Basic Boarding Officer Course Exemption Story by Kyle Ford, MyCG If you have previous law enforcement (LE) training experience, you may be able to apply that toward your Coast Guard career as a boarding officer. You may request an exemption for the Basic Boarding Officer Course (BBOC) or Boarding Officer Practical Course (BOPC) putting your LE experience and accredited courses to work for you in the Coast Guard. If you have graduated from a Peace Officer Standard of Training (POST), or Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation (FLETA) Academy, and if you also completed the Initial Law Enforcement Qualification Course, you may be eligible for the exemption. This practice takes advantage of the existing training and experiences of previous and current LE officers, according to Chief Warrant Officer 4 Lee Conroy, policy program manager for the Basic and Practical Boarding Officer Courses, assigned to the Office of Law Enforcement Policy and Standards, Commandant (CG-MLE-2). The experience that our members possess could grow the reserve boarding officer strength to a level that would take six years to achieve through the traditional school process, according to Conroy. “The practice will also reduce pressure on schools by eliminating the need for experienced individuals to attend,” he added. Boarding team members must also meet certain time requirements. They must be: • command certified as a BTM for a minimum of two years; • certified as a BTM in the last three years; • employed by an LE agency outside the Coast Guard within the last five years; • employed by an LE agency outside the Coast Guard for a minimum of three years; and if no longer employed by an external LE agency, they must have separated in good standing. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee an automatic exemption from the courses. Applications will be adjudicated by CG-MLE-2. Find the package submission form at MLE Training Exemption Requests. Once your command endorses your package, email it to COMDT (CG-MLE-2), with “Boarding Officer Academy Exemption Request” in the subject line. Packages will then be adjudicated by a board comprised of MLE subject matter experts. If you are approved for this exemption, your accredited academy will be an accepted substitute for any Coast Guard competency that requires completing BBOC/BOPC (for example attending the Maritime Law Enforcement Academy Law Enforcement Instructor Course). . FISCAL YEAR • FY is the same for everyone, October 1 through September 30 every year. This is the calendar for the government budget. With the new budget year comes a new allocation or allowance of drills and ADT for members. • To meet participation standards, members must complete 90% of these scheduled drills and 12 days of ADT-AT. Assuming all 48 IDT are scheduled, 90% equates to completion of 43 IDT drills. • The “90% of scheduled drills” can vary based on individual circumstances; for example a member who affiliated halfway through the FY or completed six months of ADOS would not be required to complete 90% of 48 IDT but only 90% of the remainder of the FY’s scheduled drills (e.g., 90% of 24 drills). Members who miss participating requirements may be subject to separation subject to separation as per the Reserve Duty Status and Participation Instruction, COMDINST M1001.2. ANNIVERSARY YEAR • AY is member-specific. Typically, this is the date of initial entry into military service (DIEMS date, if no break in service). If member has a break in service, AY is the date the member last affiliated with the Coast Guard (or another Service) after the last break. For most reservists, this is the date they affiliated with Coast Guard. Time on the Inactive Status List (ISL) counts as a break in service. AY changes when a member comes off the ISL and into an "active status” [Active Status List (ASL), Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR) or the Selected Reserve (SELRES)]. • Retirement: Each satisfactory year for retirement is 50 points in an anniversary year regardless of how points are accumulated. Members are automatically awarded 15 membership points and must accumulate another 35 to achieve a good year for retirement, via any combination of drills, active duty and correspondence courses. • Reserve Good Conduct Medal: requires 70 points per anniversary year, and essentially aligns with minimum participation standards. 15 membership points + 12 ADT- AT + 43 Drills = 70 points. . Understanding Fiscal (FY) vs. Anniversary (AY) Year Seasoned members may be familiar with the difference between AY and FY and the requirements of each, but we wanted to demystify it for members who may still find it confusing. What is the difference between AY and FY, a good year for retirement, a good year for the Reserve Good Conduct Medal (RGCM), and minimum participation standards? It’s vitally important that members actively manage their careers in coordination with their commands to ensure that when they schedule their drills and their two weeks of active duty (ADT), the time accrued falls into the correct anniversary year. Issue 2 • 2023 . RESERVIST 35 CELEBRATING CELEBRATING 70 70 YEARS OF THE RESERVIST YEARS OF THE RESERVIST
