ALCOAST 430/24 

SUBJ: UPDATE TO OFFICER ACCESSIONS, EVALUATIONS, AND PROMOTIONS, 
COMDTINST M1000.3 
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 281442Z NOV 23/ALCOAST 470/23 
B. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 171523Z OCT 23/ALCOAST 394/23 
C. Officer Accessions, Evaluations, and Promotions, 
COMDTINST M1000.3A 
1. This ALCOAST extends the policy of "opting-out" of promotion 
selection board consideration as promulgated in REF (A) and (B). 
2. The following section is inserted to REF (C) as Section A.5 of 
Chapter 3: "Option to Opt-Out of Promotion Selection Board."

a. Authority. Pursuant to Title 14, U.S. Code, Section 2113 and 
section 3743, officers may request to opt out of promotion selection 
board (PSB) consideration for the next higher grade. 
b. Eligibility. A request to opt-out of the PSB is limited to 
promotions to the grade of lieutenant, lieutenant commander, and 
commander. Additionally, the following conditions must be met: 
(1) The basis for the request is to allow the officer to 
complete a broadening assignment, advanced education, another 
assignment of significant value to the Coast Guard, a career 
progression requirement delayed by the assignment or education, or 
a qualifying personal or professional circumstance, as determined 
by the Commandant; 
(a) Examples of broadening assignments may include, but 
are not limited to: White House Fellowship, Department of Defense or 
Homeland Security opportunities, and Federal Executive Fellowships 
or detail to. 
(b) Examples of advanced education may include, but are 
not limited to: competitive education programs (e.g., Olmsted, 
Marshall, Rhodes), in-residence service institutions, and 
in-residence civilian education programs. 
(c) Examples of another assignment of significant value 
include, but are not limited to: positions that require highly 
specialized or critical skillsets. 
(d) Examples of career progression requirement delayed by 
the assignment or education include, but are not limited to: limited 
professional experience due to lateral entry into the Service or 
transition into a new professional specialty. 
(e) Examples of qualifying personal or professional 
circumstance, include, but are not limited to: spouse career 
considerations, birth or adoption of a child, medical 
considerations, extraordinary personal opportunity, and 
credentialing or licensure. 
(2) The Commandant determines the exclusion from consideration 
is in the best interest of the Coast Guard; and 
(3) The officer has not previously failed selection for 
promotion to the grade for which the officer requests the PSB 
opt-out. An officer does not fail selection if a board does not 
consider them due to administrative error. 
c. Ineligibility. Officers who meet any of the following 
conditions are ineligible to opt-out of consideration for promotion: 
(1) The officer was in-zone at a mandatory promotion board to 
the grade for which the officer requests the PSB opt-out and was not 
recommended for promotion; or declined to accept that promotion; or 
(2) Any of the following circumstances apply to the officer: 
(a) Conviction at a court-martial; or 
(b) Nonjudicial punishment pursuant to Article 15, UCMJ, 
within the last or current marking period; or 
(c) Any administrative documentation of misconduct or 
poor performance, including a CG-3307 or punitive letter of censure, 
within the last or current marking period; or 
(d) Relief of Command (for cause) within the officer's 
last assignment; or 
(e) OER mark of 3 or less within the last or current 
marking period. 
d. "Requests. Commander (CG PSC-OPM-1) and Commander 
(CG PSC-RPM-1), as appropriate, will provide guidance for annual 
request timelines and procedures to account for promotion year 
officer corps planning. Requests shall include: 
(1) A description of the broadening assignment, advanced 
education, another assignment of significant value to the Coast 
Guard, a career progression requirement delayed by the assignment or 
education, or a qualifying personal or professional circumstance. 
(2) Justification for requesting PSB consideration to opt-out. 
(3) A recommendation from the commanding officer or 
equivalent. 
(4) The promotion year deferral duration. Officers may request 
PY deferral annually, or for the duration of the member's broadening 
assignment, advanced education, assignment of significant value, 
career progression requirement, or qualifying circumstances. Members 
who elect a multi-year opt out may not be able to alter an approved 
request, if received after a deadline as set by the Personnel 
Service Center (PSC) because of planning factors implicated in the 
promotion process. After three years, the member may compete for 
promotion or resubmit a new request to opt-out for up to an 
additional three years. 
e. Staffing and Review. Officer requests shall be reviewed by a 
panel of officers all senior to the officer requesting to defer PSB 
consideration. The panel will forward its recommendation to PSC for 
decision. The Commandant delegated authority to PSC to determine 
whether the member requesting to opt out is experiencing a 
qualifying personal or professional circumstance, and whether the 
member's exclusion is in the best interest of the Coast Guard. The 
panel may recommend eligible personnel from each paygrade (O-2, O-3, 
and O-4) to opt-out for the promotion board in accordance with the 
applicable Officer Corps Management Plan. The panel should consider 
the officer's service record and potential to provide future benefit 
to the Coast Guard. Officers will be notified in writing via e-mail 
of approval or disapproval of their request no later than 45 
calendar days before the proposed convening date of the first PY 
PSB. Officers selected for promotion in subsequent years after 
deferring PSB consideration will be placed into a new promotion year 
group based on their resulting date of rank. The records of officers 
with approved deferrals of promotion consideration will not be 
identified or made known to any PSB. 
f. IDPL Officers. IDPL officers who meet the eligibility 
requirements as listed above, may request to opt-out of a PSB. All 
requirements for requesting to opt-out remain the same. If a IDPL 
officer's running mate opts out, then the new running mate will be 
that officer on the ADPL of the same grade who has the same date of 
rank, or, if no officer has the same date of rank, is next senior 
to the previous running mate and who is or may become eligible for 
consideration for promotion, in accordance with Title 14 U.S.C. 
Section 3742. If the previous running mate was on a list of 
selectees for promotion, the new running mate will be that officer 
on the ADPL of the same grade who is next senior to the previous 
running mate, in accordance with Title 14 U.S.C. Section 3737. 
3. Numbering of current sections A.5 through A.13 of Chapter 3 of 
REF (C) are increased by 1. 
4. These changes will be reflected in the next revision of REF (C), 
which will be released within the next year. All other policies 
outlined in REF (C) not addressed remain unchanged. 
5. An ALCGOFF message is forthcoming with additional information 
and details. 
6. This message will be cancelled on 13 NOV 2025. 
7. POC: COMDT (CG-1M1) at: HQS-PolicyandStandards@uscg.mil. 
8. CAPT R. P. Matson, Acting Assistant Commandant for Military 
Personnel (CG-1M), sends. 
9. Internet release is authorized.