R 262018Z APR 06 ZUI ASN-A00116000018 ZYB
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-1//
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS //N01210//
ALCOAST 241/06
COMDTNOTE 1210
SUBJ: MILITARY PERSONNEL POLICY CHANGES OFFICER SPECIALTIES AND
SUBSPECIALTIES
A. COMPETENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM MANUAL, COMDTINST 5300.2
B. PERSONNEL MANUAL, COMDTINST M1000.6A, CH 6.A.
1.  THIS ALCOAST ANNOUNCES A CHANGE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF OFFICER
SPECIALTIES, WHICH WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN 2008-2009.
2.  OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF OUR OFFICER
CORPS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (OCMS) HAS BEEN CONDUCTED TO ENSURE THAT IT
WAS ALIGNED WITH, AND RESPONSIVE TO, PRESENT AND FUTURE SERVICE
NEEDS.  INCLUDED IN THIS EFFORT WAS AN EXTENSIVE EXAMINATION OF OUR
EXISTING LEGACY OFFICER BILLET CODE (OBC) STRUCTURE, WHICH REQUIRED
THE TRACKING OF OVER 75 DIFFERENT OBCS FOR A 6,400 OFFICER CORPS,
AND THE FLOWS AND COMPOSITION OF OFFICERS WITHIN THIS STRUCTURE.
3.  WORKING WITH PROGRAM MANAGERS REPRESENTING ALL OFFICER
COMMUNITIES AND CGPC-OPM, WE DEVELOPED A NEW OFFICER SPECIALTY
FRAMEWORK OF 13 SPECIALTIES AND 37 SUB-SPECIALTIES, WHICH WILL
PROVIDE SENIOR LEADERSHIP A FOUNDATION THAT BETTER ALIGNS OFFICER
SPECIALTIES WITH MISSION PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS.  THIS NEW
FRAMEWORK, APPROVED BY THE COMMANDANT, WILL BE APPLIED TO ALL
OFFICER POSITIONS IN THE PERSONNEL ALLOWANCE LIST (PAL) AND
EVENTUALLY EACH OFFICER.  IT WILL ALSO BE TIED TO OUR NEW
COMPETENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (REF A) AND A FOLLOW-ON OFFICER
SPECIALTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN DRAFT.
4.  THE NEW FRAMEWORK REFLECTS THE EVOLUTION OF THE OFFICER CORPS
FROM ONE CONSISTING PRIMARILY OF GENERALISTS INTO AN OFFICER CORPS
OF SPECIALISTS AND BROADENED SPECIALISTS.  TO CLARIFY, A SPECIALTY
IS AN AREA OF EXPERTISE, DEFINED BY A SET OF COMPETENCIES, AND
POSSESSING AN AUTHORIZED BILLET STRUCTURE CAPABLE OF SUSTAINING A
VIABLE POPULATION OF CAREER SPECIALISTS WHO POSSES REQUISITE WORK
EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, TRAINING, CERTIFICATION OR LICENSE.  A SUB-
SPECIALTY IS A FOCUSED AREA OF EXPERTISE WITHIN A SPECIALTY.  A
GENERALIST IS ONE WHO ACQUIRES GENERAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS IN
MULTIPLE AREAS OF COAST GUARD WORK, THROUGH EDUCATION, TRAINING,
AND/OR SERVICE EXPERIENCE, BUT NOT IN ANY ONE SPECIALTY OR SUB-
SPECIALTY.  A BROADENED SPECIALIST IS ONE WHO POSSESSES IN-DEPTH
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS IN TWO OR MORE SPECIALTIES OR SUB-SPECIALTIES.
ALTHOUGH SOME GENERALISTS WILL REMAIN, THE MAJORITY OF OFFICERS
WILL BE CATEGORIZED AS SPECIALISTS OR BROADENED SPECIALISTS.
5.  THIS STUDY CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED THAT OUR OFFICER CORPS CONSISTS
PRINCIPALLY OF SPECIALISTS AND BROADENED SPECIALISTS AND ONLY A
SMALL NUMBER OF GENERALISTS (FIVE PERCENT).  IN FACT, THE NEW
FRAMEWORK VALIDATES/LEGITIMIZES THE WAY IN WHICH THE COAST GUARD IS
MANAGING ITS OFFICER CORPS.
6.  PROGRAM MANAGERS, ASSIGNMENT OFFICERS, PLANNERS INVOLVED IN TAB
ALLOCATION, TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND RECRUITERS
ARE AMONG THE MOST OBVIOUS BENEFICIARIES OF THIS NEW FRAMEWORK.
INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS WILL BE ABLE TO CLEARLY SEE CAREER PATH
OPTIONS, AS WELL AS HOW EACH SPECIALTY SUPPORTS THE MISSION
ACCOMPLISHMENT OF OUR SERVICE.  THIS MEANS THAT AN OFFICER CHARTING
HIS OR HER CAREER WILL HAVE A CLEAR VIEW OF THE OPPORTUNITIES,
IMPLICATIONS, AND LIMITATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR DECISIONS.
7.  WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH PROGRAM MANAGERS TO REVALIDATE
THEIR SPECIALTY REQUIREMENTS AND WILL SHORTLY BEGIN THE EFFORT TO
ASSIGN SPECIALTY/SUB-SPECIALTY DESIGNATIONS TO ALL COMMISSIONED
OFFICER BILLETS.  THE EXACT PROCESS BY WHICH INDIVIDUAL
SPECIALTIES/SUB-SPECIALTIES WILL BE ASSIGNED IS STILL UNDER
DEVELOPMENT.  OFFICERS WILL BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO VALIDATE
THEIR SPECIALTY DESIGNATION (S).  THE LIST OF SPECIALTIES CAN BE
SEEN AT HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/FF21/DOCS/SPECIALITIES.DOC
8.  THIS CHANGE IN OFFICER SPECIALITIES WAS ALSO PROVIDED TO THE
FIELD VIA FLAG VOICE 292 ON 29APR06 INCLUDING AN ATTACHMENT
CONTAINING THE NEW OFFICER SPECIALTY FRAMEWORK.  MORE DETAILED
INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE FUTURE FORCE WEBSITE
(HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/FF21/).  QUESTIONS MAY BE DIRECTED TO CDR RIC
RODRIGUEZ, FUTURE FORCE DEPUTY PROJECT MANAGER AT (202) 267-6946 OR
LCDR BILL ROGERS AT (202) 267-1664.  THIS POLICY CHANGE WILL BE
REFLECTED IN A FUTURE CHANGE TO REF B.
9.  INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.
10. RELEASED BY RADM KENNETH T. VENUTO, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT FOR
HUMAN RESOURCES.
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