USCG Pay & Personnel Center             

Introduction

Welcome to the Advancements & Service Validation (ADV) Branch page!

We hope you find the new format easier to navigate and the information better assembled for all your research needs. On this ADV OVERVIEW tab, you will find basic information about ADV and each topic tab the instruction required to assist you. The Advancements Branch manages and executes three main missions, and we remain steadfast in the pursuit of providing exceptional support to our customers and partners.

• Enlisted Advancements & Servicewide Exams
• Human Resources Data Corrections
• Service Validation for USCG Service Members

Note: PERSONNEL SERVICE CENTER, ENLISTED PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (EPM-3) provides oversight and management of the Enlisted Evaluation System (EES).

SWE Advancement Eligibility Lists

All of the latest SWE advancement eligibility list information and resources can be found by visiting the PSC-EPM 1 SharePoint Portal Page for Advancements (CAC Required). 

PPC Advancements also provides current/historical SWE advancement eligibility list information for Active Duty and Reserve. These can be found by visiting the PPC Advancements SharePoint Portal Page (CAC Required).

Helpful Information Guides

Active Duty Supplemental and Striker List Information

Reserve Supplemental List Information

Leadership and Management School (LAMS) Completion Deadline for Servicewide Exam Participation Waiver Process Guidance

Completion of a Leadership and Management School (LAMS) Course is required for advancement to first class petty officer. Occasionally individuals incur complexities or extenuating circumstances when attempting to obtain a LAMS class quota, which are beyond the members’ control. LAMS completion deadline waivers are available to allow for certain provisions where individuals are unable to complete LAMS prior to the Servicewide Examination Eligibility Date (SED). PPC (ADV) has created a process guide which provides reference to policy, procedures and information on submitting Leadership and Management School (LAMS) completion deadline waivers to PPC.

Service Validation

Our foremost purpose is to validate creditable military service. We process Statements of Creditable Service (SOCS), Statements of Creditable Sea Service (SOCSS), Transcripts of Sea Service (TOSS), Reserve Points Statements and corrections, Early RET-1, and Estimated Earnings. These requests must be submitted via a trouble ticket to PPC Customer Care and can take up to a year or longer for PPC to complete. 

USCG PPC does not process the SF 813 - Please note below for instructions.

For members who separated prior to 1 October 2006:

The SF-813 must be sent to the NPRC at the address below or submitted online at www.archives.gov.

National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO  63138-1002
Be advised, CG members must allow 6 months after retirement date before submitting request to NPRC.

For members who retired after 1 October 2006:

Send SF-813 to the Coast Guard’s Military Records Branch at HQS-SMB-CGPSC-MR-CustomerService@uscg.mil

Regular to Reserve (R2R) FAQ

The Coast Guard inadvertently misinterpreted a 2010 BCMR ruling for a Regular to Reserve (R2R) case in which it was authorized to close the break in service of a member who transitioned into the Coast Guard Reserve by way of Regular to Reserve (R2R). PPC blanketed this ruling to any R2R Rehire from 2010-2017 and aligned their Anniversary Year with their Pay Base Date. This was incorrectly processed because the signed Oath of Office did not take effect until a future date, which should have resulted in a legitimate break in service. This error was discovered during pre-board record reviews when service dates, anniversary dates, and personnel records were not aligning with each other.

Read the article to learn more.

Estimated Earnings During Military Service for Federal Employees Only - CATCH 62

Public Law 97-253 requires us to provide estimated basic pay earned by federal employees for military service performed on 1 January 1957 and later. Any service performed prior to 1 January 1957 is automatically credited. These requests are commonly referred to as, "Catch 62's". PPC verifies only your Coast Guard service. If you have served in another branch of the service, you will have to go to that particular branch to receive your estimated earnings. 

Required Documentation

In order for us to process these requests we will need the following documents:

1. The Request for Estimated Earnings During Military Service worksheet (This link will open the PDF format form).
2. A copy of your DD-214 or equivalent form. (For Reservists, if you don't have a copy of your DD-214 for Active Duty performed then you will have to provide copies of your endorsed paid orders (front and back) for any Active Duty performed).

We cannot provide estimated earnings UNLESS VERIFICATION OF SERVICE IS ATTACHED.

You must submit your request via email (attachments must be in Adobe "PDF" file format):

Email: PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil

If you cannot locate a copy of your DD-214 you may be able to get one from the National Personnel Records Center at:

National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

eVetRecs: Request Copies of Military Personnel Records

You can order your information directly from NPRC/NARA.

This web form -- http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/, allows you to get your information anywhere from 5 days - 2 months.

Go to the web link and scroll down to the big red button, click on it and there are about 10-12 screens with a fax back form at the end for signature verification. It usually takes around 15 minutes to complete.

Submit Your Request for Estimated Earnings

Complete the Request for Estimated Earnings During Military Service worksheet, attach a copy of your DD-214 for each period of service and email to:

Email: PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil

Proof of Service Memo Request

If you are/were a member of the Coast Guard Reserves who needs proof of Active Duty service within the Reserves to accompany the submission of your completed Estimated Earnings During Military Service to your HR staff, you can request a Proof of Service memo. 

This memo will list all your periods of Reserve Active Duty, the duty type and Character of Service (if applicable).  Not all periods of Active Duty have a Character of Service.  IAW DoDI 1332.14 and DoDI 1332.30, the DD Form 214/5 is the official record of separation and characterization of service.  If a period of Active Duty does not qualify for a DD Form 214/5, no Character of Service can be provided. A DD Form 214 will only be issued for non-contingency orders if the member has served 90 days or more of consecutive Active Duty.  Back-to-back reserve orders with no break in service can be combined.  All contingency reserve orders with an end date on or before 1/22/19 should be issued a DD Form 214 regardless of the number of days served.  All contingency reserve orders with an end date on or after 1/29/2019 will only be issued a DD Form 214 if they served 31 days or more consecutive Active Duty.  Any period of Active Duty that does not meet these criteria are not eligible for a DD Form 214 and therefore will not have a Character of Service issued.

This memo is only for Reserve Active Duty service and will only be processed for use with an Estimated Earnings During Military Service.

The Proof of Service Memo can be requested via PPC trouble ticket or email.  Please include a mailing address or email address to send the signed memo. 

Questions?

Please contact PPC Customer Care at (866) 772-8724 if you have any questions about obtaining an Estimated Earnings During Military Service from the U. S. Coast Guard.

Reserve Points/Early RET-1

USCG PPC does not process the SF 813 - Please note below for instructions.

For members who separated prior to 1 October 2006:

The SF-813 must be sent to the NPRC at the address below or submitted online at www.archives.gov.

National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO  63138-1002
Be advised, CG members must allow 6 months after retirement date before submitting request to NPRC.

For members who retired after 1 October 2006:

Send SF-813 to the Coast Guard’s Military Records Branch at HQS-SMB-CGPSC-MR-CustomerService@uscg.mil

Obtaining Reserve Retirement Points Statements

How do I obtain a reserve point statement? Reserve Points Statements are available in Direct Access Self-Service to all members. Current SELRES members can also call your Servicing Personnel Office (SPO) Yeoman to obtain a copy of your Points Statement at any time.

Self-Service Viewing and Printing Reserve Points Statement

SPO Viewing and Printing Reserve Points Statement

Members of the IRR/ISL/ASL can contact RPM-3 to obtain a Reserve Points Statement via email at HQS-SMB-CGPSC-RPM-3-Query@uscg.mil.

CG Reserve Retired awaiting age 60 (RET-2) personnel will need to contact Pay & Personnel Center (PPC-ADV) in Topeka, KS to obtain a copy.  Call their customer care line at (866)772-8724, or email at ppc-dg-customercare@uscg.mil.

If a Reserve Points Statement is needed for use outside the Coast Guard, such as for VA benefits, you will need to request an official Reserve Points Statement (PPC-4973) from PPC.

Understanding a Good Year for Reserve Retirement – an article with good information and explanations of terms on the Reserve Points Statements.

Reserve Retirement Point Corrections

How to Request a Correction to Reserve Points

All SELRES members must go through their respective SPO. If the member's SPO cannot satisfactorily answer the individual's concerns, then the SPO should initiate action by contacting PPC Customer Care. An E-6 or above in the member’s SPO must contact PPC Customer Service via an online trouble ticket or send an email to PPC-DG-customercare@uscg.mil and provide the following information:

• A completed RSV Points Correction Checklist (September 28, 2022)
• Member's Employee ID and full name
• Members Servicing SPO ID
• Whether or not the member has any prior service - all documents will need to be scanned and emailed
• A detailed description of the issue. Include specific categories and dates. A simple “the points are wrong” is not acceptable and feedback from the member/POC will be required.

Note: Any request for points corrections must be submitted by an E-6 and above in the member’s SPO. Any request without a completed and verified checklist will be returned and the ticket closed.

Any individual that is not SELRES with questions concerning their Reserve Points or requiring corrections to their Reserve Points must contact PPC Customer Service via an online trouble ticket or send an email to PPC-DG-customercare@uscg.mil and provide the following information:

• Member's Employee ID and full name
• Members Servicing SPO ID
• Whether or not the member has any prior service - all documents will need to be scanned and emailed
• A detailed description of the issue. Include Specific categories and dates. A simple “the points are wrong” is not acceptable and feedback from the member/POC will be required.

All requests for changes to a member's Reserve Points must be supported by documentation. Documentation must be a DD-214, Reserve Point Statement, contract or Discharge Certificate or other official instruments. It is the member's responsibility to provide this documentation (PPC is not a document repository and may not be able to furnish CG documents and stores no Non-CG documents).

This link may be helpful in obtaining documents:
http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/

Correspondence Course Points Credit

IAW ALCOAST 566/09, SPOs/P&A offices are responsible for entering Correspondence Course points into Direct Access.  If the course needs approval, the member needs to contact COMDT (CG-1331).  If the Correspondence Course was entered into Direct Access and no credit was awarded, the SPO/P&A office needs to ensure the member was not on any form of active duty, including ADT, before submitting a trouble ticket to Customer Care.

Reserve Early Retirement Calculation

Regulations

A member of the Ready Reserve will have the eligibility age for receipt of retired pay reduced below 60 years of age by 3 months for each aggregate 90 days the member serves on active duty in any fiscal year on/after 01/29/2008, or any two consecutive fiscal years after 09/30/2014.* Each qualifying day may only be used once. The eligibility age for this purpose may not be reduced below 50 years.

*On/before 30 September 2014 any remaining balance cannot be carried over. After 30 September 2014, any remaining balance can be carried over to the next fiscal year only. If it is not used in the next fiscal year, that time is lost.

Creditable active duty periods on/after 29 January 2008 include:

 • Title 10 12301(a)
 • Title 10 12302
 • Title 10 12304
 • ADOS-AC
 • ADOS-RC
 • Med Hold (Only if original linked orders were)
 • EAD
 • Title 14 (on/after 31 December 2011)

Non-creditable active duty periods include:

 • IADT
 • ADT-AT
 • ADT-OTD
 • EAD for RCM (Reserve Component Managers) – formerly RPA (Reserve Program Administrator)
 • ADHC
 • Regular Component Active Duty

Calculations

There are two options to estimate a Reservist’s eligibility date for Reserve Early Retirement, the Calculator and manually.

Calculator

1. Open, Select File, Save As, and Download the Reserve Early Retirement Pay Eligibility Calculator (IMPORTANT: CAC and Macros must be enabled.)

2. Follow the instructions. Copy and paste the member’s orders from Direct Access.

3. Member’s Reserve Early Retirement Eligibility Date will be provided. Provide a copy to the member for their records.

NOTE: Review all the instructions. Guidance on handling special situations will be addressed.

Manual (See examples below)

1. Total all the qualifying days in a single fiscal year (based on the above creditable active duty).

2. Divide the number by 90 (ex. 225 ÷ 90 = 2.5).

3. Multiply the whole number by 3 to determine the number of earned months (2 x 3 = 6).

4. Repeat for each fiscal year. (For FY 2015 and later, any remaining days can be added to the total qualifying days for the next fiscal year only. If those days are not used, they become lost.)

5. Total all the months and subtract time from the member’s 60^th birthday. This is the member’s reduced RET-1 eligibility date. This date cannot be reduced below 50 years of age.

EXAMPLES

Example 1: A member completes 225 days of Title 10 12302 orders in FY 2014.

• 225 days ÷ 90 = 2.5   [90 days periods = 2; remaining days = 45]

• 2 x 3 = 6 months

Member will receive 6 months credit towards Early RET-1 eligibility (and lose 45 days).

Example 2: A member completes 225 days of Title 10 12302 in FY 2015 and 27 days of Title 14 in FY 2016.

FY 2015

• 225 days ÷ 90 = 2.5   [90 day periods = 2; remaining days = 45]

• 2 x 3 = 6 months

FY 2016

• 27 days + 45 days = 72;   72 days ÷ 90 = 0.8   [90 days periods = 0; remaining days (this FY) = 27]

• 0 x 3 = 0 months

• 6 months + 0 months = 6 months

FY 2017

• Member has 27 days that can be added to any other eligible days earned in FY 2017.

Member will receive 6 months credit towards Early RET-1 eligibility (and lose 45 days).

PROCEDURE

Follow the procedures in ALCGRSV 017/18 for requesting reserve early retirement pay.

Statements of Creditable Service (SOCS)

Mission

Our foremost purpose is to validate creditable military service. We process Statements of Creditable Service (SOCS). These requests must be submitted by the Servicing Personnel Office (SPO) via a trouble ticket to PPC Customer Care and can take up to a year or longer for PPC to complete.

NOTE: USCG PPC does not process the SF 813.  Per the instructions on the form, the form must be sent to NPRC at the below address or submitted online at www.archives.gov
National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO  63138-1002
Be advised, CG members must allow 6 months after retirement date before submitting request to NPRC.

Requesting a SOCS

Refer to: Statement of Creditable Service (SOCS) Guide (the guide includes the checklist) (Sep 20, 2023)

The SPO Must Request a SOCS When:

1. The member’s service dates (i.e., Active Duty Base Date (ADBD), Pay Base Date (PBD), Date of Initial Entry into Military Service (DIEMS) are incorrect.

2. The member is enlisting (or assessed as officers) and has prior service in another branch of service.

3. The member is enlisting (or assessed as officers) and has prior Coast Guard or Coast Guard Reserve service with a break in service.

4. The member is a Coast Guard reservist with greater than 15 years of total combined active service who is considering extended active duty (Retirement Sanctuary Rule).

5. The member is a Coast Guard reservist who is integrating into the regular Coast Guard.

6. A member graduates from the Academy with an appointment as a commissioned officer and the member attended the Scholar Program (served on active duty or reserve) prior to hire as a Cadet.

7. A member disenrolls from the Academy and returns to enlisted status.

Documentation Needed SOCS Only

To generate an accurate SOCS, PPC requires all of the member's prior service documentation to be scanned and emailed to us.

• All contracts (i.e., DD Form 4). IMPORTANT: Do NOT send a member’s DD-4 Enlistment Contracts with the SOCSS request. These are only needed for a Statement of Creditable Service (SOCS), not a SOCSS.

• All Discharge Documents including DD-214's (preferably member copy, page 4) and NGB 22 and 23's for National Guard members. (NGB Documents are the National Guard's version of the DD-214 and enlistment contracts)

• All Oath of Office (Officers) 

• For members who served in a Reserve Component and/or the National Guard (prior to entering us the US Coast Guard), we must have the Reserve Retirement Statements.

• All National Guard NGB 22 and/or 23’s (NGB Documents are the National Guard’s version of the DD-214 and enlistment contracts). Copies should be available from the office of the State Adjutant General.

• The individual is the primary resource in furnishing this information. (Documentation can be ordered from: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/). 

Documents Containing Errors 

If you request a SOCS with a DD-214 that is incorrect, our SOCS would mirror the DD-214 that we receive and would consequently be incorrect, possibly putting the member in an incorrect pay status.

If your DD-214 requires a change or correction, you will need to submit a DD-149, Application for Correction of Military Record Under the Provisions of Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 1552, along with supporting documentation to PSC (bops-c) at HQS-DG-M-CGPSC-BOPS-C@uscg.mil.

How to request a SOCS

For all SOCS requests a SPO PAO in the member’s SPO must contact PPC Customer Service via an online trouble ticket or send an email to PPC-DG-customercare@uscg.mil and provide the following information:

• A completed SOCS Checklist

  •  Statement of Creditable Service (SOCS) Guide (the guide includes the checklist) (September 20, 2023)

  • SOCS Checklist only (September 20, 2023)

• Member's Employee ID and full name

• Members Servicing SPO ID

• Whether or not member has any prior service - all documents will need to be scanned and emailed

• A descriptive narrative as to the problem as well as the reason for the SOCS request 

• SOCS date, if member has already had a SOCS completed and it is thought to be incorrect.

Note: Any request for a SOCS must be submitted by an SPO PAO. Any SOCS request without a completed and verified checklist will be returned and the ticket closed.

If the SOCS is being requested by an Entry Point (i.e., TRACEN Cape May, CG Academy) and the Entry Point is NOT in possession of the required source documents, flag the member’s record and request the receiving SPO at the member’s first PDS submit the SOCS request with the required source documents.

Per the Personnel and Pay Procedures Manual, do not request SOCS completion status less than 120 days from initial request date.

The SPO will file a copy of the SOCS request in the member's PDR, section 2, to serve as supporting documentation for crediting the member with prior service time for pay entry base date and active duty base date purposes.

Interim Pay Base Date (PBD) Adjustment 

Because it may take an extended period of time to receive records from the National Personnel Records Center, and from other Armed Services, PPC can enter an Interim PBD adjustment. The SPO must request an Interim PBD adjustment and provide the specific date to be used as the interim PBD. Because there is the possibility that the DD-214 from the prior service may not support the request interim PBD, the SPO must counsel the member that they may be overpaid due to the Interim Pay Base Date adjustment. Requests for an interim adjustment must contain the following sentence from section 6-J of the Personnel and Pay Procedures Manual (3PM):

"The member has been counseled and understands that if the total sea time/prior service added, based on the DD-214, is not supported by the prior service records, then the member will be in an overpaid status."

The purpose of the Interim Adjustment is to help the member get his pay adjusted in a timely manner. PPC will only use blocks 12A and 12B of the DD Form 214 for pay base date purposes and will not count any active or inactive time. If the member is accessing from the reserve component, PPC will only use the point statement from the other Armed Service. A SOCS will still be completed once all of the information from the National Personnel Records Center and the member’s prior service has been received from the SPO/member. An interim adjustment does not speed up the casework process.

Statements of Creditable Sea Service (SOCSS)

USCG PPC does not process the SF 813 - Please note below for instructions.

For members who separated prior to 1 October 2006:

The SF-813 must be sent to the NPRC at the address below or submitted online at www.archives.gov.

National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO  63138-1002
Be advised, CG members must allow 6 months after retirement date before submitting request to NPRC.

For members who retired after 1 October 2006:

Send SF-813 to the Coast Guard’s Military Records Branch at HQS-SMB-CGPSC-MR-CustomerService@uscg.mil

Requesting a SOCSS

Refer to: Statement of Creditable Sea Service (SOCSS) Guide (the guide includes checklist) (October 2, 2023)

The SPO must request a SOCSS when:

1. A member’s sea time is incorrect.

Note 1:  Do not ignore suspected sea time errors simply because a member is not currently assigned to a sea pay eligible vessel.

Note 2:  Prior to January 1, 2015, if there is a discrepancy in the sea pay, the SPO PAO official needs to certify the member is/was entitled to Career Sea Pay (the actual dates) IAW 4.B. “Career Sea Pay” of the Pay Manual for any and all pre-DA sea pay/time issues that were not entered into JUMPS (JDR).

Note 3:  Prior to January 1, 2015, the SPO must provide documentation supporting sea time adjustments requested.

Documentation Needed SOCSS Only

Checklist and documentation associated with research (See How to request a SOCSS below). 

How to request a SOCSS

For all SOCSS requests a SPO PAO in the member’s SPO must contact PPC Customer Service via an online trouble ticket or send an email to PPC-DG-customercare@uscg.mil and provide the following information:

• A completed SOCSS Checklist
  • Statement of Creditable Sea Service (SOCSS) Guide (the guide includes checklist) (October 2, 2023)
    • SOCSS Checklist only (October 2, 2023)
• Member's Employee ID and full name
• Members Servicing SPO ID
• Whether or not member has any prior sea service - all signed DD-214 and/or DD-215 forms showing prior sea service.
• A descriptive narrative as to the problem as well as the reason for the SOCSS request 

Note: Any request for a SOCSS must be submitted by a SPO PAO. Any SOCSS request without a completed and verified checklist will be returned and the ticket closed.

The SPO will file a copy of the SOCSS request in the member's PDR, section 2, to serve as verifying documentation that sea time balances were adjusted on the completed SOCSS date.

Servicewide Examination (SWE)

The Servicewide Examination (SWE) Guide (JAN 2025) provides detailed descriptions on how a SWE works along with what processes and procedures are required to be followed by members and their commands to ensure a successful SWE cycle.

Background: Many procedures must be followed to make a service wide cycle successful. Below is a general overview of the sequence of events that must occur. For details and specific dates of these events, refer to The Servicewide Exam Guide.

IMPORTANT: All SWE Officers should read this handbook in its entirety prior to each service wide exam cycle. This handbook contains specific instructions on receipt, administration, and post exam procedures. Servicewide Exam Officers Handbook

Transcripts of Sea Service (TOSS)

TOSS Purpose

A TOSS is needed in applying for Merchant Mariner Licensing.

We Provide

We provide Transcripts of Sea Service (TOSS) only for Coast Guard members, and former Coast Guard members, who want to receive their Mariners License. The TOSS will chronicle the vessels that a Coast Guard member served aboard during their career. This Sea Duty may have been on either a Sea Pay or Non-Sea Pay eligible vessels but must have been documented. However, we do not chronicle vessels on the TOSS form for sea time as a Cadet.

We Do Not Provide

We do not provide small vessel documentation, please go to the Merchant Maritime Center (NMC) and download the Small Vessel Sea Service m CG-719S.

Note: We do not chronicle vessels on the TOSS form for sea time as a Cadet.

Note: USCG PPC does not process the SF 813.  Per the instructions on the form, the form must be sent to NPRC at the below address or submitted online at www.archives.gov
National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO  63138-1002
Be advised, CG members must allow 6 months after retirement date before submitting request to NPRC.

Supporting the Transition of Active Duty Service Members and Military Veterans into the Merchant Marine

In order to ensure timely delivery of an accurate TOSS, and to meet the requirements outlined in Presidential Executive Order 13860, service members separating/retiring from the Coast Guard, who have creditable sea service and who desire to obtain a merchant license, shall submit a TOSS request no less than 90 days prior to the date of separation/retirement. Service members with creditable sea time who are separating/retiring and who are certain they will pursue a merchant license are encouraged to submit a TOSS request as early as practicable during their final tour.

To Request a TOSS

For TOSS requests the individual or SPO should contact PPC Customer Service by submitting a trouble-ticket and provide the following information:

• Requestor's full name
• Requestor's EmpID (or if no EmpID a SS#)
• Requestor's approximate period(s) of service
• Requestor's desired manner and address to have the TOSS sent to them (i.e., email or postal mail)
• Latest DD-214s received upon leaving the service (if prior service)
• A list of the vessels the member has served on and thinks should be included on the TOSS.