ALCGENL 103/18 - NOVEMBER 2018 SERVICE WIDE EXAMINATION (SWE) COMPETITION

united states coast guard

R 16 JUL 18

ALCGENL 103/18
SUBJ: NOVEMBER 2018 SERVICE WIDE EXAMINATION (SWE) COMPETITION
A. Service Wide Examination (SWE) Guide, PPCINST M1418.1
B. Enlistments, Evaluations, and Advancements, COMDTINST M1000.2B
C. Performance, Training, and Education Manual, COMDTINST M1500.10C
D. COMCOGARD FORCECOM NORFOLK VA 151424 MAR 18 ACN 031/18, ERATS Winter
2018 Update
E. COMCOGARD FORCECOM NORFOLK VA 101033 JUL 18 ACN 067/18, ERATS Summer
2018
F. Military Separations, COMDTINST M1000.4
1. Summary. This message announces the November 2018 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 November 2018 SWE need to be aware of these
requirements, as well as their responsibility to confirm all
requirements are met.  Failure to review and follow the guidelines of
this message will not justify a waiver of its requirements.  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 01 Nov 2018 (Thursday) SWE for ADV to E-5
b. PM 01 Nov 2018 (Thursday) SWE for ADV to E-6
3. Waivers.  This ALCGENL supersedes previously published waivers.  The
following waivers apply:
a. SWE.  The only waived rating for the November 2018 SWE is BM2.
b. RAT/AQE.  Per Refs D and E, all Rating Advancement Tests (RAT) and
EPME Advancement Qualification Exams (AQE) are waived indefinitely.
c. EPME EPQs.  Per Ref E, the following Enlisted Performance
Qualification (EPQs) do not require completion to compete in the
November 2018 SWE, nor will they be testable: 5.2.1, 5.2.2, 5.2.3,
5.3.3, 6.1.1, 6.2.1, 6.2.3, and 6.2.4.  In addition, EPQs 4.2.1, 4.2.2,
and 4.3.1 are not testable.
d. Requests for waivers of advancement requirements or waivers of
completion deadlines must be sent prior to the 01 October 2018 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 member’s 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 2018 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 2018 PDE correction deadline.  If
the online PDE has not been corrected, the candidate shall submit a
Trouble Ticket NLT 01 October 2018 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 2018.  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 2018.
b. Per Chapter 3 of Ref F, active duty enlisted members who reach or
exceed their Professional Growth Point on or before 31 December 2018
(2018 High Year Tenure (HYT) Candidates) must separate or retire on or
before 01 September 2019 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
website at https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/psc/psc-
epm/SitePages/HYT.aspx.
5. Command Responsibilities.
a. CO’s 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 2018 and NLT 01
August 2018.  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 2018 and NLT 01 August
2018.  SWE-EERs must be finalized in DA NLT the 01 October 2018 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 must submit a CO’s recommendation change (CORC EER)
and shall be submitted per Article 4.D.3.i of Ref B.  Changes of CO’s
recommendation must be received NLT the 01 October 2018 PDE correction
deadline.  Note, CORC EERs must have an effective date NLT 01 August
2018.
c. The CO shall verify the candidate’s most current Rating Performance
Qualifications (RPQs) were signed off NLT 01 August 2018.  The primary
tool for entering completed RPQs remains the Training Management Tool
(TMT).  For ratings with new or revised RPQs, entry in TMT is not
available at this time. Commands are authorized to enter a member’s
rating competency directly in DA.  The following ratings are impacted
by the TMT issues: AMT, EM, MST and OS. Per Ref E, a competency entry
process guide is available on the ERATS Portal Page.  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 or DA must have an effective
date on or prior to the 01 August 2018 SWE Eligibility Date (SED) to be
considered for the November 2018 SWE.  Commands may enter backdated
competency codes into TMT and DA during the PDE correction period up
until the 01 October 2018 PDE correction deadline date.  It is highly
recommended the competency codes be entered prior to the 01 August 2018
SED so the initial PDE shows a status of “Eligible” rather than
entering backdated competency codes and requesting PDE updates after
PDEs are released.  Commands experiencing issues with the upload of
competency codes from TMT to DA are authorized to contact their
servicing ADMIN to have the competency code entered directly into DA.
d. As outlined in REF E, there is currently no competency code
available in TMT to certify completion of the EPME EPQs.  COs 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 01 August 2018 SED.  Deferral of
Leadership and Management School (LAMS) tasks does not waive the
requirement for E-5 members to complete LAMS on/prior to the 01 August
2018 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 2018 and 01 October 2018.
f. Requests to change a shipping address for a member’s exam (Exam
Board OPFAC change), must be sent to PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil on or
before 01 October 2018.
g. Requests for waivers of advancement requirements or completion
deadlines must be sent to PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil on or before 01
October 2018.
h. Requests for substitute SWEs must be sent to PPC-DG-
CustomerCare@uscg.mil NLT 09 November 2018.
6. SPO Responsibilities.  Last day to complete PDE corrections in DA:
01 October 2018.
7. PPC Responsibilities.
a. Post PDEs in DA:  August 2018.
b. Early mailing of SWEs to underway units:  September 2018.
c. Mail SWEs to exam boards:  October 2018.
d. Compute final multiple:  December 2018.
e. Post profile letters in DA:  December 2018.
8. PSC Responsibilities.  Publish SWE advancement eligibility list:
December 2018.
9. Miscellaneous.
a. All candidates may use non-programmable calculators.  Consult the
“SWE Officer Handbook”, available at PSC-PPC (ADV) homepage at
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/ppc/SitePages/Advancements%20and%20Eva
luations%20Branch.aspx, 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.17.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 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. PSC-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 PSC-PPC (ADV) home page at
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/ppc/SitePages/Advancements%20and%20Eva
luations%20Branch.aspx.
11. CAPT S. Matadobra, Chief, Enlisted Personnel Management Division,
CG Personnel Service Center, sends.
12. Internet release authorized.