Invalid Award Codes Available in Direct Access (PHS gives the CG a bug)

The table for award codes in Direct Access has been updated with codes meant only for PHS officers. The U.S. Public Health Service, Commissioned Corps Force recently adopted Coast Guard Direct Access as their HR management information system. The PeopleSoft program does a good job of handling the segregation between the two components; Coast Guard DA users do not have access to records for PHS officers, other than what existed for PHS officers detailed to the Coast Guard and PHS users do not have access to Coast Guard member/employee data. However, there are some common areas of the system where non-personal data has not been masked or hidden; the Honor/Award code table is one such area.

The Honor/Award code table now includes codes meant only for PHS Officers. Regrettably, the codes were added using the prefix of "CG", just like the existing codes meant for Coast Guard members.

The PHS codes can be identified because they include numbers (CG175 - Commendation Medal, CG195 - Achievement Medal, etc.), while all codes meant for assignment to Coast Guard personnel are made up only of letters (CGFC - Coast Guard Commendation Medal, CGHC - CG Achievement Medal, etc.). Many of the PHS codes do not have enough information in the description field to distinguish them from codes, with similar descriptions, meant for CG personnel. This has lead to many members being assigned an incorrect code. For example, searching for "Good Conduct" will return code "CG3525 - Good Conduct Medal" but the correct code/description for a Coast Guard member is "CGSD - CG Good Conduct Medal".

The appropriate offices in PPC and CG-634 have been made aware of the problem with the Honor/Award code table and work is underway to identify records for correction. A listing of "bad codes" is available at http://www.uscg.mil/ppc/adv/badcodes.pdf. These codes, which are all alphanumeric and meant only for assignment to PHS officers, must not be assigned to Coast Guard personnel.

Examples:
Do not use CG175 - Commendation Medal.
Do use CGFC - Coast Guard Commendation Medal.

Do not use CG195 - Achievement Medal.
Do use CGHC - CG Achievement Medal.

Do not use CG3525 - Good Conduct Medal.
Do use CGSD - CG Good Conduct Medal.

PCS Mileage (MALT) Rate Change

Effective 1 January 2010, the MALT (monetary allowance in lieu of transportation) rate per authorized POC (privately owed conveyance) is $.165 (sixteen and one-half cents) per mile. This rate is effective for all PCS travel that commences on or after 1 January 2010 (i.e., the initial travel is started).

See http://perdiem.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/faqpovpast.html for current and past PCS and TDY mileage rates.

New Web-Based Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA) Claims System

Units processing Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA) claims will have the ability to do so through the TLA Web-Based Application on the U.S. Coast Guard Finance Center (FINCEN) Intranet beginning 15 December 2009. This application eliminates fax or email requests for TLA payment, though this method may still be used for those units not having a Payment Approving Official (PAO)/Data Entry Operator (DEO). FINCEN's goal is to eliminate the use of fax or emailing TLA claims. The web-based TLA application will allow field units to enter the required information on-line via a secured link on FINCEN's Intranet. Due to separation of duties, there must be, at minimum, one each PAO/DEO from each unit wishing to use the TLA Web-Based Application. FINCEN assigns a password to each DEO which allows access to the application to enter the required information for the TLA claim. The PAO does not require a password for access.

PAOs must be designated in writing by FINCEN. For those units not currently having a PAO for the TLA Web Application, request PAO designation for those E-6 or above and/or GS-7 or above by memo to FINCEN (OPA-MT) thru COMDT (CG-1222) scan/email the request to david.j.maly@uscg.mil. FINCEN's Comptroller Division will issue the PAO designation letter.

The DEO is not required to have an authorization letter from FINCEN, but the unit PAO may request DEO designation/password from FINCEN (thru COMDT CG-1222).

For questions regarding this application and to request a copy of the Web-Based Temporary Lodging Allowance Procedural Guide, contact YNCM Maly (CG-1222) at email: david.j.maly@uscg.mil

Kentucky Military Pay Income Tax Exemption

Effective for taxable years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2010, all military pay received by active duty members of the Armed Forces of the United States, members of reserve components of the Armed Forces of the United States, and members of the National Guard will be exempt from Kentucky income tax.

Service members will claim the exemption by excluding military pay when filing a Kentucky individual income tax return starting with the 2010 return, due on April 15, 2011. Provided the military member has no income other than military pay, he or she would not be required to file a Kentucky income tax return. The military pay exemption applies to all Kentucky military members regardless of where the member is stationed. Kentucky income tax should no longer be withheld from checks received for military pay, beginning Jan. 1, 2010. If Kentucky income tax is incorrectly withheld from a member's military pay in 2010 and after, the Department of Revenue will refund the tax withheld.

For Coast Guard and NOAA military personnel, PPC Topeka will discontinue withholding of Kentucky state income tax from members' pay effective 1 Jan 2010.

Please visit the Kentucky Department of Revenue website for more information.

New PDR Manual Released

The Assistant Commandant for Human Resources (CG 1) released a new version of the Military Personnel data Records (PDR) System Manual, COMDTINST M1080.10H. The manual provides policy and procedures for maintenance of Coast Guard military personnel records.

Revisions to the PDR system include more than just unit name and staff symbol changes. Here are some of the highlights:

• The Personnel Service Center (PSC) Electronically Imaged (EI) PDR is the official record for the military workforce.


• Unit PDRs are mandatory regardless of whether the unit is located with the Servicing Personnel Office (SPO).
  Note: Units that are also SPOs do not need to have unit PDRs for personnel assigned to same physical location. For example, a Sector office that has a SPO would not need to maintain Unit PDRs for personnel assigned to that Sector office. Units serviced by the Sector SPO would need to have Unit PDRs, even if the unit is collocated on the same installation.
  
• The use of an approved Department of Homeland Security (DHS) commercial carrier (e.g. FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.) or U. S. Postal Service (USPS) First-Class Certified mail is now required when mailing SPO PDRs. Previously, the use of these special services was specifically "not authorized". Hand carrying the SPO PDR is still authorized, provided all the conditions listed in paragraph 2.C.1. of the new manual are met. See U.S. Coast Guard Postal Manual, COMDTINST M5110.1B, Sec. 5-C for guidance on properly packaging and mailing personally identifiable information.


• PDR reviews will be conducted jointly with the member. In the previous version of the PDR Manual it was "highly desirable to conduct these reviews jointly with the member". The occasions for conducting PDR reviews are listed in paragraph 2.E.2. of the new manual.


• SPOs are no longer required to forward "temporary" documents to the member. It should be noted however, that prior to destroying a PDR document, the SPO Supervisor must formally approve any removal or destruction of records on file.

This revision to the PDR Manual also incorporates the contents of ALCOAST 209/09; Policy Change to Military Personnel Data Record System, which announced the requirement to collect and maintain the following source documents in the EI & SPO PDRs:

1. Member's birth certificate.


2. Promotion/Advancement Authorizations (e.g. OPAL, EPAA, or ERAA, message).


3. Marriage Certificate/Divorce Decree.


4. Dependent Birth Certificate.


5. Adoption Papers/Court Orders.


6. Current Executed PCS orders.

It is not specifically stated whether or not the new documentation requirements (1 thru 6 above) apply to records for all personnel, or per ALCOAST 209/09, only to the records for those personnel coming into the Coast Guard after 15 April 2009. Absent any conflicting guidance issued by PSC or CG-1, SPOs should ensure the:

• member's birth certificate is present for any member accessed after 15 April 2009.


• promotion/advancement authorization is present for any member promoted or advanced after 15 April 2009.


• source documents for dependency changes (items 3 thru 5 above) occurring after 15 April 2009 are obtained and filed for all members (regardless of service entry date).

The term "Current Executed PCS orders" is in need of clarification. It is listed in addition to the previously existing requirement to maintain copies of the Standard Travel Order for Military Personnel, CG-5131, for the member's two most recent PCS transfers. This really isn't a new requirement. Just ensure the most recent PCS order is a copy of the original, with any amendments, and proper signatures. Given that the new source document requirement appears in the Dependency & Support Documentation (Part 4) area of the PDR, the term probably refers to the "PCS travel claim package", which would include the order (CG-5131), travel voucher (DD-1351/2) and the travel voucher summary (TVS). Having this documentation available in the PDR would support audit requirements for payment of PCS travel allowances for members with dependents. [Note: After reviewing the reader's comment and speaking with the author of the PDR manual, I struck the requirement to include the travel voucher and TVS. The purpose of the "Current Executed PCS Orders" requirement is to have documentation in the PDR which supports the payment of location based allowances (e.g. BAH and COLA).]

SPO Staffing Questionnaire

With all the organizational changes that have taken place during the modernization process, it has become necessary to update our SPO staffing information here at PPC. As we all know, often yeoman are moved within units at the CO's discretion. Therefore, in order to get the most accurate picture of our SPO workforce, we are asking each SPO to respond to a short questionnaire. This will not only tell us the true makeup of our SPOs, but we will also know the experience level of our yeomen and have an idea of the average number of records each one handles. This is important as we work to improve our processes and procedures, and develop possible future conferences or workshops geared to address specific problem areas.

Per E-Mail All Servicing Personnel Office (SPO) message O/09, each SPO shall designate one point of contact to complete the questionnaire (which is in enclosure (1) to the message) and respond with the SPO's information. Where a SPO and admin office are collocated, provide information on the SPO yeoman only.

1. Name of each person with Direct Access CGHRSUP/Payment Approval Official (PAO) authority. If this person is an auditor, how many yeoman is he/she responsible for? If this person is responsible for records, how many? How many years SPO experience does this person have?



2. Name of each SPO yeoman (Direct Access CGHRS role users), number of records responsible for, and years SPO experience.



3. Is there a SPO issue you would like to bring to PPC's attention?

Please complete and return the questionnaire to PPC not later than, Friday, 11 December 2009.

Change to Payroll Processing Schedule for December 2009

Per E-Mail All Servicing Personnel Office (ALSPO) Message N/09, the end-month compute for December (31 December payday) will run on 21 December instead of 22 December. Transactions must be input (and approved, if required) in Direct Access by 2400 hrs (CST) on 20 December 2009 in order to process in time for the 31 December payday.

The compute program is responsible for accessing the JUMPS pay master file and determining the pay amounts for every member on the file. The compute program is run twice a month to generate the payroll for mid-month and end-month paydays.