ALCOAST 101/20 - MAR 2020 COVID-19 AND CONTINUITY OF READINESS ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING “A” AND “C” SCHOOL TRAINING - UPDATE 1

united states coast guard

R 232031 MAR 20
FM COMCOGARD FORCECOM NORFOLK VA//FC-C// 
TO ALCOAST 
UNCLAS //N06200// 
ALCOAST 101/20 
COMDTNOTE 6200
SUBJ:  COVID-19 AND CONTINUITY OF READINESS ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING “A” AND “C” SCHOOL
TRAINING - UPDATE 1 
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 061306 MAR 20/ALCOAST 071/20 
B. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 202055 MAR 20/ALCOAST 098/20 
C. DOD “STOP MOVEMENT FOR ALL DOMESTIC TRAVEL…” MEMO OF 13 MAR 2020
D. COMCOGARD FORCECOM NORFOLK VA 141812 MAR 20/ALCOAST 087/20
E. FORCECOM “CONTINUITY OF TRAINING AND READINESS SYSTEM” MEMO 1000 OF 20 MAR 2020
1. This ALCOAST supersedes ref D, updating and clarifying travel guidance for
time-sensitive mission essential readiness activities.
2. Select DoD Training Facilities and all CG Training Centers (TRACENs), with the
exception of the Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA), remain open to conduct
time-sensitive, mission-essential training. FORCECOM teams remain available to conduct
other time-sensitive mission-essential readiness activities, including remote training
options as requested by unit commanders.
   a. Mission-essential readiness activities means training, assessment, or exercise
support which, if not delivered, renders CG units, teams, and members unable to
successfully complete core, non-deferrable, mission-essential operations, maintenance,
health protection, or force protection.  
   b. Time-sensitive readiness activities means training, assessment, or exercise support
which cannot be delayed until after the normal PCS season.  For example, pre-arrival
training required to have a mission-ready qualified cutter crew after PCS rotation of
personnel is time-sensitive. 
3. We have reviewed a comprehensive list of all FORCECOM readiness activities scheduled
to begin during the next 60 days and posted this list with the current status online at
the Education and Training Quota Management Command (ETQC) CGPortal site. 
https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/forcecom/ETQC/SitePages/Home.aspx.  Commands, supervisors,
Unit Training Officers, and individuals involved in FORCECOM readiness activities should
check this site frequently given the dynamic situation.
   a. Each listed readiness activity has one of five statuses: CANCELLED, DELAYED PENDING
RESCHEDULE, PENDS DOD DECISION, ON IN-PERSON, or ON-FACILITATED ONLINE.
   b. FORCECOM will update this list as changes occur and at minimum once daily.
   c. FORCECOM will post this link to the CG COVID-19 Portal Site and on community sites
for exercise support, assessment, and training.
   d. To aid in identifying real-time changes to the list, orange items indicate those
activities updated in the last day.  Those items in yellow indicate activities updated in
the last two days.
4. FORCECOM has implemented extensive risk mitigation at TRACENs and when FORCECOM teams
conduct mission-essential, time-sensitive readiness activities at field units. For example,
while at training locations, students will continue to be evaluated for signs of infection,
will be screened prior to returning to their units, and will undergo training in social
distancing conditions when training objectives allow.
   a. As outlined in ref (C), FORCECOM is implementing the following additional measures:
     (1) For training which does not involve close contact, FORCECOM will fill 50% of
capacity in the classroom to assure social distancing measures are effective.
     (2) For training which inherently involves close contact, including recruit basic training,
officer accessions, most Class “A” Schools, and many Class “C” schools, FORCECOM will impose a
14-day Restriction on Movement (ROM) for students on board the TRACEN or at other designated
facilities.  Training will occur during this 14-day period during which arriving students, after
having been successfully screened per paragraph 5 below, are closely monitored. Upon completion
of ROM training, students will be assembled for close contact training with appropriate further
controls to prevent the potential contraction of Coronavirus.  There will not be a ROM period
following training.
     (3) Coast Guard Headquarters program and capability managers may determine for specific
short-duration Class “C” schools that the 14-day ROM period poses an unacceptable burden on field
units when compared to the mission-essential training benefit.  In these cases, FORCECOM will,
with concurrence of the program or capability manager, cancel these courses. 
     (4) Training Centers will delay the convening of certain courses subject to ROM for a period
of two weeks commencing 30 March to allow time for orderly planning and implementation of ROM.
     (5) Courses subject to ROM will be noted on the comprehensive list of FORCECOM readiness
activities per paragraph 3 of this message.  Any additional cancellation of courses or change of
convening dates will be made during regular daily updates to the comprehensive list.
5. To supplement and make these measures effective, upon receipt of orders and no more than 48
hours prior to traveling to training, commands and supervisors of trainees shall screen their
members using the following questions.  If the answer to any screening question is “yes” that
member shall not travel to training and the member's command shall submit a training cancellation
message via Admin OIX.
    a. Are you having flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath?
    b. Are you in a Higher Risk group for travel?
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-in-the-us.html
    c. In the last 14 days, have you traveled to a high-risk area such as China, South Korea,
Europe, UK, Ireland, or other areas identified by the CDC as high risk?
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html.
    d. Within the last 14 days, have you been in close contact with someone confirmed or being
evaluated for COVID-19? If yes, what date did you last have contact with the suspected carrier?
6. Coast Guard Active Duty, Reserve, and Civilian members shall execute orders to mission-essential,
time-sensitive training, including Class "A" and Class "C" Schools, in accordance with ref B.
7. Pre-arrival training courses, including some command cadre courses, are mission-essential and
time-sensitive. Under existing policy, quotas to these courses may not be cancelled by units,
supervisors, or members without the concurrence and approval of the cognizant program office.  In
view of the need to protect force readiness and be responsive to rapidly changing family support
issues which may impact a member’s availability to travel, requests for cancellation must have an
endorsement from the first O-6/GS-15 in the submitting unit’s chain of command.
8. If a course is listed as ON-FACILITATED ONLINE, units, supervisors and members shall execute
orders to that course on-site, at the home unit.  The member is to be considered TDY for training,
and may not be tasked with collateral duties and additional work outside training.
9. Commands may submit cancellation or substitution messages via Admin OIX for members who are at
high risk of serious complications from contracting COVID-19 or living with someone who is at higher
risk. See https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html for
more information.
10. This guidance will be modified (as needed) IAW any new or updated COVID-19 policy.
11. Points of Contact:
    a. ETQC Customer Service Phone Number: (757) 366-6583.
    b. ETQC POC: LT Erica Linnemann, Erica.l.linnemann@uscg.mil, (757) 756-5339, or YNCS Richard Bullard,
richard.p.bullard@uscg.mil, (757) 756-5333.
    c. FC-T POC: CDR Matthew Chong, matthew.m.chong@uscg.mil, (202) 475-5479.
    d. FC-A POC: CDR Marcus Ivery, marcus.a.ivery@uscg.mil, (757) 628-4515.
    e. FC-ES POC: CDR Deborah Lindquist, deborah.s.lindquist@uscg.mil, (757) 628-4049.
11. RDML B. Penoyer, Commander, Force Readiness Command, sends.
12. Internet release is authorized.