R 052107Z JAN 23 MID600052572396U
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 007/23
SSIC 7220
SUBJ: FY23 WORKFORCE PLANNING TEAM RESULTS - JUDGE ADVOCATE
INTERVENTIONS
A. Military Bonus and Incentive Programs, COMDTINST 7220.2A
B. Title 37 U.S. Code - Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed
Services
C. Military Qualifications and Insignia, COMDTINST 1200.1A
1. OVERVIEW: The FY23 Military Workforce Planning Team (MWPT)
convened in May 2022 to develop and recommend workforce policy
interventions. This ALCOAST announces the approved FY23 judge
advocate interventions. The MWPT identified strategies for
specialties and programs deemed to have personnel shortages that
could negatively influence mission execution. The following
interventions are necessary to support Coast Guard missions to
fill critical assignments and optimize Coast Guard legal
workforce readiness.
a. OFFICER NON-MONETARY INTERVENTION. This ALCOAST announces
that CGRC and COMDT (CG-1) support COMDT (CG-094)'s proposal to
minimize the time Direct Commission Lawyer (DCL) applicants must
wait between application and notification of selection by Direct
Commission Officer panels. As the DCL program is one of many
Direct Commission Officer programs, CGRC is taking steps to apply
this accelerated notification process to all DCO programs.
b. OFFICER MONETARY INTERVENTION BONUS. This ALCOAST authorizes
a one-time Critical Skills Retention Bonus offer under Chapter 3 of
REF (A) and Section 355 of REF (B) for eligible active-duty judge
advocates and is in addition to any other pay and allowances to
which the member is entitled.
(1) The bonuses are authorized for eligible active duty judge
advocates (see paragraph 2 of this ALCOAST) who submit completed
bonus agreements obligating the new active duty service commitment
(ADSC) during FY23. The ADSC is the number of years the member
agrees to obligate service on the Bonus Agreement.
(2) The bonus offerings in this ALCOAST are for FY23
(beginning 01 Oct 2022) and are anticipated to remain in effect
until the end of FY23 (30 Sep 2023). Monetary interventions may be
adjusted or terminated not fewer than 30 days in advance by
announcement via ALCOAST. Bonus payments after 31 Dec 2023 will be
contingent on extension of the bonus authority in Section 355(h) of
REF (B).
2. ELIGIBILITY: This bonus is a special incentive pay to retain
active duty judge advocates. IAW REFs (A) and (B), the bonus
applies exclusively to fully-qualified active duty officers as
follows:
a. GENERAL ELIGIBILITY FOR COAST GUARD BONUSES:
(1) Years of total combined commissioned active duty or
combined active duty commissioned service in a reserve component
cannot exceed 21 years, 00 Months, and 00 Days as of the effective
date of the bonus agreement.
(2) Have no current obligated active-duty service, as
defined in REF (A), beyond 30 Sep 2023, unless such obligated
service is the result of signing an Extended Active Duty (EAD)
continuation contract between 01 Oct 2022 and 30 Sep 2023.
(3) Remain qualified under the stipulations of the ALCOAST
and REFs (A) and (B).
b. ELIGIBILITY FOR THE JUDGE ADVOCATE INTERVENTION BONUS: A
$10,000, per year, bonus is authorized for active-duty judge
advocates who meet the criteria in Paragraph 2.a who agree to
obligate at least one (1) year, but not more than three (3) years,
through an active-duty service commitment (ADSC) and meet the
following additional criteria:
(1) Must be in the paygrade O3;
(2) Must be designated a judge advocate, or achieve
designation by 30 Sep 2023, in accordance with REF (C);
(3) Must have the LGL10 Officer Specialty Code;
(4) Must have received their commission through the DCL
program or "self-funded" their law degree. "Self-funded" means the
judge advocate personally paid all associated cost of their law
degree, either through private funds, GI bill, scholarships, loans,
or Tuition Assistance, or any combination thereof. Judge advocates
who obtained funding for costs associated with their law degree, in
whole or in part, through the Coast Guard's Advanced Education
Program are not eligible for this bonus;
(5) Must accept assignment to an eligible LGL10/Legal
position during the Assignment Year 2023 (AY23) process for the
entirety of the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders issued; or
if currently assigned, remain assigned to an eligible LGL10/Legal
position for the entirety of the ADSC assigned under the Bonus
Agreement.
3. ADMINISTRATION.
a. BONUS AGREEMENT: The only approved Bonus Agreement to be used
per this ALCOAST is the CG Form 5305H (revised on December 2022 or
later) "Judge Advocate Bonus Agreement" found on the COMDT (CG-612)
Directives and Publications, CG Authorized Forms Portal site at:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser)

https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/forms

b. BONUS AGREEMENT SUBMISSION DATE: For management, assignment,
and oversight purposes, Bonus Agreements must be reviewed by the
member's command and forwarded to COMDT (CG-LPD) for approval no
later than 30 Jun 2023. Officers with exceptional circumstances may
request a waiver for submission of their agreements past the due
date from COMDT (CG-133) thru PSC-OPM-2.
c. EFFECTIVE DATE OF BONUS AGREEMENT: The Bonus Agreement will be
effective the date upon which a Service member is fully qualified
for the bonus, which includes: having a command approved Bonus
Agreement; meeting all eligibility requirements; having completed
any current obligated active duty service (unless the ADSC is
specifically authorized to run concurrently with existing current
obligated active duty service, with proration of the bonus amount);
and being in receipt of orders to, or currently assigned to, an
eligible LGL10/Legal position. The effective date will be whichever
qualifying bonus requirement occurs the latest, but not later than
30 Sep 2023.
d. CURRENT OBLIGATED ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE: Current obligated
active duty service period is defined in REF (A). NOTE: members
with obligated service beyond 30 Sep 2023 specifically for an EAD
continuation contract, and who are otherwise eligible or would
become eligible during FY23 for the bonus authorized by this
ALCOAST, are authorized to receive such bonus, prorated based upon
newly obligated service.
4. POLICY: Officers must abide by and continuously maintain the
eligibility criteria in REF (A) and this ALCOAST for the entirety
of the obligated ADSC in the designated career field.
a. An officer who is paid a bonus under this offer during the
period of ADSC covered by the signed Bonus Agreement and who fails
any of the eligibility criteria in paragraph 4 of this ALCOAST, or
is subject to termination of the bonus under paragraph 7 of this
ALCOAST, is required to repay any and all unearned portions of the
bonus under the provisions of Section 373 of REF (B).
b. If an officer loses qualification, or is no longer qualified
for those assignments in paragraph 2 of this ALCOAST due to the
fault of the officer, such officer shall repay any unearned portion
of the bonus payment as of the date of removal from eligibility.
Entitlement to this bonus will not be restored when loss of
qualification was due to personal fault and the member later re-
qualifies during the original ADSC.
c. Bonus Agreement limits and payment of bonus. The bonus will
be paid in a lump sum and IAW REF (A).
d. This ALCOAST waives Chapter 3.D.1.g of REF (A) for the bonus
offering set forth in this ALCOAST. Officers on EAD contracts that
meet the criteria in paragraph 2 of this ALCOAST may apply for the
bonus. Bonus approval is contingent upon officers signing EAD
contracts that meet the ADSC and eligibility requirements in this
ALCOAST, as applicable.
e. Officers who receive a bonus are expected to serve their full
ADSC in an eligible LGL10/Legal position. If an officer is
transferred from an eligible billet prior to completion of their
ADSC, they must request a follow-on assignment at another eligible
LGL10/Legal position. Failure to request an eligible follow-on
assignment will result in termination of the bonus. Officers not
assigned to an eligible LGL10/Legal position for a follow-on
assignment based on the needs of the Service and issuance of orders
by PSC-OPM-2, may request a waiver to COMDT (CG-133) through
COMDT (CG-LPD).
f. A promotion after receiving the bonus will not result in
termination of the bonus.
5. BONUS APPLICATION PROCEDURES:
a. Applicant Responsibilities. Review the contents of this
ALCOAST prior to signing a Bonus Agreement.
(1) Complete, sign, date, and forward the Bonus Agreement to
the designated command representative for review by 30 Jun 2023; and
(2) Keep a copy of the signed agreement for record purposes.
b. Command and Command Representative Responsibilities. Command
and Command Representatives must:
(1) Adhere to the requirements in REF (A). Commands that are
not staffed to effectively conduct the counseling session required
in REF (A) should coordinate counseling with COMDT (CG-LPD);
(2) Explain that eligible Officers with an approved date of
separation (DOS) must request withdrawal of the DOS prior to or
upon submission of their bonus application. Officers will not
receive bonus payments if the DOS withdrawal request is
disapproved; and
(3) Submit signed agreements with email endorsement to COMDT
(CG-LPD) for final approval not later than 30 Jun 2023.
c. P&A/SPO Responsibilities to process the bonus agreement.
(1) Adhere to the requirements in REF (C);
(2) Ensure the Bonus Agreement has been properly completed,
and that the Officer has reported or is currently assigned to the
eligible LGL10/Legal billet;
(3) Ensure the officer and their command sign, initial, and
date the Bonus Agreement as appropriate. Incomplete forms cannot be
processed by PPC-MAS and may delay bonus payment;
(4) Ensure the officer has executed an EAD contract IAW
Paragraph 4.d of this ALCOAST, as applicable; and
(5) Distribute the Bonus Agreement IAW Chapter 3 of REF (A)
within five working days of the effective date of the bonus
agreement, as defined in paragraph 3.c. of this ALCOAST.
d. Eligible officers in TDY or PCS Status: There will be some
instances when eligible officers may not be available for bonus
counseling due to TDY or PCS. The length of the absence should
determine the action.
(1) If the expected TDY length will prevent completion of
the agreement by 30 Jun 2023, then the designated command
representative should counsel the Service member by whatever means
available, and forward the Bonus Agreement and a copy of this
ALCOAST to the deployed supervisor of the officer so he/she can
document bonus acceptance/declination. The agreement should be
signed by the officer and witnessed by the deployed supervisor and
then returned to the permanent duty station for further processing.
(2) PCS: Departing commands should make every effort to
contact eligible CGJAG officers if they have not left the immediate
area and provide the necessary counseling. If the officer has
departed and was not counseled, notify the receiving command of the
departing command's recommendation for approval or disapproval.
The receiving designated command representative will complete the
counseling process and the receiving command will normally approve
or disapprove the Bonus Agreement based on the previous command's
recommendation. The receiving command is responsible for
distributing the Bonus Agreement per REF (A).
6. DISAPPROVING BONUS AGREEMENTS: If any of the above listed
conditions change before the Bonus Agreement submission date in
subparagraph 3.b. above, the applicant may reapply for the bonus
within the explicit time limits of this ALCOAST.
7. TERMINATION AND SUSPENSION OF BONUS:
a. The bonus payments must terminate when an officer:
(1) Fails to maintain designation as a judge advocate for
the entirety of the ADSC;
(2) Is disqualified for legal service;
(3) Receives a Mark of three (3) or lower on any OER metric
or receives less than a "Promote" rating on an OER during the
timeline of the Bonus Agreement; or
(4) For any additional reason listed in REF (A).
8. QUESTIONS/RESOURCES:
a. Questions from designated command representatives for
policies regarding bonuses or other human resource management
matters may be directed to the Office of Military Personnel
and Policy (CG-133) at: HQSPolicyandStandards@uscg.mil.
b. Questions from individual officers concerning the execution
of this policy and questions regarding the CGJAG program
should be addressed to COMDT (CG-LPD): CDR Brian Sattler at
Brian.G.Sattler@uscg.mil.
c. Questions regarding the assignment process should be directed
to PSC-OPM-2: LCDR Jacqueline Fitch at Jacqueline.Fitch@uscg.mil.
9. This message will be cancelled on 30 SEP 2023.
10. RADM B. K. Penoyer, Assistant Commandant for Human Resources
(CG-1), sends.
11. Internet release is authorized.