ALCGENL 133/19 - NOVEMBER 2019 SERVICE WIDE EXAMINATION (SWE) COMPETITION

united states coast guard

R 25 JUL 19

ALCGENL 133/19
SUBJ:  NOVEMBER 2019 SERVICE WIDE EXAMINATION (SWE) COMPETITION
A.  Service Wide Examination (SWE) Guide, PPCINST M1418.1 (series)
B.  Enlistments, Evaluations, and Advancements, COMDTINST M1000.2B (series)
C.  Performance, Training and Education Manual, COMDTINST M1500.10C
D.  COMCOGARD FORCECOM NORFOLK VA 151126 FEB 19 ACN 011/19
E.  Military Separations, COMDTINST M1000.4 (series)
1.  Summary. This message announces the November 2019 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 SWE
need to be aware of these requirements, as well as their responsibility to
confirm they are met.  Failure to review and follow the guidelines of this
message will not justify a waiver of its requirements.  Units, SWE Officers,
Education Services Officers, and affected members shall familiarize themselves
with the contents of Refs A through E 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 07 NOV 2019 (Thursday) SWE for ADV to E-5
b.  PM 07 NOV 2019 (Thursday) SWE for ADV to E-6
3.  Waivers.  This ALCGENL supersedes previously published waivers.  The
following waivers apply:
a.  SWE.  The November 2019 SWE is waived for BM2 only and is continued as a
supplemental advancement list.
b.  RAT/AQE.  Per Ref D, all Rating Advancement Tests (RAT) and Enlisted
Professional Military Education (EPME) Advancement Qualification Exams (AQE)
are waived indefinitely. 
c.  Advancement Requirement Waivers.  Requests for waivers of advancement
requirements or waivers of completion deadlines must be sent prior to the 01
October 2019 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 via e-mail to PPC-DG-
CustomerCare@uscg.mil and include member's CO/Executive Officer 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 on the upcoming SWE.  The PDE for the upcoming SWE must be
verified.  The candidate is solely responsible for accuracy of all PDE data,
including where the SWE will be shipped (Exam Board OPFAC).  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 October 2019 PDE correction deadline.  If the online PDE has not been
corrected, the candidate shall submit a Trouble Ticket prior to 01 October
2019 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 2019.  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 the Self Service tab in
August 2019.
b.  Per Chapter 3 of Ref E, active duty enlisted members who reach or exceed
their Professional Growth Point (PGP) on or before 31 December 2019 (2020 High
Year Tenure (HYT) Candidates) must separate or retire on or before 1 September
2020 unless granted a waiver.  HYT candidates who meet all SWE eligibility can
still participate in the 2019 SWE, however, will not be guaranteed advancement
even if placed above the published cutoff, unless the HYT Panel grants member
a waiver and the waiver includes advancement authorization.  For more information
regarding HYT, visit PSC-EPM-1’s website at https://www.uscg.mil/epm/epm1/HYT/
HYTdefault.asp.
c. EPME EPQs.  Updated EPME Enlisted Performance Qualifications (EPQ) guidance
can be found at the Enlisted Rating Advancement Training System (ERATS) CG Portal
page at the following URL:  http://cglink.uscg.mil/320dcb99. Completion of the
EPME 2.0 EPQs begins with the November 2019 SWE. 
5.  Command Responsibilities.
a.  CO responsibilities are detailed in Article 3.A.4. 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 1 February 2019 and NLT than 1 August 2019.  SWE type
EERs must have all competencies populated in order to be valid.  SWE-EERs
must be finalized in DA NLT the 1 October 2019 PDE correction deadline date. 
It is recommended that commands backdate the SWE-EER to create a gap of over 92
days for E-5 and below or 184 days for E-6, before the next semi-annual or
annual EER due date in order to keep the member on a normal EER schedule. 
SWE-EERs cannot be submitted only to change a CO recommendation.  For
assistance with SWE-EERs, submit an email to PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil. 
b.  If the CO wishes to change an advancement recommendation, the CO must
submit a Commanding Officer Recommendation Change (CORC) type EER per Article
4.D.3.i of Ref B.  CORC EERs must be received NLT the 01 October 2019 PDE
correction deadline.  Note, CORC EERs must have an effective date NLT 01
August 2019 and the CORC EER shall not be used to reverse the advancement
recommendation of a discipline EER.  For any EER questions, including CORCs,
contact EPM-3 ARL-SMB-CGPSC-EPM-Evaluations ARL-SMB-CGPSC-EPM-
Evaluations@uscg.mil or the website https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/psc/psc-
epm/SitePages/EPM-3.aspx.
c.  The CO shall verify the candidate’s most current Rating Performance
Qualifications (RPQs) and Enlisted Performance Qualifications (EPQs) were
signed off NLT 01 August 2019.  RPQs and EPQs must be completed and entered
in Training Management Tool (TMT) for all candidates, except those ratings
with revised or new RPQs. For a number of ratings, TMT is not being programmed
to match new or revised RPQs or EPQs.  In these circumstances, commands are
authorized to enter competency completions directly into DA.  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 following ratings are currently
impacted by these TMT issues:  AMT, DC, GM, EM, HS, MK, MST, OS, and SK. The
completion and approval date of the rating competency code and EPQ codes
recorded in TMT or DA must have an effective date on or prior to the 01 August
2019 SWE Eligibility Date (SED) to be considered for the November 2019 SWE. 
Both competency codes must appear in the members DA competency record to
receive an “Eligible” PDE.  Commands may enter backdated competency codes into
TMT or DA during the PDE correction period up until the 01 October 2019 PDE
correction deadline date.  It is highly recommended the competency code be
entered prior to the 01 August 2019 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.  Units away from homeport on continuous deployment from early October to
the SWE date must request early mailing of SWEs.  Request of early mailing
must be sent to PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil. between 11 September and 1
October 2019.
e.  Exam board OPFAC changes must be requested on or before 01 October 2019. 
OPFAC changes are requested via PPC trouble ticket by submitting an email to
PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil. 
f.  Waivers of advancement requirements or completion deadlines must be
requested on or before 01 October 2019.
g.  Substitute SWEs must be requested by 15 November 2019.  SWE Officers
administering substitute exams shall adhere to the guidance outlined in 3.B.2
of Ref B 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.
h.  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 either the required traceable
shipment and/or 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. 
6.  SPO Responsibilities.  Last day to complete PDE corrections in DA: 01
October 2019.
7.  PPC Responsibilities.
a.  Post PDEs in DA:  August 2019.
b.  Early mailing of SWEs to underway units: September 2019.
c.  Mail SWEs to exam boards:  October 2019.
d.  Compute final multiple:  December 2019.
e.  Post profile letters in DA:  December 2019.
8.  PSC Responsibilities.  Publish SWE advancement eligibility list December
2019.
9.  Miscellaneous.
a.  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%20Ev
aluations%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.  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 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%20Evaluatio
ns%20Branch.aspx.
11.  CAPT S. Matadobra, Chief, Enlisted Personnel Management Division, CG
Personnel Service Center, sends.
12.  Internet release authorized.