
C. MILITARY SEPARATIONS, COMDTINST M1000.4 (SERIES)

1. IN ACCORDANCE WITH REF (A), COMMANDS AND ENLISTED PERSONNEL SHOULD BE FULLY AWARE OF ARTICLE 1.A.6.A OF REF (B), REMOVAL OF INDEFINITE REENLISTMENTS, EFFECTIVE 01 DECEMBER 2011. FURTHERMORE, ARTICLE 1.A.6.B, COVERS THOSE MEMBERS ALREADY SERVING ON AN INDEFINITE REENLISTMENT CONTRACT UNDER A "GRANDFATHERED" PROVISION.

2. THE INTENT OF THIS POLICY IS CENTRAL TO THE CONTINUED GOAL OF MAINTAINING A VIBRANT WORKFORCE. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS POLICY REQUIRES COMMANDS TO ASTUTELY FOLLOW ARTICLE 1.B.5 OF REF (C).

3. EPM-1 POC IS LCDR E. P. SORIANO, (202) 493-1240.

4. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.

PPC Training Workshops Schedule for 2012

Published Date: Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:00:16 CDT

The Pay & Personnel Center, Procedures & Development branch proudly announce the 2012 schedule for the Human Resource Systems and the Reserve Component Member Workshops.

The 2012 schedule for PPC's Human Resource System (HRS) and Reserve Component (RC) Member (RES) workshops is available below. Workshops fill up fast, so reserve your seat today!.

Human Resource Systems:

This redesigned workshop is focused on the Coast Guard Servicing Personnel Office Manual. The format of this workshop is open discussion forum with exercises that allow data entry in a Direct Access test environment. There are case scenarios and student accounts for both Direct Access and JUMPS so attendees can work through a situation in class and see the end result in JUMPS, creating a positive learning environment. Topic selection was based on a combination of previous student survey input, issues provided by PPC Customer Care, and identified problem areas from PPC (MAS) and (SES) branches.

Workshop	Dates	Status
HRS 201	March 19-23, 2012	FULL
HRS 202	April 23-27, 2012	Available
HRS 203	May 21-25, 2012	Available
HRS 204	June 25-29, 2012	Available
HRS 205	July 23-27, 2012	Available

Reserve Component (RC) Member Workshop

This workshop is designed specifically for Reserve members. The topics covered are based on inquiries and requests for information from Reservists.

This workshop does not provide Servicing Personnel Office data entry procedures. However, for active duty personnel, it is an excellent introduction to the Reserve program. All who attend will come away with a better understanding of how our pay and personnel systems function to provide accurate and timely compensation to members of the Reserve component.

Workshop	Dates	Status
RES 201	March 7-8, 2012	Available
RES 202	April 11-12, 2012	Available
RES 203	May 9-10, 2012	Available
RES 204	June 13-14, 2012	Available
RES 205	July 11-12, 2012	Available

PPC hosted workshops are held in Topeka, KS. Each convening has 15 seats. There is no cost to attend PPC hosted workshops. Travel and per diem cost is born by the benefiting unit. Government quarters and messing are not available.

Use the quota request at http://www.uscg.mil/ppc/docs/classroomrequest.pdf, to register to attend one of the PPC hosted workshops (e-mail the completed form to PPC-PF-PD@uscg.mil or fax it to (785) 339-3780).

Reserve component members should ensure funding for orders and travel is approved before submitting requests. Chapter 3-c of the Reserve Policy Manual, COMDTINST M1001.28(series) provides guidance for requesting ADT or ADT-OTD orders for resident training for Reserve component members.

Cancellation of the Coast Guard Personnel Manual

Published Date: Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:00:16 CDT

RADM Hewitt congratulates LT Merchen after signing the 12 new manuals and instructions that replace the former Coast Guard Personnel Manual. The new manuals will be quicker to download and much easier to manage when future changes need to be made.

The Coast Guard Personnel Manual is canceled and is replaced by 12 new Manuals or Instructions, loosely aligned with the existing chapters in the Personnel Manual. This change improves download speeds, reduces bandwidth usage, and more importantly, allows the Office of Military Policy to promulgate updates in a more timely fashion.

There are numerous minor changes throughout the manuals and instructions including updates to commands and Headquarters offices to reflect the current Coast Guard organizational structure. There are changes to policy as a result of ALCOAST messages that had not yet been incorporated into the legacy Personnel Manual as well as decision memos and legislatively mandated changes. Numerous meetings were held with stakeholders that also resulted in updates to various policies and procedures throughout to reflect current and relative guidance. A Summary of Changes for each new manual/instruction is included in the links below.

There are 9 new manuals and 3 new instructions titled as follows:

More information:

Please e-mail any questions or comments to Policies & Standards

NEW: Personnel Manual Frequently Asked Questions

NEW: Crosswalk - Personnel Manual to New Manual/Instructions (.pdf listing of Personnel Manual articles and where to find them in the new manuals and instructions)

Foreign Language Proficiency Pay (FLPP)

Published Date: Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:00:16 CDT

Effective 01 October 2011, the monthly rates for Foreign Language Proficiency Pay (FLPP) increased and the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) score levels for which FLPP is paid expanded. The new rates and FLPP levels are as follows:

SKILL	LEVEL	DLPT SCORE	FLPP MONTHLY RATE
INTERPRETER	1	1+/1+	$100
INTERPRETER	2	1+/2 OR 2/1 +	$125
INTERPRETER	3	2/2 OR 2+/2 OR 2/2+	$150
INTERPRETER	4	3/2 OR 2/3 OR 2 +/2+	$200
LINGUIST	1	3/2+ OR 2+/3	$250
LINGUIST	2	3/3 OR HIGHER	$300

Please see ALCOAST 456/11 and E-Mail ALSPO F/11 for more information.

FY 2012 (1 Oct 11 to 30 Sep 12) Special Duty Assignment Pay

Published Date: Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:00:16 CDT

See ALCOAST 412/11 for FY 2012 SDAP authorizations. Direct Access procedures and codes were published via E-Mail ALSPO message in G/11.

  SDAP LEVELS (per month):
      SD1     -    $75 
      SD2     -   $150 
      SD3     -   $225 
      SD4     -   $300 
      SD5     -   $375

The following codes are valid for FY 2012 SDAP transactions:

Billet/Title	Level	DA Earnings Type Code	Note
Academy Company Chief	SD1	OCSCHF
Aviation Precision Marksman	SD1	APMARK	New for FY12
Cape May Recruit Battalion Commander	SD3	RECBAT
Cape May Recruit Company Commander	SD5	REC-CC
Cape May Recruit Section Commander	SD4	RECSEC
CGIS Special Agent	SD2	SPECAG
CGRC Recruiter	SD2	RECPRO
CMC (Level 1) Sector Base ALC SFLC MFPU PATFORSWA RFMC SILC	SD1	CMCLV1	Added: Base,MFPU, and PATFORSWA Removed: CGRC, CPO Academy, and SELC
CMC (Level 2) CPO Academy (School Chief) DOG SELC (School Chief) TRACEN	SD2	CMCLV2	Added: CGRC, CPO Academy (Scl Chf), DOG, SELC (Scl Chf). Removed: USCGA
CMC (Level 3) Districts PSC Arlington JIATF C4IT USCGA FORCECOM	SD3	CMCLV3	Added: USCGA and FORCECOM Removed: DOG
CMC (Level 4) DCMS DCO LANTAREA PACAREA	SD4	CMCLV4	Added: LANTAREA and PACAREA Removed: FORCECOM
CMC (MCPOCG Level 5)	SD5	CMC-MC
CMC (MCPOCGRF Level 5)	SD5	CMCRES
D17 ATON	SD1	D17
Deployable Specialized Forces (DSF) Aerial Gunner	SD1	DSFAGN
DSF Advanced Interdiction Boarding Officer	SD1	DOGBO
DSF Canine Officer	SD1	CANINE
DSF Deployable Team Leader	SD1	DOGDTL	Rate change
Equal Opportunity Advisor	SD1	EQOADV
First Class Diver	SD1	FCLDIV
Heavy Weather Coxswain	SD1	COXHWC	Rate change
Helicopter Rescue Swimmer	SD3	HELORS
HITRON Aerial Gunner	SD2	HIRON
Honor Guard NONRATES	SD1	HONON	New for FY12
Honor Guard Petty Officer	SD1	HONOR	Rate change
Independent Duty Food Services Officer (FSO)	SD2	IDFSO
International Training Division - Team Leader	SD1	ITDLDR
International Training Division - Team Member	SD1	ITDMBR
Middle East Training Team Leader	SD1	METTLR
Middle East Training Team Member	SD1	METTMR
NCV Pursuit Coxswain (Cutter)	SD2	COXCUT
NCV Pursuit Coxswain (Station)	SD2	COXNCV
NCV Pursuit Crewmember (Cutter)	SD1	NCVCUT
NCV Pursuit Crewmember (Station)	SD1	NCVPST
NSF Response Member	SD1	NSF-RM
NSF Response Supervisor	SD3	NSF-RS
NSF Response Technician	SD2	NSF-RT
OIC Afloat	SD5	OICAFL
OIC Ashore	SD5	OICASH
President E.O.C.	SD3	PREEOC	New for FY12
Special Mission Training Center High Risk Training Instructor	SD1	SMTCRI
Surfman	SD4	SURFCT
Tactical Delivery Coxswain	SD1	COXTAC	New for FY12
USDAO Defense Attach Staff	SD3	DETACH
White House Comms Agency	SD3	WHOCMM	Rate Change

September LESs and Retirement Point Statements are Online

Published Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:00:16 CDT

Resynchronization from JUMPS to Direct Access (DA) for the September, 2011 production cycle is complete. Leave and Earnings Statements for September can be accessed using DA self-service View Paycheck or by SPOs using the Enterprise Menu, Compensate Employees, View.

The official pay date for end-month September 2011 is 30 September 2011. The Department of the Treasury, FMS, will not release payments to the Federal Reserve Bank until the evening prior to pay day. This means that most banks will not have your payment posted until the morning of the actual pay day and some of the smaller banks and credit unions may not have monies posted until later in the day.

Military Retiree Pay Dates to Change

Published Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:00:17 CDT

Change in Pay Date - Impact on 2011 Taxable Income

Paydays for military retirees and those who receive portions of retired pay are changing for September and December, as the U. S. Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center (PPC) changes its pay schedule to comply with the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act.

The 2011 NDAA requires military retiree pay to be processed on the first day of the month. When that day falls on a weekend or national holiday, the pay date is moved to the previous business day.

This year payments normally scheduled for Oct. 3, 2011 will be issued on Sept. 30, 2011 and payments normally scheduled for Jan. 3, 2012, will be issued on Dec. 30, 2011. For the calendar year 2011, this means military retirees will receive 13 rather than the normal 12 payments.

The 13th payday on December 30 falls within the 2011 tax year, which could affect the tax liability of some retirees and those who receive portions of their retired pay. Customers should speak with a tax advisor, the Internal Revenue Service or their state tax authority to determine if their tax withholding will satisfy federal and state income taxes when they file returns next year. PPC cannot provide tax advice.

For tax year 2012 and beyond, retirees will receive their normal 12 payments.

This change affects regular retired pay, Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay and Combat Related Special Compensation. The new rule also applies to retiree allotments, garnishments and court-ordered former spouse and child support payments. It does not affect annuity payments.

If retirees need to make changes to their federal withholding, they should complete a new Form IRS W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate (Adobe Acrobat Format) Adobe Acrobat PDF File (Note: Use Form W-4P if annuitant or former spouse) and submit it to PPC (RAS). If they need to adjust their state tax withholding, they will need to submit a letter request to PPC (RAS). The letter must provide us with a monthly dollar amount to be withheld. The amount has to be in even dollar increments for $10.00 or more. Standard exemptions (e. g. Married & 2 or Single & 0) cannot be used for state income tax withholding. Please write us at the address below (or fax to (785) 339-3770) and include the State and the amount to be withheld monthly.

Commanding Officer (RAS)
U. S. Coast Guard
Pay & Personnel Center
444 SE Quincy St.
Topeka KS 66683-3591

Military Retiree Paydays for Calendar Year 2012
February 1	June 1	October 1
March 1	June 29	November 1
March 30	August 1	November 30
May 1	August 31	December 31

Military Retiree Paydays for Calendar Year 2011
January 3	May 2	September 1
February 1	June 1	~~October 3~~ September 30
March 1	July 1	November 1
April 1	August 1	December 1 & December 30 (for January 2012 payday)

Note: Retiree paydays are always on the first day of the month. If the first day of the month falls on a weekend, the pay date will move to the last business day of the payroll month.

Availability of Funds

The Department of Treasury's Financial Management Service (FMS) Kansas City Provides Payment, Collections and Financial Reporting services to the U. S. Coast Guard. FMS has recently undertaken a number of modernization efforts. One of these efforts is called Payment Application Modernization (PAM) which will help FMS process agency payment requests in a more efficient and cost effective manner.

FMS Kansas City will not release payments to the Federal Reserve Bank until the evening prior to pay day. This means that most banks will not have your payment posted until the morning of the actual pay day and some of the smaller banks and credit unions may not have monies posted until later in the day.

Source: Treasury's 'Green Book'

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.

The Coast Guard/NOAA Retirees' Newsletter,Issue 04/2011

Published Date: Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:00:16 CDT

The October - December 2011 issue of The Coast Guard/NOAA Retiree's Newsletter is available online at: http://www.uscg.mil/ppc/retnews/2011/October11newsletter.pdf.

This issue includes the following articles:

Self Service Allotments Coming to Global Pay System in October 2011
Changes in Paydays - Impact on 2011 Taxable Income
Retiree paydays for 2012
Social Security Benefits - Special Extra Earnings for Military Service
Survivor Checklist Form
NOAA News
Reunions and Notices
Retirements
Taps
Pay & Personnel Center, Retiree & Annuitant Services (RAS) - Directory Assistance

Previous issues of the Retiree Newsletter are available at: http://www.uscg.mil/ppc/retnews/.

Clarification of Documentation Requirements for SPO-PDR Review

Published Date: Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:00:16 CDT

E-Mail ALSPO Message D/11 announced a CG-wide SPO-PDR review. Additional guidance for completing the review was provided in a series of five Question and Answer documents (Q&As) jointly prepared by Commandant (DCMS-81 & CG-852). The purpose of this posting is to clarify supporting documentation requirements for completing the SPO-PDR review.

The three following concerns have been noted:

Dependent's birth certificates
Divorce decree
Social Security card

Each supporting documentation concern is discussed individually below.

Dependent's Birth Certificates: It was stated that a birth certificate was required for each dependent of a member. To clarify this matter, a spouse of a member does not need to obtain his or her birth certificate for the member's PDR. A marriage certificate from an issuing agency will suffice. However, the birth certificates for any children who are claimed as dependents are required.

Divorce Decree: In addition to determining the effective date of the marital status change, the purpose for obtaining the decree is to determine the custody arrangements for any children of the marriage. Many states now handle custody arrangements separate from divorce proceedings, a child custody agreement filed in the PDR along with the page(s) from the divorce decree showing the effective date of the divorce is sufficient documentation.

Members may be concerned with having to provide an entire decree, which may include lengthy, detailed property settlements, and other information of a private and confidential nature. The entire decree is not required. We only need those portions/pages of the decree applicable to BAH and dependency.

In situations where there are no minor children of the marriage, we only need the part of the decree showing the effective date of the divorce (usually only the first page).

Social Security Card: A social security card is necessary to validate the member's information. Although this information is extremely sensitive, this document is required for a 100% completed PDR.

Questions: Any future questions or concerns can be emailed to spopdrreviews@uscg.mil

Title 14 Reserve Orders SPO Procedures

Published Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:00:16 CDT

The Title 14 Reserve Recall Orders SPO Procedures Guide consolidates procedures from Part VII, Chapter 4 of the SPO Manual and Chapter 11 of the Personnel and Pay Procedures Manual for issuing recall to active duty orders under Title 14 U.S.C. in support of response to natural or man-made disasters.

Title 14 Reserve Recall Orders SPO Procedures Document is in Adobe Acrobat file format

The guide covers the following topics:

Coast Guard Reserve Partial Mobilization Entitlements Policy
Preparation of Orders in Direct Access
SPO Endorsement/Pay Actions
Extensions/Amend Duty Dates
Demobilization
Continuance on Active Duty
Clarification of Entitlements When Transitioning From Title 14 to ADOS-AC Orders
Travel Information

Evacuation Travel Orders and Claims

Published Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:00:16 CDT

Approving Officials,

With the increased number of evacuations due to hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, etc., basic guidance has been implemented into the Personnel & Pay Procedures Manual, PPCINST M1000.2(series), Sec. 2.B.24. One thing I need to stress to everyone is, when a member's spouse or escort is given their own evacuation order, they need to visit the Coast Guard Finance Center's website as soon as possible and complete the Electronic Funds Transfer/Member Payment Enrollment Form at https://www.fincen.uscg.mil/secure/enrollment_form.htm. When the dependent/escort files their travel claim, funds will be deposited via EFT to their banking institution of choice. Completing the EFT form also applies to any traveler that does not have a profile at FINCEN, this would include most invitational travelers. Review COMDTINST 12570.3E for policy on use of ITOs.

Information for evacuations within CONUS is released by the responsible official designated by paragraph U6051-A, JFTR. The message announcing the evacuation will designate the safe haven location. The evacuation applies to dependents residing in the vicinity of the member's PDS or at an authorized designated location. It also applies to dependents en route to establish a residence with the member and to dependents residing in the vicinity of the member's old or new PDS.

Information on evacuations from overseas areas for a Service member's dependents is released by message from the Under Secretary of Defense, for Coast Guard members the responsible official designated by paragraph U6003-A, JFTR. The message announcing the evacuation outlines the safe haven locations. The JFTR evacuation applies to both command and noncommand-sponsored dependents for members stationed overseas. It further applies to command sponsored dependents who are en route to establish a residence with the member, and to student dependents who are authorized to travel to the member's PDS. (NOTE: Entitlement to evacuation allowances is based on command sponsorship of the dependents. Command sponsorship is a personnel decision and should be reflected in the evacuation order.)

The processing of evacuees requires patience, tact, and expeditious service. The Joint Federal Travel Regulations, Volume 1, Chapter 6 is the regulatory guidance for military family evacuations. Uniformed members are not evacuated; they may be issued orders for temporary duty (TDY) or permanent change of station (PCS) as required. Reserve component members who are not on active duty are not authorized evacuation TDY orders. Authorized dependents will be issued a separate tono/order with authorized dependent minors listed in the remarks block of the non-military spouse evacuation order. The CG-4251 will be used as the travel order form. The order shall contain the dependency dates; date of marriage, date of birth, and reflect the evacuation/safe haven location, as appropriate. The sponsor's name/EMPLID shall be listed in the remarks section of the dependent evacuation order. Dependent transportation tickets may be charged to the centrally billed account using the travel order when travel is arranged through the Travel Management Center (TMC) contractor, SATO. Use of the uniformed member's travel charge card is not authorized and would constitute misuse. The toll free SATO Service Center phone numbers are; Hawaii, Guam, Singapore, and Japan - 1-877-666-1304, all others - 1-800-753-7286.

In the case of uniform members who are single parents or member to members with minor children, the Approving Official may determine if the member should accompany dependents as escorts. A person may travel under an official travel authorization/order as an escort for a dependent evacuated under Chapter 6, Part A of the JFTR who is incapable of traveling alone (IAW JFTR, Par. U6004-H) between the member's PDS and safe haven or designated place. The minor dependents shall be listed on the escorts or member's orders with all pertinent information. Married members who are both assigned in an area that is being evacuated shall be given their own set of TDY or PCS orders.

Advances for evacuees will be paid to the dependents the orders are issued to. To request advances use the SF-1038 form (under their SSN) with a signed copy of the orders, fax to the Pay and Personnel Center at (785) 339-3775. To expedite the payment process for advances, the payment of claims and reduce the issue of paper checks, it is highly recommend that the dependent who is issued an evacuation order complete the Finance Center online Electronic Funds Transfer/Member Payment Enrollment Form at https://www.fincen.uscg.mil/secure/enrollment_form.htm. Once completed all travel payments will be electronically transferred into their banking institution of choice (EFT). It is recommended to request advances no more than 80% of the travel entitlements; this will help in reducing potential overpayments.

All dependent evacuation claims shall be submitted on DD Form 1351-2 using their SSN, clearly annotated as a dependent evacuation claim, and submitted by mail to the Pay and Personnel Center. Claims should be submitted every thirty days; dependents (non access to the CG network) cannot submit claims via TPAX. Units shall assist evacuees with claim preparation. Each evacuee shall be asked about advances or previous payments received. All advances or previous payments associated with an evacuation claim must be disclosed upon submission of any evacuation claim in order to avoid duplicate payments in accordance with the JFTR, Chapter 1, Part A, para U1000.D. To verify travel advance payments visit the Coast Guard Finance Center Travel Payment Application at (https://www.fincen.uscg.mil/secure/TP_menu.htm). Each claim submitted must have an original hand written signature in blue ink by the traveler and Approving Official. The order must be an original with the Approving Official's hand written signature in blue ink or a copy of the approved order certified as a true copy.

Mail Claims to: Commanding Officer (Travel)
Evacuation Travel Claims (TST)
Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center
444 S.E. Quincy Street
Topeka KS 66683

When a member returns from a safe haven location with one or more dependents, all evacuation allowances cease for the entire family regardless of the location of other dependents. COMDT (CG-1222) may direct the early return of dependents, and termination of evacuation allowances, in certain areas before the evacuation period termination date. When requested through the member's chain of command, COMDT (CG-1222) may authorize one or more of the dependents to remain at the evacuation safe haven location with appropriate allowances.

CWO3 JAY BENBOW
Travel Branch Chief
Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center

SPO PDR Review Talking Points for COs and OINCs

Published Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:00:16 CDT

Talking Points for Unit Commanding Officers and Officers in Charge (CO/OIC)

Issue:

Coast Guardsmen serving under your command are being asked to provide important Human Resources (HR) documents to your local SPO in support of the CG-wide SPO PDR Review. Though this tasking through ALCOAST 236/11 constitutes a lawful general order, many CG members don't understand why they are being asked to support this effort. Moreover, the local SPOs are fielding the complaints from CG members, many of whom are senior to the SPO Chief. The below talking points are intended to help you as the CO/OIC communicate the purpose of this important effort.

Talking Points:

ALCOAST 236/11 and ALCGPSC 098/11 directed our SPO to conduct a 100% PDR review to identify important missing documentation.
Many of you have already received an e-mail from the SPO asking for certain documents and are wondering "why?"
The purpose of the SPO PDR Review is to support Military Payroll transactions. The requirements for source documentation for the Coast Guard to support monthly payroll transactions are much more comprehensive than in years' past and very important since payroll is essentially half of the Coast Guard's operating expenses.
Many of you have provided these kinds of source documents in the past. Under the 1995 Paperwork Reduction Act, it was not mandatory to retain evidence related to payroll transactions. In fact, Federal Agencies were encouraged to dispose of paper records, long before electronic-imaged systems were developed to hold that data. As a result, many of these documents that you have previously provided were returned to the members or shredded for security purposes.
After 2002, standards changed and all federal agencies, including the Coast Guard are now required to produce copies of documentation to demonstrate that your pay and benefits are fully supported. So we must again ensure that these documents are in the PDR. Eventually, all these documents will be scanned into the Electronic-Imaged Personnel Data Record (ei-PDR).
Many of you remember the 2009 Self Validation that was conducted in Direct Access. This was conducted for a very different purpose; to support the calculation of the Coast Guard's Military Retirement system into the future. It included data elements such as Date of Initial Entry in to Military Service, Pay Base Date and others items. The SPO PDR review is to make the PDRs whole and to support or pay.
We all need to get our documents to the SPOs by 31 October. Please comply as soon as you can and remember that the SPO Yeomen are merely trying to do what has been asked of them. If you can't find items like your birth certificate or marriage license, you should go get new ones, these are all documents you should maintain for your lifetime.

Summary:

The SPO PDR Review statistics are briefed monthly to the Vice Commandant. The chain of command is responsible for members that actively resist or refuse to comply. If you have further questions and/or concerns, please contact CAPT Thompson (PSC) at (202) 493-1966, CWO Schuster (DCMS-8) at (202) 475-3671 or CDR Passarelli (CG-85) at (202) 372-3459.

The Future of Direct Access

Published Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2011 13:00:16 CDT

Commandant (CG-1) has established a Program Management Office (PMO) to oversee the transition of Active Duty and Reserve payroll processing from the Joint Uniform Military Pay System (JUMPS) to PeopleSoft Global Payroll.

See Flag Voice 335 (02 August 2011) for more information.

Enlisted Advancements and Separations Process Guide

Published Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:00:16 CDT
PSC Seal

Commander (EPM-1), Coast Guard Personnel Service Center, announced the availability of the CG PSC EPM Advancements and Separations Branch Process Guide. This Process Guide provides amplifying guidance on enlisted personnel transactions executed by EPM-1 and is intended to strengthen customer service awareness. Included in this process guide are templates applicable to advancement and separation transactions that may quickly be downloaded with the goal of improving accurate and timely submissions and ultimately increase processing responsiveness. The process guide is located at: http://www.uscg.mil/psc/epm/docs/epm-1-process-guide.pdf

GI Bill Changes

Published Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2011 13:00:16 CDT

VA Reaches Out to Veterans to Explain Upcoming Changes to GI Bill

Encourages Veterans to Visit VA Website to Learn More

WASHINGTON (August 4, 2011)- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is reaching out to inform Veterans of recent changes made by Congress to the Post 9/11 GI Bill that take effect in 2011.

General Allison Hickey, Under Secretary for Benefits, said "The Post 9/11 GI Bill is incredibly important because it reduces the financial burdens of higher education so that Veterans have an opportunity to achieve their education goals. VA believes it is important for Veterans to be aware of changes to the GI Bill this year and learn more about how these changes may affect them."

"It's hard to believe how far we have all come with the Post-9/11 GI Bill the past two years," stated General Hickey. "Today, more than 537,000 students have received over $11.5 billion in GI Bill benefits to help them take charge of their future."

Upcoming changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill effective August 1, 2011 include paying the actual net cost of all public in-state tuition and fees, rather than basing payments upon the highest in-state tuition and fee rates for every state; capping private and foreign tuition at $17,500 per academic year; and ending payments during certain school breaks, to preserve Veterans' entitlement for future academic semesters. Also, certain students attending private schools in select states can now continue to receive benefits at the same rate payable during the previous academic year.

Beginning October 1, 2011, eligible individuals will be able to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill for programs such as non-college degrees, on-the-job training, and correspondence courses, and they will be eligible to receive a portion of the national monthly housing allowance rate when enrolled only in distance learning courses.

VA is implementing the latest round of changes to the Post 9/11 GI Bill and has already begun processing fall 2011 enrollment certifications. Outreach by VA has helped to increase participation by colleges and universities in the Yellow Ribbon program, which helps students avoid out-of-pocket costs that may exceed the benefit. Today, more than 2,600 schools are participating in the Yellow Ribbon program.

"VA is committed to ensuring Veterans have the information and tools they need to succeed," General Hickey concluded.

Complete information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill is available at: www.gibill.va.gov. VA's education information phone number is: 1-888-GIBILL-1. For ongoing benefit information, Veterans and Servicemembers can log into the VA eBenefits website: www.eBenefits.va.gov. To ask a question in a secure e-mail, use the "Ask a Question" tab at: https://www.gibill2.va.gov/cgi-bin/vba.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php.

Most Reservists Must Resume Regular IDT Drill Schedule after Release From Active Duty

Published Date: Thu, 04 Aug 2011 11:00:16 CDT

ALCOAST 367/11
COMDTNOTE 3061

SUBJ: GUIDANCE FOR DRILL PARTICIPATION AFTER RELAD FROM ACTIVE DUTY

A. RESERVE POLICY MANUAL, COMDTINST M1001.28 (SERIES)

1. RESERVISTS WHO REMAIN ASSIGNED TO A SELRES BILLET WHILE SERVING ON ACTIVE DUTY ARE REQUIRED TO RESUME A DRILL SCHEDULE THAT COMPORTS WITH SECTION 4.A OF REFERENCE (A) IMMEDIATELY UPON RELEASE FROM ACTIVE DUTY (RELAD).

2. THE ONLY EXCEPTION TO THIS POLICY IS THAT RESERVISTS RETURNING FROM OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, OR OPERATION NEW DAWN ARE EXEMPT FROM INVOLUNTARY IDT FOR 60 DAYS AFTER RELAD OTHER THAN A YELLOW RIBBON POST DEPLOYMENT EVENT WHICH UNITS ARE REQUIRED TO SCHEDULE WITHIN 60 DAYS OF RELAD.

3. POC: CDR KARL LEONARD, KARL.S.LEONARD (AT) USCG.MIL OR 202-475-5461.

4. RDML DAVID R. CALLAHAN, ACTING DIRECTOR OF RESERVE AND LEADERSHIP, SENDS.

5. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.

PCS Travel Allowances for Dependents

Published Date: Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:00:16 CDT

Per JFTR U5201-B.2f, a member is not entitled to PCS travel allowances for a dependent child who is not under the member's legal custody and control on the PCS order effective date (See JFTR par. U5215-J for travel authorization when legal custody and/or control changes after the PCS order effective date).

A single member, who is a member with dependents for housing allowances purposes solely because the member is paying child support (BAH-Child), is not authorized with-dependent travel and per diem allowances.

November 2011 Servicewide Exam Schedule and Waivers

Published Date: Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:00:16 CDT

Below is the released SWE message and here is the link to the Eligibility Criteria Spreadsheet. In addition, please remind personnel that requests for PDE corrections must be made prior to the deadline of 1 October 2011.

Personnel should be reminded that they are solely responsible to review all data for accuracy. If their 'candidate status' field does not show 'eligible' by 1 October, a SWE will not be mailed. A missing EER in DA remains the most common reason for ineligibility. Waivers of the deadline will only be considered for operational or personal reasons which prevented compliance as outlined 5.C.4.g., Persman.

UNCLAS //N01430//
ALCGENL 140/11

SUBJ: NOVEMBER 2011 SERVICEWIDE EXAMINATION (SWE) COMPETITION

SERVICEWIDE EXAMINATION (SWE) GUIDE, PPCINST M1418.1 (SERIES)
PERSONNEL MANUAL, COMDTINST M1000.6 (SERIES)
ENLISTED PERFORMANCE QUALIFICATIONS MANUAL, COMDTINST M1414.8 (SERIES)
COMCOGARD PSC ARLINGTON VA 111801Z APR 11/ALCGENL 053/11

1. SUMMARY. THIS MESSAGE ANNOUNCES THE NOV 2011 SWE COMPETITION FOR ALL RATINGS IN PAY GRADES E-5 AND E-6, EXCEPT MU. COMMANDING OFFICERS MUST ENSURE DISSEMINATION OF THIS MESSAGE TO ALL ACTIVE DUTY ENLISTED MEMBERS IN PAYGRADES E-4 OR E-5 IN THEIR AOR. MEMBERS PLANNING TO PARTICIPATE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THESE REQUIREMENTS AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONFIRM THEY ARE MET. UNITS, EDUCATION SERVICE OFFICERS, SWE BOARD OFFICERS, AND AFFECTED MEMBERS SHALL FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH THE CONTENTS OF REFS (A) THRU (D) AND THIS ALCGENL.

2. SCHEDULE. THE SWE SHALL BE ADMINISTERED PER THE FOLLOWING:

AM	3 NOV 11 (THURS)	SWE FOR ADV TO E-5
PM	3 NOV 11 (THURS)	SWE FOR ADV TO E-6

3. SWE/END OF COURSE TESTS (EOCT).

ANTICIPATE THE NOV 2011 SWE WILL BE WAIVED FOR FS2 VIA SEPCOR. THE EOCT IS NOT WAIVED. SUPPLEMENTAL ELIGIBILITY LIST REQUIREMENTS WERE OUTLINED IN REF (D) AND WILL BE UPDATED VIA SEPARATE MESSAGE.
FOR THE NOV 2011 SWE, EOCTS ARE WAIVED FOR: FS1, IS1, IS2, MST2, AND YN1.
SWE AND EOCT WAIVERS ARE ONLY AUTHORIZED AS LISTED ABOVE. THIS ALCGENL SUPERSEDES PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED WAIVERS.
MARITIME ENFORCEMENT SPECIALIST (ME) MEMBERS PLANNING TO PARTICIPATE ARE REMINDED OF THE REQUIREMENT TO COMPLETE (ME) ENLISTED PERFORMANCE QUALIFICATIONS (EPQ) AND ASSOCIATED PERFORMANCE QUALIFICATION GUIDES (PQG) FOR THE NEXT HIGHER PAYGRADE, FOR THEIR CURRENT PAYGRADE, AND FOR ALL LOWER PAYGRADES.
CONSULT 5.D.6.D.4 OF REF (B) FOR INFORMATION REGARDING ITEMS THAT MAY BE USED BY BM/OS CANDIDATES. ALL CANDIDATES MAY USE NON-PROGRAMMABLE CALCULATORS.

4. RESPONSIBILITIES.

MEMBER.
- (1) ENSURE ALL REQUIREMENTS ARE MET IAW 5.C.4.B OF REF (B).
- (2) PERSONAL DATA EXTRACTS (PDE) WILL BE POSTED ONLINE IN DIRECT ACCESS (DA) SELF SERVICE IN AUG 2011. THE MEMBER IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCURACY OF ALL PDE DATA. REPORT ANY DISCREPANCIES TO YOUR ADMINISTRATION OR SERVICING PERSONNEL OFFICE (SPO). AFTER REPORTING DISCREPANCIES, THE MEMBER MUST ENSURE THAT CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN BY VERIFYING THE ONLINE PDE. IF THE ONLINE PDE HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED, CONTACT PPC VIA E-MAIL AT PPC-DG-ADV. THE ONLINE PDE MUST SHOW A STATUS OF ELIGIBLE BY THE PDE CORRECTION DEADLINE DATE OF 1 OCT 2011 IN ORDER TO RECEIVE AN EXAM. FAILURE TO REPORT AND VERIFY ONLINE PDE CORRECTIONS MAY RESULT IN A NOT ELIGIBLE STATUS FOR SWE OR LOSS OF POINTS IN THE FINAL MULTIPLE.
- (3) NOTIFY COMMAND NLT 1 OCT 2011 IF SWE SHOULD BE MAILED TO A LOCATION OTHER THAN THE NORMAL EXAM OPFAC.
COMMAND. COMMANDING OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES ARE DETAILED IN 5.C.4.E AND FULLY AMPLIFIED THROUGHOUT CHAPTER 5 OF REF (B).
- (1) SUBSTITUTE SWES ARE DISCOURAGED IAW 5.D.3.A OF REF (B). COS SHALL SCHEDULE TRAINING, TDY, AND NORMAL OPS TO ALLOW MEMBERS TO TAKE THE SCHEDULED SWE RATHER THAN REQUEST A SUBSTITUTE SWE.
- (2) UNIT FAILURE TO PROVIDE MEMBER ADMIN SUPPORT IS NOT JUSTIFICATION FOR PDE CORRECTION DEADLINE WAIVERS REGARDLESS IF NO FAULT OF MEMBER.
- (3) COS ARE REMINDED TO WITHHOLD OR WITHDRAW ADVANCEMENTS FOR A MEMBER WHO BECOMES INELIGIBLE AT ANY TIME PRIOR TO MEMBER'S ADVANCEMENT DATE, REGARDLESS OF ELIGIBILITY LIST STANDING. THIS INCLUDES A MEMBER RECEIVING A NOT RECOMMENDED ON A SUBSEQUENT EER. SEND MESSAGE NOTIFICATION TO COGARD PPC TOPEKA KS//ADV// INFO COMCOGARD PSC ARLINGTON VA//EPM-1/EPM-2//.
- (4) A MISSING EER WITH CURRENT CO RECOMMENDATION IS THE MOST COMMON REASON FOR MEMBER INELIGIBILITY. PER 5.C.4.E.4 OF REF (B), EACH MEMBER MUST HAVE A CURRENT EER WITH CO RECOMMENDATION. THE EER MUST BE DATED AFTER 1 FEB 2011 AND NLT 1 AUG 2011 FOR E-5 AND E-6 CANDIDATES. IF AN EER WAS NOT COMPLETED DUE TO REASONS LISTED IN 10.B.5.A OF REF (B), THE CO SHALL COMPLETE A SWE-EER WITH EFFECTIVE DATE NLT 1 AUG 2011. SWE EERS CANNOT BE SUBMITTED TO CHANGE A CO RECOMMENDATION. IF THE COMMAND WISHES TO CHANGE AN ADVANCEMENT RECOMMENDATION, THE APPROVING OFFICIAL WHO ASSIGNED THAT MARK MUST APPROVE THE CHANGE. REQUEST SHALL BE SUBMITTED IAW REF (A) AND 10.B.7.4 OF REF (B) NLT 1 AUG 2011.
- (5) VERIFY EPQS/EPMES HAVE BEEN SIGNED OFF NLT 1 AUG 2011.
- (6) LAST DAY TO CHANGE CO RECOMMENDATION ON EER FROM NOT RECOMMENDED TO RECOMMENDED IS 1 AUG 2011.
- (7) LAST DAY UNITS AWAY FROM HOMEPORT ON CONTINUOUS DEPLOYMENT FM MID-OCT 2011 TO SWE DATE MAY REQUEST EARLY MAILING OF SWES IS 1 OCT 2011.
- (8) LAST DAY UNITS MAY REQUEST EXAM BOARD OPFAC CHANGE IS 1 OCT 2011.
- (9) LAST DAY TO REQ SUBSTITUTE SWE IS 10 NOV 2011.
- (10) UNITS WITH CONNECTIVITY ISSUES MAY REQUEST PAPER PDES BY E-MAIL TO PPC-DG-ADV OR BY MSG TO COGARD PPC TOPEKA KS//ADV//. PAPER PROFILE LETTERS MAY ALSO BE REQUESTED AFTER ONLINE VERSIONS HAVE BEEN POSTED IN DA.
SPO. LAST DAY TO COMPLETE PDE CORRECTIONS IN DA IS 1 OCT 2011.
PPC.
- (1) POST PDES ONLINE IN DA -- AUG 2011
- (2) BEGIN EARLY MAILING OF SWES TO U/W UNITS -- SEP 2011
- (3) BEGIN MAILING SWES TO EXAM BOARDS -- OCT 2011
- (4) COMPUTE FINAL MULTIPLE -- DEC 2011
- (5) POST SWE PROFILE LETTERS TO DA -- DEC 2011

5. MISCELLANEOUS.

EERS IN CURRENT PAY GRADE WILL BE USED TO COMPUTE THE MARKS MULTIPLE WITHIN THE DATE RANGES LISTED IN 5.C.6.B OF REF (B).
SEA TIME FOR ELIGIBILITY AND SEA DUTY POINTS ARE DISCUSSED IN 5.C.15. AND 5.C.16. OF REF (B).
SURF POINTS ARE CREDITED TO ELIGIBLE BM CANDIDATES IAW 5.C.16 OF REF (B).
THE NEW POINTS START DATE FIELD ON THE PDE AND IN MEMBER SELF SERVICE PORTION OF DA IS THOROUGHLY EXPLAINED AND AVAILABLE AT THE PPC WEB PAGE: HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/PPC/ADV.ASP UNDER THE GENERAL ADVANCEMENT PROCEDURES AND LINKS SECTION.

6. PPC (ADV) IS THE SINGLE POC FOR SWE INQUIRIES. THEY MAY BE REACHED AT (785)339-3400 OR E-MAIL AT PPC-DG-ADV. WAIVER REQUESTS MUST BE SENT PRIOR TO SCHEDULED DEADLINES, BY MESSAGE TO COGARD PPC TOPEKA KS//ADV// IAW REF (A), OR BY E-MAIL IF THE UNIT CO/XO ARE INCLUDED IN THE CC LINE.

7. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.

CG-Wide PDR Review is 32% Complete

Published Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:00:16 CDT

UNCLAS //N01070//
ALCGPSC 098/11

SUBJ: RESULTS OF MILITARY PERSONNEL DATA RECORDS (PDRS) REVIEW

A. COMCOGARD WASHINGTON DC 101943Z MAY 11/ALCOAST 236/11

A 100 percent review of military PDRs at each servicing personnel office (SPO) was initiated IAW ref (a). These reviews were directed to validate the completeness of documentation supporting key military payroll transactions and to prepare Coast Guard PDRs for annual financial audits. Based on the review to date, 68 percent of all records still require proper source documentation for audit compliance.
SPOs have requested/will be requesting that CG members provide their SPO with these missing PDR documents. Thanks go to those members who have already responded to the SPO request to complete their PDR. For those who are in process, or have not yet provided their SPO with the missing items, you are requested to make this a top priority.
All commanding officers are also requested to ensure your subordinate SPOs complete their PDR reviews as soon as possible if not yet completed. All reviews should have been completed by 30 June 2011. SPOs are to notify and document all requests made to individual CG members for missing items NLT than 8 Aug 2011. Commanding officers are also requested to convey to their personnel the importance of this effort and ensure that members provide the SPO yeoman with the documentation requested to complete this effort by 31 October 2011.
All SPOs are reminded that when submitting authorized documents to PSD-MR for scanning into the EIPDR, the use of the electronic 'DOCS' folder is mandatory. See ALSPO C/10 within this link for details, which can be copied and pasted into a web browser - HTTP://USCG.MIL/PSC/ADM/ADM3/PDR.ASP.
This PDR review and documentation collection is a critical step towards ensuring the validity and audit readiness of military members regular paychecks. Your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated.
Released by RADM Daniel R. May, Commander, CG Personnel Service Center.
Internet release authorized.

When Does a Reservist Receive Retirement Point Credit for Non-Coast Guard Correspondence Courses?

Published Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:00:16 CDT

That's a great question! Did you know that a Reservist may earn extra points towards retirement when they complete a Non-CG correspondence course? Continue reading....

PPC Advancement & Evaluations Branch Newsletter

Published Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:00:16 CDT

The Summer 2011 edition of the PPC Advancement & Evaluations (ADV) Branch Newsletter is now available. The ADV Newsletter serves customer needs in SWEs, Advancements, EERs & Personnel Data Corrections. This issue includes the following articles:

Enlisted Employee Reviews FLAG VOICE 332
Are Your Accession Contract Dates Right?
Update to The Supplemental & Striker Program
Monthly Supplemental and Striker list updates and Deadlines
SWE Booklets and SWE Answer Sheets
Helpful Hints in Using the Enlisted Evaluation System
Discipline EERs
Substitute SWE's

Summer 2011 Advancements & Evaluations Newsletter

Military PDR System Update (ALCGPSC 088/11)

Published Date: Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:00:16 CDT

UNCLAS //N01080//
ALCGPSC 088/11
SUBJ: MAINTENANCE OF MILITARY PERSONNEL RECORDS

COMDTINST M1080.10I, MILITARY PERSONNEL DATA RECORDS (PDR) SYSTEM
E-MAIL ALSPO C/10 1070 OF 9 JUNE 2010
Note: Enclosures to E-Mail ALSPO C/10 are superseded by an update to the Coast Guard Servicing Personnel Office (SPO) Manual, PPCINST M5231.3, Part X, Error Feedback, Reports and Queries, Chapter 4, SPO Access to the Electronically Imaged PDR (EI PDR). The chapter is attached to the E-Mail ALSPO in place of the enclosures.

REF A WAS RELEASED ESTABLISHING UPDATED POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR ADMINISTERING THE PDR SYSTEM. THIS POLICY REVISION INCLUDES, AMONG OTHER THINGS, DEFINING THE ELECTRONICALLY IMAGED-PERSONNEL DATA RECORD (EI-PDR) AND THE SERVICING PERSONNEL OFFICE-PERSONNEL DATA RECORD (SPO-PDR), COLLECTIVELY, AS THE AUTHORITATIVE RECORD FOR THE MILITARY WORKFORCE. REF A ALSO DESCRIBES THE ORGANIZATIONAL ENTITIES USED TO MANAGE COAST GUARD PERSONNEL INFORMATION, INCLUDING COAST GUARD PERSONNEL SERVICE CENTER (CG PSC), COAST GUARD PAY AND PERSONNEL CENTER (CG PPC), AND SERVICING PERSONNEL OFFICES (SPOS). COMPLIANCE WITH REF A AND THE PROCEDURES OUTLINED IN REF B ARE CRITICAL TO THE VALIDITY AND ACCURACY OF GOVERNMENT FUNDS RELEASED FOR DISBURSEMENT AND THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH BY THE COAST GUARD CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (CFO). THE PDR SYSTEM CONTAINS THOSE SPECIFIC MILITARY PERSONNEL RECORDS NECESSARY TO SUPPORT BOARDS AND PANELS, TO MANAGE THE MILITARY WORKFORCE AND TO SUBSTANTIATE DATA ELEMENTS WITHIN DIRECT ACCESS (DA).
ALL SPOS SHOULD CONTINUE TO USE THE PROCEDURES DESCRIBED IN REF B. THE EI-PDR IS ESTABLISHED AND MAINTAINED ELECTRONICALLY BY CG PSC PERSONNEL SERVICES DIVISION MILITARY RECORDS (PSD-MR) AS COMPUTER IMAGES. SPOS SHALL TRANSMIT ELECTRONICALLY TO CG PSC-PSD-MR AUTHENTICATED, LEGIBLE, AND COMPLETE COPIES OF ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS FOR IMAGING INTO THE ELECTRONIC IMAGING SYSTEM. SPOS SHALL MAIL THE PHYSICAL DOCUMENTS TO CG PSC-PSD-MR FOR IMAGING IF THEY DO NOT HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO SCAN AND EMAIL TO THE CG PSC-PDR-MR ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT FOLDER ARL-PF-CGPSC-PSD-MR-DOCS. THE EI-PDR FILING STRUCTURE IS OUTLINED IN ENCLOSURE (1) OF REF A.
RELEASED BY RADM D. R. MAY, COMMANDER, CG PERSONNEL SERVICE CENTER.
INTERNET RELEASE IS AUTHORIZED

Also see our post "New PDR Manual Released" for a summary of the changes to the Military PDR System.

Centrally Billed Account use, Orders, and SATO Travel Requirements

Published Date: Wed, 06 Jul 2011 11:00:16 CDT

Travel Approving Officials -

This posting is to ensure each of you are aware of the requirements and policy for authorizing the use of a Centrally Billed Account transaction (i.e. CBA...GTR, GTA, Billed to TONO, etc.). Specifically, as detailed in ALCGPSC 036/11 (Revised Policy on use of Government Travel Charge Card (GTCC) Centrally Billed Accounts (CBA)), members who have travel cards are not authorized to use the CBA unless:

The travel is overseas and requires advance purchase/ticketing of the flight or the travel is overseas and the tickets cost more than $3,000 (note that Alaska is not overseas); or
The duration of the TDY trip exceeds 21 days or PCS delay exceeds 15 days.
The purchase of Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) ferry reservations in conjunction with a PCS.

AO's need to ensure when they prepare and sign orders that the CBA is not authorized unless the member does not have a individually billed travel card account (IBA) or one of the exceptions above apply. Direct Access shall be checked to determine whether the member has a travel card account when generating the orders (Refer to the user guide for the procedure to view a member's GTCC data in Direct Access).

When a member does not have an IBA account or an exception applies, the orders must specify that the CBA is authorized (Travel Orders must include authorization to use the CBA within mode of travel or remarks section by specifically noting one of the following:

Government Procured Transportation Tickets (GTA),
Government Transportation Request (GTR),
Government Air,
Government Conveyance,
Government Procured Transportation, or
CBA use is authorized.

Without the correct mode of travel being selected or this exact wording above, SATO will not process requests for the CBA use per their contract.

Thanks,

Matt Ruckert, Government Travel Charge Card Program Manager
Coast Guard Personnel Service Center (PSC-BOPS-R)

PCS Mileage (MALT) Rate Change 1 July

Published Date: Thue, 30 Jun 2011 13:00:16 CST

Effective 1 July 2011, the MALT (monetary allowance in lieu of transportation) rate per authorized POC (privately owed conveyance) is $.235 (twenty three and one half cents) per mile. This rate is effective for all PCS travel that commences on or after 1 July 2011 (i.e., the initial travel is started).

New PDR Manual Released

Published Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:00:16 CDT
a CG military PDR and the new manual

The Assistant Commandant for Human Resources (CG-1) released a new version of the Military Personnel data Records (PDR) System Manual, COMDTINST M1080.10I. The manual provides policy and procedures for maintenance of Coast Guard military personnel records.

Revisions to the PDR system are extensive. Here are some of the changes:

Official PDR:

The Electronically Imaged-Personnel Data Record (EI-PDR) and Servicing Personnel Office-Personnel Data Record (SPO-PDR), collectively, are the official record for the military workforce.

Unit PDRs:

Unit-PDRs shall only be maintained under the following circumstances:

If the unit is not co-located with the SPO;
If the unit is a Deployable Specialized Forces unit, regardless of proximity to the SPO.

Hand carrying/mailing SPO-PDRs:

Hand carrying the SPO-PDR is authorized for members departing a unit. If a member chooses to hand carry the SPO-PDR, the SPO-PDR shall be placed in a large envelope, sealed, and shall not be opened until given to the appropriate personnel. Additionally, it should include an authorization statement in the remarks block of the member's PCS travel order Form CG-5131.

The use of an approved Department of Homeland Security (DHS) commercial carrier (e.g. FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.) or U. S. Postal Service (USPS) First-Class Certified mail is required when mailing SPO-PDRs. See U.S. Coast Guard Postal Manual, COMDTINST M5110.1B, Sec. 5-C, for guidance on properly packaging and mailing personally identifiable information (PII).

Note: Be sure to send the PDR to the correct SPO and to use the correct mailing address. Mail containing PII, believed to be lost or compromised constitutes a privacy incident. Upon discovery, personnel shall immediately report all suspected or confirmed privacy incidents to the Commanding Officer in accordance with Privacy Incident Response, Notification, and Reporting Procedures for Personally Identifiable Information (PII), COMDTINST 5260.5 (series). All SPOs should ensure they verify, in JUMPS, the correct SPO address when mailing a PDR.

PDR Review:

During the member's check-in procedures at the SPO, record custodians must review the PDR, EI-PDR and Unit-PDR to ensure the information collected and used to administer our personnel programs is correct. It is required that these reviews be conducted jointly with the member. In the case of a unit not co-located with the SPO, the review would be of the Unit-PDR. These reviews must utilize the WebNOW application as part of the check-in procedure at the SPO. In addition, the review must include at least these actions:

reconciliation of data contained at the field unit, the SPO and in the EI-PDR,
screening for misfiled or temporary documents,
identifying incorrect information, validating all pertinent documents have been retained, and obtaining other requirements to update various documents and transactions, e.g., Direct Access BAH/Dependency Data Report.

Permanent source documents:

This revision to the PDR Manual also implements the requirement to collect and maintain the following permanent source documents in the EI & SPO PDRs:

Member's birth certificate/Certificate of Naturalization and social security card.
Promotion/Advancement Authorizations (e.g. OPAL, EPAA, or ERAA, message).
Marriage Certificate and if applicable, Divorce Decree.
Dependent Birth Certificate.
Adoption Papers/Court Orders.

The legal documents listed above are permanent source documents and must be on file for all personnel regardless of the service entry date, date of advancement/promotion or date of the dependency change SPOs should ensure the:

Member's birth certificate/Certificate of Naturalization and social security card are present.
Promotion/advancement authorization is present.
Source documents for dependency changes (items 3 thru 5 above) are obtained and filed.

Additional forms and worksheets to be maintained in SPO-PDR:

The contents of ALCOAST 369/10 (MILITARY PERSONNEL SYSTEM POLICY CHANGE), which required the following worksheets to be filed in the SPO-PDR, is reflected in this revision to the PDR manual. The retention period changed from 6 years and 3 months, as listed in the ALCOAST, to 3 years. The change in the retention period is subject to approval by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). After the change in retention period is approved by NARA, a new worksheet of the same type will supersede the previous worksheet After the change in retention period is approved by NARA, a new worksheet of the same type will supersede the previous worksheet and the three year retention period for the OLD worksheet will begin. However, until the request for the change in retention period is approved by NARA, superseded worksheets must be kept even if they more than three years old.

Worksheets added to SPO-PDR by ALCOAST 369/10:

CG-2000, PCS Departing Worksheet
CG-2001, Departing TDY or PCS/TEMDUINS to "A" School Worksheet
CG-2005, PCS Reporting Worksheet
CG-2020, Dependency Worksheet
CG-2025, BAH/Housing Worksheet
CG-2025A, Housing Allowance (BAH/OHA) Protection Worksheet
CG-2025B, Member-Married-to-Member BAH Worksheet
CG-2035, Family Separation Allowance (FSA) Worksheet
CG-2045, Career Intentions Worksheet
CG-5102, Officer Uniform Allowance Claim Worksheet
CG-5150, Civilian Clothing Monetary Allowance Worksheet
CG-5155A, Enlisted Supplementary Clothing Allowance Worksheet

The following worksheets must also be maintained in the SPO-PDR, these are in addition to the worksheets listed above.

CG-2003, PCS Entitlements Advance Travel Worksheet
CG-2010, Advances Worksheet
CG-2015, Pay Delivery Worksheet
CG-2020A, Support Statement
CG-2020B, Full-Time Student Statement
CG-2020C, Former Spouse Statement
CG-2026, OCONUS Early Return of Dependents (ERD) - Request for TONO/LOA
CG-2040, Allotment Worksheet
CG-2046, Application to Sell Special Leave Accrual (SLA)
CG-2075, Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance (FSSA) Application (Retain 6 years and 3 months)
CG-5500A, Automated Information Systems (AIS) User Acknowledgement Form
CG-11221 Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP) Option - Election Certificate (Permanent retention)

Leave and Earnings Statements (LESs) must be filed in section three of the SPO-PDR and be retained for one year.

Comments/Questions?

Please visit the YNs Place in the CG Portal (CAC logon required) to discuss the Military Personnel data Records (PDR) System Manual, COMDTINST M1080.10I

Alcohol Incident (AI) Checklist

Published Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:00:16 CDT

A new Alcohol Incident (AI) Checklist has been added to the Personnel & Pay Procedures Manual (PPPM), PPCINST M1000.2(series). The AI Checklist can be found in Chapter 10-B, Discipline, Section 10.B.9. The Nonjudicial Punishment (NJP) Checklist and Courts-Martial Checklist have been updated as well.

Our thanks to Chief Petty Officer Amy Bartholomew, CGC Morgenthau, for providing the new AI Checklist and her input on updating the NJP Checklist.

Procedural updates, reflecting the real-world experience of YNs in the field, are always appreciated. If you would like to try your hand at being an Associate Editor of the PPPM you can access the production files at http://www.uscg.mil/pppc/pppm/sourcefiles. These files are in MS Word format (vs. the PDF format of the online manual) and can be edited. Download the chapter or section you want to update, make your changes, and email it to me. I will review your changes and coordinate with others here at PPC, PSC or HQs, as necessary to incorporate them into the manual.

Use the Correct Links to Access Your Worklist

Published Date: Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:00:16 CDT

With the implementation of the portal we are running two versions of PeopleSoft (8.0 & 9.1). Version 8.0 is no longer supported and we are in the process of migrating Coast Guard applications and data to version 9.1. The portal ties both of these versions together. However, there has been some confusion. Many users have contacted us about their worklist. They receive system generated e-mails informing them of a new entry on their worklist, but when they access the system the worklist is blank. This is because the application that generated the worklist entry is a version 8.0 application (Employee Review, Reserve Orders, Reserve IDT Drills, Employee Entitlements are all examples of version 8.0 applications) but the user has accessed the version 9.1 worklist. Please be sure you are accessing the version 8.0 worklist by using the "Direct Access Worklist" link in the "Common Links" box, which appears just above the Enterprise Menu on the portal home page. There are more links to the 8.0 worklist available as illustrated in the graphic below.

Links to old DA worklist

Employee Entitlements: Using the Manual Row Switch

Published Date: Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:00:16 CDT

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

Honors and Awards Data Entry Changing for SPOs Later This Month

Published Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2011 10:00:16 CDT

As part of the Coast Guard's technology refresh effort to move HR functions from version 8.0 to a supported version of PeopleSoft (version 9.1), CG-631 will be moving Awards data and supporting business processes to PeopleSoft HRMS version 9.1. At the completion of this project, PeopleSoft HRMS version 9.1 will become the source for Coast Guard Awards information, and current data entry access will be terminated within the legacy applications.

screenshot of the new DA Awards page

Applications which display or report award data (e.g. Self Service (View My Honors and Awards), DD-214, e-resume, Personal Data Information File) are not changing at this time.

Here is the E-Mail ALSPO message with the new procedures.The update is scheduled to take place 18-19 June.

Reserve Orders Information Report to Include More Detail

Published Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2011 17:00:16 CDT

Several new fields will be added to the Reserve Orders Information Report on or about 13 June. The new fields include the actual report and/or depart dates and the TONO/Accounting data.

screenshot of the new DA Awards page

Procedure for Correcting Leave Transactions

Published Date: Tue, 24 May 2011 13:00:16 CDT

When correcting a leave transaction, do not delete the transaction/row if the "Start Date" is correct. Only delete a transaction/row when the start date is incorrect or the member did not take the leave. Corrections to the leave transaction can be done by de-selecting the approval box. Changing the ending date of the inclusive period and clicking the approval box. Please see the Leave Corrections & Deletions procedures in Part III, Chapter 7 of the CG SPO Manual, PPCINST M5231.3 for more information.

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

Published Date: Thu, 18 May 2011 14:00:16 CDT

The President of the United States, Barack Obama, addresses the Coast Guard Academy Class of 2011 during a live webcast at the 130th commencement May 18, 2011. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick Kelley.

With the graduates of the Coast Guard Academy Class of 2011 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:

Stop BAH-Transit Rate the day prior to the date the change in dependency is effective and
Start BAH-With/Dependents using the zip code for the location of the member's dependent(s) effective the day the dependency change was effective.
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:

The PCS Reporting Endorsement must be approved first by the CGHRSUP Role User. After the PCS Reporting Endorsement is approved, then it is time to review the member's current pay entitlements by clicking the Employee Entitlements link and submit entitlement rows as necessary to start Pay and Allowances applicable for the member's new duty station and/or duty status.
When the PCS pay entitlements are incorrectly approved prior to approving the PCS Reporting Endorsement, pay delays and/or pay problems result for our members. The PCS Reporting Endorsement is designed to "stop" certain pay entitlements in JUMPS. When approved out of sequence, the PCS Reporting Endorsement can incorrectly shut down allowances the member is entitled to receive.
See "PCS Reporting Endorsement" in Part IV, Chapter 5, of the DA SPO Manual.

E-Mail ALSPO D/11; SPO-PDR Review

Published Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:00:16 CDT

This E-mail ALSPO message provides procedures for reviewing the Servicing Personnel Office - Personnel Data Record (SPO-PDR) for supporting documentation for military payroll transactions, as initiated in March and directed via an upcoming ALCOAST.

E-Mail ALSPO D/11, SPO-PDR Review: Procedures for Validating Completeness of FY11 Transactions for Military Payroll and Identifying Gaps in 'Permanent Source' Documentation (Zip file, message w/enclosures)

Premiums and Enrollment for TRICARE Young Adult Coverage Announced

Published Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:00:16 CDT

Uniformed services dependents under 26, unmarried, and not eligible for their own employer-sponsored health care coverage may be qualified to purchase TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) , which offers TRICARE Standard coverage for monthly premiums of $186. Complete information and application forms are available at www.tricare.mil/tya.

Source: TRICARE News Release, 27 April 2011

Error in Pay Deduction for Armed Forces Retirement Home

Published Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:00:16 CDT

The normal MONTHLY deduction for the Armed Forces Retirement home is $.50 ($.25 per payday). However, due to the way the new deduction was implemented in JUMPS $.50 was deducted from the April mid-month pay. There will be no deduction from the April end-month pay (Fri, 29 April pay date). AFRH deductions will resume on the May mid-month payday at a rate of $.25 per payday ($.50 per month).

The AFRH deduction is captured in JUMPS (Segment 56) and represented by object codes (D1506 and D1556).
Only members with the following member types will have AFRH deductions:
- AEZ (Regular Active Duty Enlisted),
- AWZ (Regular Active Duty Warrant Officer),
- RER (Retired Active Duty Enlisted Recalled to Active Duty),
- RWR (Retired Active Duty Warrant Officer Recalled to Active Duty), and
- AEO (Officer Candidate Regular).
The AFRH deduction is not prorated.
If there is any FITW eligible (taxable) pay for a month, AFRH is deducted.

Please see FLAG VOICE 327 or ALCOAST 055/10 for more information on Coast Guard Participation in the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) System.

2011 Household Goods Shipping Information

Published Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:00:16 CDT

ALCOAST 144/11 contains very important information for planning your next PCS move. However, in message format (fixed-width font, all uppercase letters and no white space) it is almost unreadable. We have taken the liberty of reformatting the message to make it a little easier to follow. Hit the link below for the reader-friendly version of ALCOAST 144/11.

www.uscg.mil/ppc/travel/TransferSeason2011HouseholdGoods.pdf

Change 1 to the CG Servicing Personnel Office Manual

Published Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:00:16 CDT

Change 1 to PPCINST M5231.3, Coast Guard Servicing Personnel Office Manual, is now available. This change incorporates the contents of E-Mail ALSPO messages:

A side bar in the margin marks the significant changes. Significant changes include:

Part I, Direct Access/Jumps Overview:
- Chapter 1: Updated to reflect implementation of MyPortalDirect.
- Chapter 2: Changed title to "DA SPO User Roles and Access (HRS/HRSUP)". Added Payment Approval Official (PAO) designation criteria and process. Added requirement SPO Authorized Personnel Roster.
- Chapter 3: Changed title to "Documentation Standards". Added Procedures for Completing Forms and Worksheets and Evidence Supporting Military Payroll Transactions, General Guidance for Servicing Personnel Offices.
- Chapter 4: Provides guidelines for SPOs to follow when providing services to members who are not permanently or temporarily assigned, for a period of more than 60 days, to a unit in the SPO's area of responsibility (AOR).
Part II, Pay Entitlements:
- Chapter 3: Added basic navigation for pay entitlement review and approval.
- Chapters 5, 7, 9 and 11: Added review and approval process
- Section 11-A: Added "Notify PPC Customer Care of any erroneous ESACIP submissions. They will coordinate with PPC (ID) to have the transaction removed from the system".
- Chapter 15: The View Paycheck page now includes LES data and comments/remarks for the current month and the previous 12 months.
Part III, General Transactions:
- Chapter 4: Removed step 7 from Divorce, Annulment or Death of Spouse procedure table. It said to remove the BAH eligibility date when changing spouse to ex-spouse. However, (MAS) needs the date in that field when researching pay entitlement entries that were submitted when the member was married.
Part VI, Separations:
- Chapters 3, 4 and 5: Changed procedure for completing Separation pay tab to reflect that only the Highest Pay Grade Held field is required to be completed by the SPO only when the member is authorized Disability Severance Pay and that all other fields on this tab are "read only". The other fields are populated when the separation request/authorization is approved by CG PSC.
Part VII, Reserve Unique Transactions:
- Chapter 4: Removed requirement to enter stop dates on entitlements. Entitlements will reflect the RELAD date as the stop date upon approving the RELAD.

Mandatory Online Training Requirements for Payment Approving Officials

Published Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:00:16 CDT

E-Mail ALSPO message C/11 announces two new online courses for Payment Approving Officials (PAOs) at Coast Guard Servicing Personnel Offices (SPOs). All PAOs must complete the courses by 1 August 2011. PAOs must repeat the online training courses annually in order to retain certification.

The PAO training (Course code 502360) establishes a formal PAO certification process that provides uniform training to all PAOs. It provides PAOs with a comprehensive skill set enabling them to perform their PAO duties in compliance with appropriation law and Treasury regulations. This training will result in a more competent PAO corps and will assist the USCG in earning clean audit opinions.
The Internal Controls over Financial Reporting (ICOFR) (Course code 810047) training contributes to the awareness of all personnel who cause to be conducted, conduct, or review/approve personnel transactions that have an impact on the creation of USCG financial data. The training content includes an overview of Office of Management & Budget (OMB) Circular A-123 and other documents that describe the federal requirements to have sufficient controls in place to ensure proper execution of financial transactions. In addition, the training provides participants with the background necessary to comply with federal requirements regarding the, entry, accuracy review, and approval of pay transactions that occur at all levels of the Coast Guard.Comprehensive understanding of these principles helps to strengthen the Coast Guard's internal control structure and also assists the USCG with earning clean audit opinions.

The PAO and ICOFR online training courses can be accessed via the Learning Management System (LMS) (https://elearning.uscg.mil/). Both courses are listed in the Acquisitions catalog.

Upon verification of the minimum requirements, and application approval, PPC will provide a formal letter of designation to the member, via the chain of command. The member can then be assigned the PAO competency code in Direct-Access.

DA Portal Timeout and Password Reset Issues

Published Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:00:16 CDT

PPC is aware of time out issues within MyPortalDirect and the Forgot my password option. If you continue to have time out issues for Direct Access (DA) transactions, please use the "Direct Access Content" link under the Enterprise menu. For Forgot my Password issues, please submit a help ticket from the PPC Customer Care web page with a description of the step you are taking, and the text of the error received so we can investigate further.

Financial Audit Readiness Video

Published Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:00:16 CDT

Accurate policy and procedures are of key importance in obtaining a clean financial audit

In a video released today, Coast Guard Commandant, Adm. Robert Papp Jr., and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Michael Leavitt, talk about the significance of the Coast Guard's annual financial audit, its financial position and the important role the men and women of the Coast Guard play in its success.

E-Mail ALSPO B/11; Review and Approval for Pay Entitlement

Published Date: Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:00:16 CST

E-Mail ALSPO B/11, Segregation of Duties, Review and Approval for Individual Pay Entitlement and Multiple Pay Entitlement Transactions, announces the implementation of Direct Access (DA) software changes for improved internal controls for processing individual pay entitlement transactions and updates interim procedures for processing multiple pay entitlement transactions.

E-Mail ALSPO B/11 (PDF Format)

Question on new SGLV-8286 - unusual beneficiary designations

Published Date: Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:00:16 CST

As a byproduct of the recent major update to forms SGLV-8286 and SGLV-8286A for SGLI and FSGLI, some sharp-eyed YNs are reading the instructions afresh. On the new SGLV-8286, near the bottom of page 4, there are instructions on what to do if the member "wants to designate an unusual beneficiary given their family circumstances."

Okay, HOW UNUSUAL does it need to be? What does UNUSUAL look like? Below is the answer from VA. In a nutshell, any flavor other than plain vanilla is probably UNUSUAL.

Also of note, these forms have a line for a CG representative to accept the form. The line should be filled in with a name, and dated. Physical presence of the form in a PDR certainly proves we received it, but for someone is not the beneficiary, that blank line could give a toehold in an effort to impeach the form. You can pay for a lot of lawyer time when the prize has five zeroes ($400,000 SGLI, or $100,000 FSGLI).

Below is an excerpt from the SGLI/VGLI handbook that provides some guidance on this issue. In particular, see (3)b:

6.03 UNCLEAR OR UNUSUAL BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS:
a. There are many instances when the member should clearly designate a specific beneficiary or beneficiaries to ensure that the proceeds are distributed to the persons or persons whom the insured intended to be the beneficiary(ies). Some examples are:
(1) When a member has a parent who has remarried but both natural parents are living; or
(2) When a member is divorced and remarried, but has children living with the first spouse; or
(3) When a member has no immediate next of kin and wants a distant relative or friend to receive the proceeds.
b. When a member is likely to be survived by dependents or parents and designates some other person or entity as beneficiary, a responsible representative of the uniformed service should advise the member to submit a signed memorandum indicating that the member understands the designation is unusual and that the person named by the member as the beneficiary is the person he or she intends to receive the proceeds.
c. Whenever there is any question or doubt as to a beneficiary, the uniformed service should encourage the member to complete form SGLV 8286, Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Election and Certificate, in order to clearly identify the person(s) to whom the proceeds of the insurance should be paid.
d. While the selection of a beneficiary is a matter of free election for the insured and the insured should never be forced to designate otherwise, under Public Law 109-13 if a Servicemember is married the Department of Defense must provide written notification to their spouse of a change of designation. Even with this provision the member should choose to name any beneficiary he/she desires. However, if disregarding dependents or parents in designating beneficiaries, it is desirable that the member document their intent on the designation form.

Your Benefits

Published Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:00:16 CST

By CWO Arnaz Deal, USCG Liaison, DMDC

I just wanted to give Coast Guard members an opportunity to provide feedback on a new web site. This site currently can be used as a tool to see what service members and/or dependents status looks like in DEERS, as well as providing other information.

The web site, myDoDbenefits, needs your input...They want your ideas! If you have a new name that would better represent all the military services or anything else for the web site then let them know. MyDODbenefits offers many things to Service members and their families, including benefit information, personnel, information, education information, self-help (FAQs, printing proof of insurance letter, etc.) and more to come, including ID card information.

Check out the information below for the web site layout, or logon and see for yourself. www.mydodbenefits.dmdc.mil

My Profile Information
- Update contact information (including personal address and duty address) -View personal information (including name, dob, gender, etc.)
Health Care
- Medical/Dental/Pharmacy
- Other Health Insurance
- Claims & Fees
- Immunizations
- Proof of Insurance
Education
- Transfer of Education Benefits
Personnel
- Status
- Civilian Employment Information
- Most Recent AD/ Reservist Information
Help
- FAQs
- Site map
- Contact us
- About us

If you have an idea please reply to Arnaz.Deal@osd.pentagon.mil

Recent Significant Overpayments

Published Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:00:16 CST

By YNC David Nelson, PPC (mas)

In our continued effort to ensure our Coast Guard members are paid accurately every month, we track document accuracy and timeliness and look for opportunities to improve procedures and awareness.

Here are our latest, real-world, examples of what can happen to members when communication breaks down, when SPO staff members may not know the rules, may not do proper research, or do not pay attention to detail:

$13,644.20, Overpayment was for BAH and CONUS COLA entitlements from 30AUG10 - 31JAN11.
- What happened? Member reported to his new unit on 30AUG10, SPO did not complete reporting endorsement until 27DEC10 which auto closed BAH and CONUS COLA segments. No entitlements for the new PDS were started. Debit was built for BAH and CONUS COLA from 30AUG10 - 31DEC10 with no new entitlement to BAH or CONUS COLA to offset it.
- Possible preventative action: Unit entitlement rosters are available to SPOs in Direct Access to quickly identify members with entitlement rows that are closed. BAH would have been easily identifiable on this roster, because all members on AD must have a BAH row open.
$16,265.49, Overpayment was for Pay and Allowances for 16OCT10 - 15JAN11.
- What happened? A Reservist was released from AD orders early on 16OCT10. Corrections to the member's orders were not completed until 11JAN11. Late document submission resulted in the member's pay and allowances continuing 3 months after he was released from orders.
- Possible preventative action: SPO and member/unit communication are vital in maintaining awareness of members' status.
$980.50, Overpayment was due to mandatory Discounted Meal Rate (DMR) deductions not started from 17SEP10 - 15JAN11.
- What happened? Member reported to new PDS on 17SEP10 where mandatory DMR deductions were required (e.g., sea duty). When entitlements were started the member's BAS was not offset by DMR deductions. Documents to correct member's pay to start DMR deductions for the period in question was not submitted until 13JAN11.
- Possible preventative action: Ounce again a unit entitlements roster would have allowed the SPO to quickly identify members with entitlement rows that are closed. The member's unit was a career sea pay (CSP)-eligible vessel where DMR deductions for enlisted personnel should be assumed with exceptions such as TDY, Galley closure, leave, etc. One member without DMR deductions would be questionable when viewed on the roster.
$2,426.73, Overpayment was for BAH w/dependents and COLA w/2 from 02AUG10 - 15JAN11.
- What happened? Effective 02AUG10 member was no longer eligible for BAH w/dependents and COLA w/2. SPO did not submit documents to correct member's entitlement for BAH and COLA to w/o dependents until 30DEC10.
- Possible preventative action: Again, SPO and member/unit communication are vital in maintaining awareness of members' status.

We ask that SPO staff members, of all levels, be mindful of these errors (and their causes) when processing pay and entitlements for their customers and work toward 100% accuracy and timeliness with us.

Military Pay Days-2011

Published Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:00:16 CST

Note: See E-Mail ALSPO M/10; 2011 Pay Transaction Cutoff Dates for the complete payroll processing schedule.

Pay Period	Mid-Month Payday	EOM Payday
January	January 14	February 1
February	February 15	March 1
March	March 15	April 1
April	April 15	April 29
May	May 13	June 1
June	June 15	July 1
July	July 15	August 1
August	August 15	September 1
September	September 15	September 30
October	October 14	November 1
November	November 15	December 1
December	December 15	December 30

Availability of Funds

Source: Treasury's 'Green Book'

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.

Direct Deposit Payments

Published Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:00:16 CST

Modernization of Treasury Department payment systems ensures "on time, every time" payment delivery.

What does this mean for Coast Guard members? Effective with 15 February pay day, FMS Kansas City will not release payments to the Federal Reserve Bank until the evening prior to pay day. This means that most banks will not have your payment posted until the morning of the actual pay day and some of the smaller banks and credit unions may not have monies posted until later in the day.

January End-Month Payroll Processing Cycle

Published Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:00:16 CST

LES and W2 data loads into DA, described in earlier postings, have been delayed. Our internal controls identified some initial errors in the end of month pay compute cycle that posted LES data in DA yesterday. We are running another compute cycle that should correct the majority of internal errors we detected. We are running the re-compute now and will review payroll data again for accuracy, and then new, corrected LES data will be posted in DA. We expect this re-compute cycle to address the vast majority of issues we detected. Again - it won't be done until late today, so new LES data will not be posted in DA until then.

eLes (DA View Paycheck Pay) Now Includes Remarks Going Back 12 Months

Published Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2011 10:00:16 CST

Resynchronization from JUMPS to Direct Access (DA) for the January, 2011 production cycle is complete. Leave and Earnings Statements for January can be accessed using DA self-service View Paycheck or by SPOs using the Enterprise Menu, Compensate Employees, View.

Beginning with this payroll production cycle, LES comments/remarks for the current and previous 13 months are accessible online.

2011 Federal Income Tax Withholding

Published Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2011 10:00:16 CST

Making Work Pay credit

The Making Work Pay credit expired on December 31, 2010. As a result:

The income tax withholding tables for 2011 are not adjusted for the Making Work Pay credit.
There is no longer an optional additional withholding adjustment for pensions.

See IRS Notice 1036 for the 2011 federal income tax withholding tables. The tax rates in the new tables are higher due to expiration of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which had lowered withholding rates for calendar years 2009 and 2010. If you would like to change the amount of your federal tax withholding, please complete a new IRS form W-4 (W-4P if you are an annuitant or former spouse).

Advance payment of earned income credit (EIC)

The option of receiving advance payroll payments of EIC expired on December 31, 2010. Individuals who received advance payments of EIC in 2010 must file a 2010 federal income tax return. Individuals eligible for EIC in 2011 can still claim the credit when they file their 2011 federal income tax return. In addition, if you expect to be eligible for the EIC and will have income tax withheld from your wages in 2011, you may reduce your withholding in order to receive the benefit of a portion of the credit throughout the year. Complete a new IRS form W-4 to change withholding.

After 2010, you can no longer get advance payments of the credit in your pay during the year as you could in 2010 and earlier years. This is because the law has changed. However, if you are eligible, you will still be able to claim the credit on your return, as explained in IRS publication 596.

IRS Kicks Off 2011 Tax Season

Published Date: Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:00:16 CST
IRS Kicks Off 2011 Tax Season

The IRS opened the 2011 tax filing season by announcing that taxpayers have until April 18 to file their returns and reminded taxpayers to e-file as the best way to ensure accurate tax returns and get faster refunds.

Taxpayers will have until Monday, April 18 to file their 2010 tax returns and pay any tax due because Emancipation Day, a holiday observed in the District of Columbia, falls this year on Friday, April 15. By law, District of Columbia holidays impact tax deadlines in the same way that federal holidays do; therefore, all taxpayers will have three extra days to file this year. Taxpayers requesting an extension will have until Oct. 17 to file their 2010 tax returns.

Some people may need to wait until mid- to late Febrary to file

For most taxpayers, the 2011 tax filing season starts on schedule. However, tax law changes enacted by Congress and signed by President Obama in December mean some people need to wait until mid- to late February to file their tax returns in order to give the IRS time to reprogram its processing systems.

Some taxpayers -- including those who itemize deductions on Form 1040 Schedule A -- will need to wait to file. This includes taxpayers impacted by any of three tax provisions that expired at the end of 2009 and were renewed by the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act Of 2010 enacted Dec. 17. Those who need to wait to file include:

Taxpayers Claiming Itemized Deductions on Schedule A. Itemized deductions include mortgage interest, charitable deductions, medical and dental expenses as well as state and local taxes. In addition, itemized deductions include the state and local general sales tax deduction that was also extended and which primarily benefits people living in areas without state and local income taxes. Because of late Congressional action to enact tax law changes, anyone who itemizes and files a Schedule A will need to wait to file until mid- to late February.
Taxpayers Claiming the Higher Education Tuition and Fees Deduction. This deduction for parents and students -- covering up to $4,000 of tuition and fees paid to a post-secondary institution -- is claimed on Form 8917. However, the IRS emphasized that there will be no delays for millions of parents and students who claim other education credits, including the American Opportunity Tax Credit extended last month and the Lifetime Learning Credit.
Taxpayers Claiming the Educator Expense Deduction. This deduction is for kindergarten through grade 12 educators with out-of-pocket classroom expenses of up to $250. The educator expense deduction is claimed on Form 1040, Line 23 and Form 1040A, Line 16.

In addition to extending those tax deductions for 2010, the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act also extended those deductions for 2011 and a number of other tax deductions and credits for 2011 and 2012 such as the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the modified Child Tax Credit, which help families pay for college and other child-related expenses. The Act also provides various job creation and investment incentives including 100 percent expensing and a two-percent payroll tax reduction for 2011. Those changes have no effect on the 2011 filing season.

The IRS will announce a specific date in the near future when it can start processing tax returns impacted by the recent tax law changes. In the interim, taxpayers affected by these tax law changes can start working on their tax returns, but they should not submit their returns until IRS systems are ready to process the new tax law changes. Additional information will be available at http://www.irs.gov/.

Please read the full press release at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=233910,00.html for more details.

PCS Mileage (MALT) Rate Change

Published Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:00:16 CST

Effective 1 January 2011, the MALT (monetary allowance in lieu of transportation) rate per authorized POC (privately owed conveyance) is $.19 (nineteen cents) per mile. This rate is effective for all PCS travel that commences on or after 1 January 2011 (i.e., the initial travel is started).

FICA Tax Decrease for 2011

Published Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:00:16 CST

The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 provides a two percentage point payroll tax cut for employees, reducing their Social Security tax withholding rate from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent of wages paid. This change is for the calendar year 2011 only at this time. The Coast Guard's portion of Social Security tax remains at 6.2%. The effective date of change is January 1, 2011.

2010 Wage and Tax Statement (IRS Form W-2) Procedures

Published Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:00:16 CST

On 20 January 2011 we will began loading IRS Form W-2 information into Direct-Access Self-Service for Coast Guard military personnel (active duty and reserve only). The W-2 data is not an "electronic" W-2 that you can print and mail with your tax return. However, the W-2 data reflects the information on the paper W-2 that is mailed annually at the end of January. If you are an electronic filer, you can use the information on the Direct Access Self Service W-2 data page to prepare and file your 2010 return. Earnings and withholding information from our pay system is transmitted to the IRS, but we do not exchange W-2 data with any commercial software or tax preparation firms.

Here's an example of the self-service W-2 data page:
the W2 data page

W-2 data will be available in Direct Access Self-Service for most active duty and reserve personnel by 21 January 2011. The W-2 data is loaded in two "batches". The first batch, scheduled for 20/21 January, will include data for the majority of our active and reserve members, possible exceptions include:

Members whose accounts were newly established in late 2010
Members who separated or retired in 2010
Members who received special, "off-line", payments in December 2010.

If your W-2 data isn't available on 21 January, please check back on or after 03 February after the second batch is loaded.

Mailing of Wage and Tax Statements

Wage and Tax Statements (IRS Form W-2) are mailed no later than 31 January of each year. Lost or missing Wage and Tax Statements should be reported after 15 February. No requests will be processed before 15 February to allow for mail delivery delays.

Wage and Tax Statements are prepared after end-month cutoff in January of each year. Address changes must be entered into Direct Access prior to the cutoff for the mid-January compute cycle (05 January 2011) in order for the forms to be mailed to that address.

Requesting a duplicate Wage and Tax Statement

Active duty, reserve, separated or retired members may use our CG-2016, W-2 request form to request a duplicate IRS Form W-2.

Completely fill in the pertaining areas, and fax it to the U.S. Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center (PPC) SES in Topeka at 785 339-3784.

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