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My Coast Guard
Commentary | Jan. 14, 2022

ALCGENL 003/22: May 2022 Service-Wide Examination (SWE) Competition

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R 141534Z JAN 22

BT

UNCLAS //N01430//

ALCGENL 003/22

SUBJ: May 2022 SERVICE WIDE EXAMINATION (SWE) COMPETITION

A. COMDT COGARD Washington DC ACN 110-21
B. Service Wide Examination (SWE) Guide
C. Enlistments, Evaluations, and Advancements, COMDTINST M1000.2 (series)
D. Performance, Training and Education Manual, COMDTINST M1500.10C
E. ERATS Winter update ACN 142-21 
F. Military Separations, COMDTINST M1000.4 (series)

Summary

This message announces the May 2022 SWE competition for all Ratings, except MU.

IAW, Ref A, the Coast Guard has moved to a single, annual examination for all active duty enlisted members competing for advancement to pay grades E5 - E8. Commanding Officers (CO) must ensure dissemination of this ALCGENL to all active duty enlisted members in their AOR.

Members planning to compete in the SWE shall be aware of the requirements and guidelines contained in this ALCGENL. Failure to do so is not justification for a waiver to compete in the SWE.

Furthermore, units, SWE Officers, Education Services Officers and members planning to compete in the SWE shall familiarize themselves with the contents of refs A thru F.

Schedule

SWEs will be administered per the following schedule. Any requests for deviation must comply with Refs B and C.

  • AM 03 MAY 2022 (Tuesday) SWE for ADV to E-5
  • PM 04 MAY 2022 (Wednesday) SWE for ADV to E-6
  • AM 05 MAY 2022 (Thursday) SWE for ADV to E-7
  • PM 06 MAY 2022 (Friday) SWE for ADV to E-8

Waivers

This ALCGENL supersedes previously published waivers. The following waivers apply:

  • SWE. The May 2022 SWE is waived for BM2 only and will continue to be administered as a supplemental advancement list.
  • RAT/AQE. Per ref E all Rating Advancement Tests (RAT) and Enlisted Professional Military Education (EPME) Advancement Qualification Exams (AQE) are waived indefinitely.
  • Advancement Requirement Waivers. Requests for waivers of advancement requirements or waivers of completion deadlines must be sent prior to 01 February 2022 the SWE Eligibility
  • Date (SED). Failure by a candidate, supervisor or supporting command to fulfill their responsibilities is not justification for a waiver of the PDE correction deadline (01 April 2022). Using the template in ref B, send requests for waivers via e-mail to PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil and include member’s CO/XO in Cc line.

Candidate Responsibilities

The online PDE must show a status of “Eligible” in order to receive an exam. Candidates who participated in the previous SWE should not assume eligibility on the upcoming SWE. The PDE for the upcoming SWE must be verified. Candidates expecting extended time away from their unit (ie. Extensive “C” school, deployments, TDY, maternity leave, etc.) from the SED to the end of the correction period should make alternate arrangements to verify and correct their PDE. Candidates are solely responsible for accuracy of all PDE data, including where the SWE will be shipped (Exam Board DEPT ID). Report any incorrect PDE data to the unit Admin or Servicing Personnel Office (SPO). After reporting incorrect data, the candidate must follow up to ensure PDE corrections were made by again verifying the updated online PDE prior to the 01 April 2022 PDE correction deadline. If the online PDE has not been corrected, the candidate must submit a Trouble Ticket prior to 01 April 2022 to PPC by e-mail to PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil. PDE corrections must be visible on the online PDE and completed NLT 01 April 2022. Failure to report and verify online PDE corrections by the deadline will result in a “Not Eligible” status for the SWE or loss of points in the final multiple. PDEs will be posted online in Direct Access (DA) under Self Service tab in February 2022.

Per Chapter 3 of Ref F, active duty enlisted members who reach or exceed their PGP on or before 31 December 2022 (2023 HYT Candidates) must separate or retire on or before 01 September 2023 unless granted a waiver. HYT candidates who meet all SWE eligibility can still participate in the 2022 SWE; however, they will not be guaranteed advancement, even if placed above the published cutoff, unless granted a HYT Waiver from CG PSC-EPM that includes an advancement authorization. For more information regarding HYT visit PSC-EPM-1’s website at https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/psc/psc-epm/SitePages/HYT.aspx.

EPME EPQs. Updated EPME EPQ guidance can be found at the ERATS CG Portal page at
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/communities/erats/SitePages/Home.aspx.

Command Responsibilities

CO responsibilities are detailed in Article 3.A.4. and fully amplified throughout Chapter 3 of Ref C. The most common reason for member ineligibility is missing the most recent Enlisted Employee Review (EER). Per Article 3.A.5 of ref C, each candidate must have a current EER with a CO’s recommendation for each new SWE cycle. For members competing in the SWE, the EER must be dated after 01 February 2021 and NLT than 01 February 2022. SWE-EERs must have all competencies populated in order to be valid. SWE-EERs must be finalized in DA NLT the 01 April 2022 PDE correction deadline date with an effective date NLT 01 February 2022. SWE-EERs are not permitted when a Commanding Officer Recommendation Change (CORC) will suffice. For assistance with SWE-EERs, submit an email to HQS-SMB-CGPSC-EPM-3-Evaluations@uscg.mil.

If the CO wishes to change an advancement recommendation, the CO must submit a Commanding Officer Recommendation Change (CORC)-EER per Article 4.D.3.i of Ref C. CORC-EERs must be received NLT the 01 April 2022 PDE correction deadline. Note, CORC-EERs must have an effective date NLT 01 February 2022. For any EER questions, including CORCs, contact HQS-SMB-CGPSCEPM-3-Evaluations@uscg.mil or the website at https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/psc/psc-epm/SitePages/EPM-3.aspx.

Any E4 or E5 member who completed the previous EPME EPQs prior to the May 2022 Service Wide Eligibility Deadline (SED) of 01 February 2022 is hereby permitted to be marked “Ready” on their March/April regular EER. Any E4 or E5 member who completed the previous EPME EPQs prior to the May 2022 SED and competes in the May 2022 SWE is hereby permitted to be marked “Ready” on any non-discipline EER in their current grade through 30 June 2022 in order to remain eligible for advancement off the May 2022 SWE. Any E6 and above member who completed the previous EPME EPQs prior to the May 2021 (SED) and competes in the May 2022 SWE is hereby permitted to be marked “Ready” on any non-discipline type EER in their current grade through 31 December 2023.

The CO shall verify the candidate’s most current Rating Performance Qualifications (RPQs) and Enlisted Performance Qualification Standards (EPQS) were signed off NLT 01 February 2022. RPQs and EPQs must be completed and entered into Direct Access. A competency entry process guide has been created and is located on the ERATS CG PORTAL page. The Commanding Officer or Reviewer shall verify a candidate has completed the necessary qualifications and authorize entry into DA by the unit’s Personnel and Administration (P&A) entity. The completion and approval date of the rating competency code and enlisted performance qualification codes recorded in DA must have an effective date on or prior to the 01 February 2022 SED to be considered for the May 2022 SWE. Both competency codes must appear in the member’s DA competency record to receive an “Eligible” PDE. Commands may enter backdated competency codes into DA during the PDE correction period up until the 01 April 2022 PDE correction deadline date. It is highly recommended the competency code be entered prior to the 01 February 2022 SED so the initial PDE shows a status of “Eligible” rather than entering backdated competency codes and requesting PDE updates after PDEs are released.

Units away from homeport on continuous deployment from early March until the SWE date can request early mailing of SWEs. Request of early mailing must be sent to PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil. 

Exam board DEPT ID changes must be requested on or before 01 April 2022. DEPT ID changes are requested via PPC trouble ticket by submitting an email to PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil.

Waivers of advancement requirements or completion deadlines must be requested on or before 01 April 2022.

Substitute SWEs must be requested by 13 May 2022. SWE Officers administering substitute exams shall adhere to the guidance outlined in 3.B.2 of ref C and Page 27 of the SWE Officer Handbook. Substitute exams must be administered on the date authorized by PPC and may not be delayed due to personal leave or convenience.

SWE Officers forwarding exams for deployed members shall ensure a copy of the SWE Officer Handbook is included with the package and shall establish a method to verify receipt. This can be done by the required traceable shipment and an email to receiving command. SWE Officers forwarding exams OUTCONUS, or to deployed or underway units may contact PPC for additional guidance and can request hand carry by authorized personnel as a method of shipment.

SPO Responsibilities

Last day to complete PDE corrections in DA: 01 April 2022.

PPC Responsibilities

a. Post PDEs in DA: February 2022.
b. Early mailing of SWEs to underway units: March 2022.
c. Mail SWEs to exam boards: April 2022.
d. Compute final multiple: June 2022.
e. Post profile letters in DA:  June 2022.

PSC Responsibilities.

Publish SWE advancement eligibility list June 2022.

Miscellaneous

All candidates may use non-programmable calculators. Consult the “SWE Officer Handbook”, on the PPC web pages at the following link: https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/ppc/SitePages/Advancements%20and%20Evaluations%20Branch.aspx for information regarding items that may be used by BM/OS candidates.

EERs in current pay grade will be used to compute the marks multiple within the date ranges listed in Article 3.A.7.b of ref C. The Point Start Date (PSD) shown on the PDE will be computed per Article 3.A.17.c of ref C and used to determine sea, surf, and award points. Candidates who advanced on/after 01 January 2010 will have a PSD equal to the day following the SED for that advancement. Candidates who have not advanced since 01 January 2010 will show a PSD equal to their Active Duty Base Date (ADBD). Candidates with broken service and with an adjusted ADBD may contact PPC by e-mail at PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil to request a PSD adjustment to capture prior service awards.

Resources

PPC(ADV) is the single POC for all SWE inquiries. They can be reached by e-mail at PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil. For additional SWE information go to the PPC (ADV) home page at https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/ppc/SitePages/Advancements%20and%20Evaluations%20Branch.aspx.

CAPT J. A. Carter, Chief, Enlisted Personnel Management, CG Personnel Service Center, sends.

Internet release authorized.

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