R 211126Z JUL 04 ZUI ASN-A00203000321 ZYB FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//G-W// TO ALCOAST BT UNCLAS //N07220// ALCOAST 353/04 COMDTNOTE 7220 SUBJ: HDIP FOR MARITIME INTERDICTION OPERATIONS BOARDING TEAMS A. TITLE 37 USC SECTION 301 B. EO 13294 OF 28 MAR 03 C. USCG PAY MANUAL, COMDTINST M7220.29A 1. PURPOSE. TO ESTABLISH COAST GUARD-SPECIFIC POLICY GOVERNING HAZARDOUS DUTY INCENTIVE PAY FOR VISIT, BOARD, SEARCH AND SEIZURE (HDIP-VBSS) BOARDING TEAMS. 2. DISCUSSION. A. PER REFS (A) AND (B), HDIP-VBSS IS AUTHORIZED FOR CERTAIN BOARDING TEAM DUTIES. B. WHILE MOST MARITIME BOARDING OPERATIONS ARE CONSISTENT WITH CORE COAST GUARD COMPETENCIES, AND THEREFORE SHOULD NOT BE ADDRESSED WITH HDIP-VBSS, THERE ARE LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH COAST GUARD PERSONNEL SHOULD BE AUTHORIZED THIS SPECIAL PAY. C. FOR COAST GUARD VBSS-HDIP PURPOSES, MARITIME INTERDICTION OPERATIONS BOARDINGS ARE DEFINED AS THOSE BOARDINGS TAKING PLACE WITHIN A DESIGNATED COMBAT THEATRE OF OPERATIONS. COMMANDANT SHALL AUTHORIZE HDIP-VBSS FOR SUCH OPERATIONS. TODAY, ONLY THE THEATRE OF OPERATIONS SURROUNDING IRAQ ARE AUTHORIZED FOR THE COAST GUARD. D. BOARDINGS IN SUPPORT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, NARCOTICS INTERDICTION, BOATING SAFETY, MARINE SAFETY, SEARCH AND RESCUE, ALIEN MIGRATION INTERDICTION, ENFORCEMENT OF U. S. LAWS AND TREATIES, AND OTHER TRADITIONAL COAST GUARD PEACETIME MISSIONS SHALL NOT BE CREDITABLE FOR HDIP-VBSS PURPOSES AS DESCRIBED IN THIS ALCOAST. 3. COAST GUARD HDIP-VBSS POLICY. EFFECTIVE 1 AUGUST 2004 COAST GUARD BOARDING TEAM AND BOAT CREW PERSONNEL WHO MEET THE MARITIME INTERDICTION OPERATIONS BOARDING TEAM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS CONTAINED HEREIN ARE ELIGIBLE FOR HDIP-VBSS PAYMENTS PER REF A. 4. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS/RESTRICTIONS. A. AS PRESCRIBED IN PARA 5-C-5 OF REF (C), MEMBERS WHO QUALIFY AND RECEIVE HDIP FOR FLIGHT DECK DUTIES MAY NOT RECEIVE A HDIP-VBSS PAYMENT FOR THE SAME PERIOD. B. A MINIMUM OF THREE OPERATIONAL HDIP-VBSS BOARDING EVOLUTIONS PER CALENDAR MONTH MUST BE PERFORMED IN ORDER FOR BOARDING TEAM MEMBERS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR HDIP-VBSS PAY FOR THAT MONTH. (1) AN EVOLUTION CONSISTS OF A BOARDING MISSION CONDUCTED BY A BOARDING TEAM. TRAINING EVOLUTIONS DO NOT COUNT TOWARD THE THREE- EVOLUTION MONTHLY REQUIREMENT. (2) INSERTION/EXTRACTION OF THE BOARDING TEAM MAY BE VIA BOAT, HELICOPTER, OR BOTH. (3) BOAT CREWS MUST MAINTAIN STATION FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY REASONS WHILE THE BOARDING IS IN PROGRESS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR HDIP- VBSS, AND SHOULD BE COMPRISED OF THE MINIMUM PERSONNEL NECESSARY FOR MISSION REQUIREMENTS. OPERATIONS WHERE THE BOAT CREW IS USED TO ONLY EMBARK AND DISEMBARK THE BOARDING TEAM DO NOT QUALIFY AS A HDIP-VBSS BOARDING EVOLUTION FOR THE BOAT CREW. C. CUTTERS ARE AUTHORIZED NO MORE THAN TWO BOAT CREWS AND TWO BOARDING TEAMS ELIGIBLE FOR HDIP-VBSS (SEE PARA 5 BELOW). EACH ELIGIBLE BOAT CREW SHALL BE COMPRISED OF NOT MORE THAN 3 PERSONS. EACH HDIP-VBSS-ELIGIBLE BOARDING TEAM SHALL CONSIST OF PERSONS TRAINED AND QUALIFIED IN ACCORDANCE WITH CURRENT BOARDING TEAM POLICY. EMBARKED NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE (NSW) OR COAST GUARD LEDET/MSST/PSU BOARDING FORCES DO NOT COUNT AGAINST THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF HDIP-VBSS TEAM QUOTAS. D. COMPETENT AUTHORITY MUST ASSIGN PERSONNEL TO AN AUTHORIZED HDIP-VBSS-ELIGIBLE BILLET. E. PERSONNEL MUST BE ASSIGNED FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH. 5. THE MAXIMUM NUMBERS OF AUTHORIZED HDIP-VBSS BOARDING TEAM QUOTAS BY ACTIVITY TYPE ARE AS FOLLOWS: CUTTER CLASS/ACTIVITY OFF/CWO/E6-9 ENL (E2-6) WPB/WLI/WLM/WTGB/WYTL/WLR 1 7 (NOTES 1, 5) WAGB/WLB/WIX 1 14 (NOTES 1, 5) WHEC/WMEC 2 28 (NOTES 2, 5) TACLET/LEDET VARIES VARIES (NOTE 3) SHORE BASED BOAT FORCES TBD TBD (NOTE 4) NOTE 1: THOSE COMMANDS THAT DESIRE TO USE AN OFFICER, CWO, OR E6-9 AS THE ASSISTANT BOARDING OFFICER VICE A MORE JUNIOR ENLISTED MAY SO DESIGNATE TWO OFFICERS/CWO/E6-9 AND 13 ENLISTED VICE ONE OFFICER AND 14 ENLISTED. NOTE 2: THOSE COMMANDS THAT DESIRE TO USE AN OFFICER, CWO, OR E6-9 AS THE ASSISTANT BOARDING OFFICER VICE A MORE JUNIOR ENLISTED MAY SO DESIGNATE FOUR OFFICERS/CWO/E6-9 AND 26 ENLISTED VICE TWO OFFICERS AND 28 ENLISTED. NOTE 3: ALL LEDET PERSONNEL DEPLOYED OVERSEAS TO A DESIGNATED COMBAT THEATRE OF OPERATIONS CONDUCTING MARITIME INTERCEPTION OPERATIONS ARE ELIGIBLE. COMMANDING OFFICERS WILL VERIFY THAT OTHER REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED IN THIS ALCOAST BE MET BEFORE AUTHORIZING HDIP-VBSS PAYMENT. NOTE 4: PSU HDIP-VBSS-ELIGIBLE BOARDING TEAM MEMBERSHIP WILL BE BASED ON MISSION REQUIREMENTS AS DETERMINED BY UNIT COMMANDING OFFICERS. NOTE 5: UNDER UNUSUAL AND COMPELLING CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIGH OP TEMPO MISSIONS, CUTTER COMMANDING OFFICERS MAY REQUEST APPROVAL FROM COMDT (G-WPM) TO TEMPORARILY DESIGNATE MORE HDIP-VBSS BOARDING TEAM MEMBERS THAN LISTED ABOVE. APPROVAL WILL BE COORDINATED WITH APPROPRIATE CGHQ PROGRAM MANAGERS. 6. OTHER HDIP-VBSS BOARDING TEAM QUOTA CONSIDERATIONS: A. QUOTAS SHOULD REFLECT THE UNITS NORMAL WQSB BOARDING TEAM HDIP- VBSS ASSIGNMENTS ESTABLISHED AS CLOSELY AS IS PRACTICABLE. B. FAIR SHARING. HDIP-VBSS-ELIGIBLE BOARDING TEAM ASSIGNMENTS SHALL NOT BE ROTATED FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF EXPANDING HDIP-VBSS ELIGIBILITY TO MEMBERS WHO PERFORM OCCASIONAL VBSS DUTIES. C. THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL ENTITLED TO HDIP-VBSS IS SUBJECT TO THE MONTHLY LIMITATIONS IN PARA 5, EXCEPT: (1) PERSONNEL ON LEAVE OR UNDER TEMPORARY ADDITIONAL DUTY (TAD) ORDERS MAY BE RETAINED UNDER ORDERS TO AN HDIP-VBSS BILLET. THESE MEMBERS WILL NOT BE CHARGEABLE AGAINST THE MONTHLY ASSIGNMENT LIMITATION DURING PERIODS OF LEAVE OR TAD UNLESS THEY QUALIFY FOR HDIP-VBSS DURING THE PERIOD OF ABSENCE. HOWEVER, TO RECEIVE HDIP- VBSS, ELIGIBLE PERSONNEL MUST PARTICIPATE IN THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF BOARDING EVOLUTIONS FOR THE MONTH CONCERNED. (2) PERSONNEL INJURED OR INCAPACITATED AS A RESULT OF PERFORMANCE OF HDIP-VBSS-ELIGIBLE DUTY WILL NOT BE CHARGEABLE AGAINST THE MONTHLY ASSIGNMENT LIMITATION FROM THE DATE OF DISABILITY. (3) ORDERS FOR REPLACEMENT PERSONNEL WILL NOT BECOME EFFECTIVE UNTIL THE DATE THEIR PREDECESSORS DEPART ON LEAVE OR TAD, OR BECOME DISABLED. PERSONNEL AT ANY ELIGIBLE COMMAND ON TEMPORARY DUTY OR TAD, OR RESERVISTS ON ACTIVE DUTY (INCLUDING ADSW AND ADT), MAY BE ORDERED TO HDIP-VBSS-ELIGIBLE BILLETS AND ARE ENTITLED TO HDIP-VBSS AT THE ESTABLISHED RATES FOR THE PERIOD DURING WHICH THEY PERFORM SUCH DUTY. 7. INJURY OR INCAPACITATION. WHEN A HDIP-VBSS-ELIGIBLE MEMBER, IN THE PERFORMANCE OF ELIGIBLE BOARDING TEAM DUTIES, IS INJURED OR OTHERWISE INCAPACITATED AS DETERMINED BY AN APPROPRIATE MEDICAL AUTHORITY, HE OR SHE IS CONSIDERED TO HAVE MET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THAT DUTY DURING THE INCAPACITY, BUT FOR NO LONGER THAN THREE MONTHS IN ACCORDANCE WITH REFERENCE (E). APPROPRIATE MEDICAL AUTHORITY SHALL DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE INCAPACITY AND THE DATES THEREOF. A. IF THE MEMBER ALREADY PARTICIPATED IN THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF VBSS EVOLUTIONS FOR THE MONTH OF INCAPACITATION, THE THREE-MONTH VBSS ENTITLEMENT PERIOD COMMENCES THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH FOLLOWING THE INCAPACITATION. B. IF THE MEMBER HAS NOT PARTICIPATED IN THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF EVOLUTIONS, THE HDIP-VBSS ENTITLEMENT COMMENCES ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH IN WHICH THE INCAPACITY OCCURRED. C. THE ENTITLEMENT CONTINUES FOR THREE MONTHS UNDER CONDITIONS DESCRIBED IN THIS PARA UNLESS THE MEMBER IS REASSIGNED UNDER PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS) ORDERS TO AN ACTIVITY OTHER THAN THE ONE IN WHICH THE MEMBER WAS INJURED. D. ENTITLEMENT TO HDIP-VBSS DURING PERIODS OF INJURIES INCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HDIP-ELIGIBLE DUTIES TERMINATES WHEN AN APPROPRIATE MEDICAL AUTHORITY RETURNS THE MEMBER TO FULL DUTY. 8. MBRS UNDER COMPETENT ORDERS TO HDIP-VBSS DUTY WHO PERFORM A MINIMUM OF THREE OPERATIONAL BOARDINGS DURING A CALENDAR MONTH ARE ENTITLED TO 150 DOLLARS HDIP-VBSS FOR THE MONTH. THE MONTHLY HDIP- VBSS RATE WILL NOT BE PRORATED EXCEPT IN MONTHS WHERE A MEMBER'S HDIP-VBSS ORDERS TERMINATE DURING THE MONTH. FOR EXAMPLE, IF A MEMBER IS ELIGIBLE FOR HDIP-VBSS DURING THE MONTH OF SEP 2004, AND THE MEMBER IS PCS TRANSFERRED ON 20 SEP 2004, THE MEMBER WILL BE ENTITLED TO 100 DOLLARS HDIP-VBSS FOR THE MONTH. 9. COMPETENT AUTHORITY. ORDERS BY COMPETENT AUTHORITY TO A HDIP- VBSS-ELIGIBLE BOARDING TEAM BILLET WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED IN WRITING BY THE MEMBERS COMMANDING OFFICER AND WILL BE TRACKED USING LOCAL METHODS. ANNOTATION OF BEING ASSIGNED TO A HDIP-VBSS BILLET ON INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP TAD ORDERS MAY ALSO SERVE AS ORDERS BY COMPETENT AUTHORITY, BUT DOES NOT RELIEVE THE COMMAND WHO ORIGINATED THE TAD ORDERS OF THE REQUIREMENT TO MAINTAIN ITS OWN UP-TO-DATE HDIP-VBSS BILLET TRACKING RECORD UPON THE MEMBERS RETURN. 10. THE HDIP-VBSS TRACKING REQUIREMENTS. COMMANDS MAY DEVELOP LOCAL TRACKING METHODS, HOWEVER THE ESTABLISHED METHOD MUST BE AUDITABLE. FOR AUDIT PURPOSES, THE RECORDS SHALL BE RETAINED FOR 12 MONTHS. LOGGING THE NUMBER OF DAILY EVOLUTIONS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL MEMBER NEED ONLY BE RECORDED UNTIL THE QUALIFICATION CRITERIA FOR THE MONTH HAVE BEEN MET. 11. PSC TOPEKA WILL PUBLISH PAYMENT PROCEDURES FOR HDIP-VBSS IN THE PERSONNEL AND PAY PROCEDURES MANUAL, PSCINST M1000.2 (SERIES), AND VIA ALSPO MESSAGE TO SERVICING PERSONNEL OFFICES. 12. THIS ALCOAST WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO CHAPTER 5 OF REF. E IN A FORTHCOMING CHANGE. 13. HDIP-VBSS POLICY QUESTIONS MAY BE SUBMITTED VIA E-MAIL VIA UNIT COMMANDING OFFICERS TO COMPENSATION (AT) COMDT.USCG.MIL. 14. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED. 15. RADM K. T. VENUTO, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT FOR HUMAN RESOURCES SENDS. BT NNNN