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Coast Guard Personnel Command

Officer Personnel Management Division

Officer Boards, Promotions, and Separations Branch (CG PC-opm-1)

Officer Temporary Separation Program

The following page outlines the Temporary Separation (TEMPSEP) Program for Regular Commissioned Officers.  While there is a Temporary Separation program applicable to enlisted personnel, different rules may apply.  Enlisted personnel should consult section 12.F. of the Personnel Manual.

Eligible Officers

Officer eligibility is limited to career officers who have served on active Coast Guard duty for five years without a break in service immediately preceding the effective separation date.  This includes permanent commissioned officers in the grade of lieutenant or above, permanent commissioned warrant officers who have completed their three-year probationary period, temporary regular officers who have completed at least five years of active duty and three years of active duty commissioned service, or Reserve Program Administrators (non-provisional) in the grade of lieutenant or above.  The following are not eligible:

  • Personnel who have previously separated from the Service under this policy.
  • Members with active duty obligated service.
  • Reserve Officers (except for RPAs)
  • Retirement-eligible members
  • Members pending investigation, performance probation, NJP, courts-martial, or civilian criminal charges or proceedings.
  • Officers in a failed selection promotion status.
  • Officers of the Permanent Commissioned Teaching Staff (PCTS)

What is the Temporary Separation program?

Temporary Separation is outlined in Chapter 12.F. of the Personnel Manual.  The Temporary Separation policy allows Coast Guard members to temporarily separate and pursue growth or other opportunities outside the service, while providing a mechanism for their return to active duty. The long-term intent of this program is to retain the valuable experience and training our members possess that might otherwise be lost. Under this policy, career oriented officers and enlisted members are allowed a one time separation from Active Duty for up to two years.

This policy originally was called the Care of Newborn Child (CNC) policy.  It was designed to allow a new mother to take up to a 24-month absence to care for a child.  It was modified to the present policy that allows all eligible members to take up to a 24-month absence (the reason for absence is irrelevant).

The decision to submit a TEMPSEP request is a serious one because it is a resignation of your commission in the USCG.  The projected separation triggers transfer and advancement actions that, if reversed, cause hardship to other members.  A member desiring to cancel an approved separation under this policy will be required to complete a minimum of two years active duty from the date of cancellation.  Cancellation of an approved separation will be based on Service needs.

Members who are approved for separation under this policy are eligible to affiliate with the Reserve during the separation.  Members who do not immediately affiliate with the Reserves upon temporary separation, may request to affiliate anytime during the temporary separation period.  If an officer affiliates with the Reserve, they retain their date of rank.  This means that the time served in the Reserve will count toward time required to be considered for promotion. 

Requesting Temporary Separation

Officers submit their request to separate under this policy as an unqualified resignation.  A signed Statement of Understanding of Conditions for Temporary Separation must be attached to the request.

Personnel who already have an approved separation date may request, prior to that date, to be separated under this policy.  This may be done with a memo and by faxing the Statement of Understanding of Conditions for Temporary Separation to CG PC-opm-1 (202-493-1618) prior to the date of separation.  It cannot be processed after a person has been separated.

Returning from Temporary Separation

The applicant must submit a Notice of Intent to Return at least six months, but not earlier than one year, before the intended date of return to Active Duty. To ensure the greatest job opportunity, applicants should consider submitting their notice of intent by 1 October to compete for assignments in the following summer.

If not affiliated with the Coast Guard Reserve, the officer needs to contact their local Coast Guard Recruiter and Commander, Coast Guard Recruiting Command (CG RC).  It takes longer as many more steps are required to reassess officers not affiliated with the Reserve corps.  The Notice of Intent should be sent by traceable means to:

Coast Guard Recruiting Command (CGRC)
4200 Wilson Blvd, Suite 450
Arlington, VA  22203-1804

If member did not affiliate with the Reserve, we cannot do anything until he/she is commissioned to accelerate the return to active duty.

If affiliated with the Coast Guard Reserve, the officer sends the notice of intent to Commander, Coast Guard Personnel Command (CGPC-opm-1).  This can be faxed to (202) 493-1618.  If the officer is affiliated with the Reserve and there is a Service need is to bring member back as soon as possible, we can issue an EAD contract while awaiting appointment authority.  

As soon as an officer submits his/her Notice of Intent to Return to Active Duty After Temporary Separation to either CG PC-opm-1 or CGRC:

1.      CG PC-opm-1 submits the officer's name to the Senate for appointment.

2.      CG PC-opm-2 will determine the applicant's duty assignment and issue his or her orders as far in advance as possible (90 days is optimal) before the appointment date.

Promotion & Precedence Issues

If an officer was not previously considered by an ADPL board, he/she will be considered by the next selection board based on the officer's adjusted date of rank.

If an officer was previously selected by an ADPL board,  he/she will be returned to the same relative position on the ADPL list, if that list is still in effect, and the officer's name has not been reached. They will be offered an appointment in the higher grade, if the officer's name was reached or passed on a previous list.

Upon return to active duty, an officer who affiliated with the Reserve and was promoted to the next higher grade on the IDPL:
        --Will not be reappointed in the higher regular grade. Or;
        --May request to return to active duty on an extended active duty (EAD) contract at the higher grade.
        --Upon return to active duty, an officer who affiliated with the Reserve corps and was not selected for promotion by the IDPL will not carry that nonselection forward on the ADPL.

An officer separated under this policy may lose precedence on the Active Duty Promotion List (ADPL) according to the following:

An officer appointed to the same grade last held on Active Duty who remained in the Reserve corps will maintain the same IDPL Date of Rank when recommissioned as a regular, permanent officer.

  1. An officer appointed to the same grade last held on Active Duty who did not affiliate with the Reserve corps would receive a new Date of Rank based on constructive credit. Computations are based on the methods prescribed in the Personnel and Pay Procedures Manual, HRSICINST M1000.2 (series).
  2. An officer appointed to a higher grade than last held on Active Duty will receive a Date of Rank based on when he/she signs the Oath of Office (CG-9556) to accept the commission.
  3. Once the new date of rank is established, seniority within that date of rank will be administratively determined by CGPC-opm.
  4. An officer returning under this program with an adjusted Date of Rank or appointed to a higher grade will usually be given the highest precedence for that Date of Rank.
  5. An officer returning under this program with the same Date of Rank as when separated will usually be given the same precedence as before he/she left.
  6. The effective date of pay and allowances will be the date the applicant executes the Acceptance and Oath of Office.

Request Processing

Using correct terminology for retired recall requests is extremely important for proper processing.  Requests should specifically address "retired recall", "recall from retirement" and/or "resumption of retirement" as appropriate.  Do not use "extended active duty", "recall contract" or "release from active duty".  Those terms are used when dealing with non-retired Reserve Officers brought on active duty.  Using these terms in a request could delay processing as it will be routed to a different office. 

When retired recall requests arrive at CGPC, they are processed in the following manner:

1. CGPC-opm-1F reviews the request, ensures it does not contradict current laws and policy, that the member is eligible according to laws and policies, and potential implications as far as the count of officers.
2. The request is forwarded to the Officer Assignment Branch (CGPC-opm-2) and reviewed by the appropriate detailer(s) and the Chief of Officer Assignments.  They assess the service need for a particular applicant and recommend approval and for which positions.
3. The Chief of the Boards, Promotions and Assignments Branch (CGPC-opm-1) reviews the package and input from opm-1F and opm-2 and a final review of the officer count is made if approval is considered or may disapprove.  CGPC-opm-1 may also mandate additional review by other offices in CGPC or may forward to the Chief of Officer Personnel Management (CGPC-opm).
4. A letter outlining the results of their request is sent to the applicant from CGPC-opm-1F.  If approved, this letter will serve as the official orders.  If PCS orders are necessary, they will be issued separately by the Officer Assignment Branch.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What determines the availability of Retired Recall jobs?  There are three major constraints with respect to recalling a retired member to active duty:

-The member must be physically qualified to perform the duties assigned.
-If they are a regular officer that retired from the USCG in the grade of LCDR or above, the service can only have 2% of its officers in that grade made up of retired recall officer.  This does not apply to Reserve Officers or officers brought on retired recall status for special boards or projects of a unique nature that last less than one year.
-There must be a billet available for the officer throughout the period they are recalled to active duty.

2. Are there any jobs open for my specialty or my rank?  The Officer Separations Section facilitates requests to come on retired recall but does not have a list of jobs available.  The detailers will evaluate each request depending on the nature of the request (jobs requested, background of the individual).

3. Are their any age restrictions for retired recall?  No.  The member only has to be physically qualified to perform the duties assigned.

4. Are their physical screening requirements for retired recall?  An approved physical examination per the Medical Manual Article 3.A.7.g is required prior to coming on active duty.

5. What happens once I submit a retired recall request?  The request is forwarded to CGPC-opm-1 where it is initially processed.  The member's record is checked, if in a controlled grade the impact of another officer is evaluated and a package is forwarded to the appropriate detailer(s).  From there they will evaluate the service need and determine if a billet can/should be filled by the member requesting and for how long.  It is then returned to the Officer Boards, Promotions & Separations Branch for approval/disapproval.  For O-6s or special circumstances, it may be further routed through the Chief of Officer Personnel Management.

6. What reply will I receive from my request?  If you submit a request, you will receive a letter after it has been processed that states the results.  If approved, the letter will serve as your orders and outline the specifics of your assignment.

7. How does recalling retired personnel affect officer promotions for those on active duty?  There is no impact on the ability to promote an Active Duty Officer because someone was recalled from retirement. 

8. Am I eligible for promotion once recalled from retirement?  By USCG policy, those recalled from retirement are not eligible for promotion.  The law and policy have established procedures that can be exercised if the Coast Guard desires to promote retired recall officers.  Officers recalled from retirement will have a clause in their orders stating if they are eligible for promotion or not.

9. Are retired reserve officer in a RET-2 status eligible for 18 year lock?  Yes. The term "18 year lock" refers to the law that allows reserve officers who reach 18 years of active duty service to remain on active duty until they reach 20 years then retire with an active duty retirement. 

10. I was a temporary officer that served as a LT for several years then reverted back to my permanent CWO rank at my request and retired as a CWO.  Can I ask for LT billets for retired recall purposes?  Normally officers will be considered for billets appropriate to the rank that they left the service as.  The experience as a LT may be included in a resume to increase the marketability of the applicant.  Per 14 USC 422, a person recalled to active duty from retirement must be recalled to the grade they retired at.

11. Are retired recall officers restricted to the rank of the billet?  No, retired recall officers may be placed in any billet that is suitable for their skill sets but are generally no more than a one rank difference. 

12. How much advance notice is the member required to give to cancel a recall from retirement?  Normally between 30-60 days to accommodate administrative out processing at PSC and the PERSRU.  As much advance notice as possible is desirable.

13. How often should I reapply if my request was denied?  Requests for recall from retirement are held for one year following their denial.  If a service need develops, these requests are reviewed to determine if they can fill the billet.  New requests or inquiries should not be made until a year passes from the reply from CGPC.

14. I am on Active Duty and immediately beginning a period of recall from retirement.  Can I carry leave from my Active Duty period over to the Retired Recall Period?  If there is no break in service then the leave may be carried over per 10 USC 701(c).  If there is a break between the retired recall and active duty, the active duty leave is lost.

Last Modified 7/22/2008