ALCGENL 083/17 - NOVEMBER 2017 SERVICE WIDE EXAMINATION (SWE) COMPETITION

R 20 JUN 17

ALCGENL 083/17
SUBJ: NOVEMBER 2017 SERVICE WIDE EXAMINATION (SWE) COMPETITION
A. Service Wide Examination (SWE) Guide, PPCINST M1418.1 (series)
B. Enlisted Accessions, Evaluations, and Advancements, COMDTINST
M1000.2 (series)
C. Performance, Training and Education Manual, COMDTINST M1500.10
(series)
D. COMCOGARD FORCECOM NORFOLK VA 091427 SEP 16 ACN 323/16
E. COMCOGARD FORCECOM NORFOLK VA 060842 JAN 17 ACN 004/17
F. Military Separations, COMDTINST M1000.4 (series)
1. Summary. This message announces the November 2017 SWE competition for
all ratings, except MU, for advancement to pay grades E-5 and E-6.
Commanding Officers (CO) must ensure dissemination of this message to
all active duty enlisted members in their AOR. Members planning to
participate in the 2017 November SWE need to be aware of the
requirements contained in this ALCGENL and listed references and their
responsibility to confirm all requirements are met. Units, SWE Officers,
Education Service Officers (ESOs), and affected members shall
familiarize themselves with the contents of Refs A thru F and this
ALCGENL.
2. Schedule. SWEs will be administered per the following schedule.
Any requests for deviation must comply with Refs A and B.
a. AM 02 Nov 2017 (Thursday) SWE for ADV to E-5
b. PM 02 Nov 2017 (Thursday) SWE for ADV to E-6
3. WAIVERS. This ALCGENL supersedes previously published waivers. The
following waivers apply:
a. SWE. No rating will have the November 2017 SWE waived.
b. RAT/AQE. Per Ref D, ALL Rating Advancement Tests (RAT) and EPME
Advancement Qualification Exams (AQE) are waived indefinitely.
c. EPME EPQs.  A number of references listed for some Enlisted
Performance Qualifications (EPQs) are still under development;
therefore, the following EPQs shall be deferred for the November 2017
SWE: 5.3.2 LEAD a work detail, 5.2.1 COUNSEL subordinates, 6.1.1 COUNSEL
subordinates on their performance evaluation, 6.2.3 COUNSEL a member on
their IDP, and 6.2.4 GIVE a brief.
d. Waiver requests of advancement requirements or completion deadlines
must be sent prior to the 01 October 2017 Personal Data Extract (PDE)
correction deadline. Failure by a candidate, supervisor or supporting
command to fulfill their responsibilities is not justification for a
waiver of the PDE correction deadline. Using the template in Ref A, send
requests for waivers by e-mail to PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil and
include members CO/XO in Cc line.
4.  Candidate Responsibilities. 
a.  The online PDE must show a status of “Eligible” in order to receive
an exam.  Candidates who participated in the previous SWE shall not
assume eligibility. The PDE for the 2017 November SWE must be verified. 
The candidate is solely responsible for the accuracy of all PDE data. 
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 online PDE
prior to the 01 October 2017 PDE correction deadline.  If the online PDE
has not been corrected, the candidate shall submit a Trouble Ticket NLT
01 October 2017 to PPC by e-mail to PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil.   PDE
corrections must be visible on the online PDE and completed NLT 01
October 2017.  Failure to report and verify online PDE corrections by
the established 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 August 2017.
b.  Per Chapter 3 of Ref F, active duty enlisted members who reach or
exceed their PGP on or before 31 December 2017 (2018 HYT Candidates)
must separate or retire on or before 1 September 2018 unless granted a
waiver.  HYT candidates who meet all SWE eligibility requirements can
still participate in the SWE, however, will not be guaranteed
advancement even if placed above the published cutoff, unless the HYT
Panel grants a waiver with advancement authorization.  For more
information regarding HYT visit PSC-epm-1’s CG Portal page at
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/psc/psc-epm/SitePages/HYT.aspx. 
5.  Command Responsibilities.
a.  Commanding officer responsibilities are detailed in Article 3.A.4.b
and fully amplified throughout Chapter 3 of Ref B.  The most common
reason for member ineligibility is a missing current Enlisted Employee
Review (EER).  Per Article 3.A.5 of Ref B, each candidate must have a
current EER with a CO’s recommendation for each new SWE cycle.  For E-5
and E-6 candidates, the EER must be dated after 01 February 2017 and NLT
01 August 2017.  If an EER was not completed due to reasons listed in
Article 4.C.1.b(4) of Ref B, commands shall complete a “SWE-EER” with an
EER effective date which is after 01 February 2017 and NLT 01 August
2017.  SWE-EERs must be finalized in DA NLT the 1 October 2017 PDE
correction deadline date.  It is recommended that commands backdate the
SWE-EER to create a gap of over 92 days before the next semi-annual EER
due date in order to keep the member on a normal EER schedule.  SWE-EERs
cannot be submitted to only change a CO’s recommendation.  Submit emails
to PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil for assistance with EERs.
b.  If the CO wishes to change an advancement recommendation, the
Approving Official who assigned that current EER must submit a CO’s
recommendation change (CORC EER) and shall be submitted per Article
4.C.2.c(9) of Ref B.  Changes of CO’s recommendation must be received
NLT the 01 October 2017 PDE correction deadline.  Note, “CORC” EERs must
have an effective date NLT 01 August 2017.
c.  The CO shall verify the candidate’s most current RPQs were signed
off NLT 01 August 2017.  Rating Performance Qualifications (RPQs) must
be completed and entered in Training Management Tool (TMT) for all
candidates.  After completing RPQs the member must be assigned a “Rating
Competency Code” in TMT.  After rating competency codes are approved in
TMT, they will auto-upload into the member competency record in DA
within 48 hours.  The rating competency code must appear in the members
DA competency record to receive an “Eligible” PDE.  The completion and
approval date of the rating competency code recorded in TMT must have an
effective date on or prior to the 01 August 2017 SWE Eligibility Date
(SED) to be considered for the November 2017 SWE.  Commands may enter
backdated competency codes into TMT during the PDE correction period up
until the 01 October 2017 PDE correction deadline date.  It’s highly
recommended the competency codes be entered prior to the 01 August 2017
SED so the initial PDE shows a status of “Eligible” rather than entering
backdated competency codes and requesting PDE updates after PDEs are
released. 
d.  As outlined in REF E, there is currently no competency code
available in TMT to certify completion of the EPME Enlisted Performance
Qualifications (EPQs).  Commanding officers remain the certifying
authority for completion of EPQs.  Unless deferred as outlined in the
individual EPQ or in paragraph 3.c of this message, all EPQs must be
completed by the 1 August 2017 SED.  Deferral of LAMS tasks does not
waive the requirement for E5 members to complete LAMS on/prior to the 1
August 2017 SED.
e.  Units scheduled to be away from homeport on continuous deployment
from early October up to the SWE date must request early mailing of
SWEs.  Requests for early mailing of SWEs must be sent to PPC-DG-
CustomerCare@uscg.mil between 11 September 2017 and 1 October 2017.
f.  Requests to change a shipping address for a members exam (Exam board
OPFAC change), must be sent to PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil on or before
01 October 2017.
g.  Requests for waivers of advancement requirements or completion
deadlines must be sent to PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil on or before 01
October 2017.
h.  Requests for substitute SWEs must be sent to PPC-DG-
CustomerCare@uscg.mil NLT 9 November 2017.
6.  SPO Responsibilities.  Last day to complete PDE corrections in DA:
01 October 2017.
7.  PPC Responsibilities.
a.  Post PDEs in DA:  August 2017
b.  Early mailing of SWEs to underway units:  September 2017.
c.  Mail SWEs to exam boards:  October 2017.
d.  Compute final multiple:  December 2017.
e.  Post profile letters in DA:  December 2017.
8.  PSC Responsibilities.  Publish SWE advancement eligibility list:
December 2017.
9.  Miscellaneous.
a.  All candidates may use non-programmable calculators.  Consult the
“SWE Officer Handbook”, which is provided with the SWE shipment, for
information regarding items that may be used by BM/OS candidates.
b.  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 B.
c.  The Point Start Date (PSD) shown on the PDE will be computed per
Article 3.A.16.c of Ref B 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 SWE Eligibility Date (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.
10.  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%20Eval
uations%20Branch.aspx.
11.  CAPT C. E. Fosse, Chief, Enlisted Personnel Management, CG
Personnel Service Center, sends.
12.  Internet release authorized.