Update Those Records! Story by Lt. Charles Conley, Reserve Personnel Management Nobody should care more about your military record than you! When a member is a candidate before a board or panel, the scrutiny lies within their official Coast Guard Military Human Resource Record. The importance of keeping a record current has been instilled in officers from the genesis of their commissioning. Historically, enlisted members have not had the same training. However, more and more boards and panels are opening for enlisted members, and unfortunately, the records are lacking the majority of their accomplishments. The Reserve Master Chief Advancement Panel, Command Senior Enlisted Panel, Senior Education and Fellowship Panel, and Chief Warrant Officer Designation are just a few examples of panels that we see enlisted members as candidates. Therefore, it is imperative that enlisted members start to take ownership of their record to ensure they are competitive during a board or panel. An official military record is a snapshot of a member’s career and is the most important tool that board/panel members view when scoring candidates. When evaluating enlisted candidates, board/panel members have access to the candidate’s record in iPERMS, their employee summary sheet (ESS), Reserve point statement and their enlisted evaluations. iPERMS has been a great addition as a tool to manage records within the Coast Guard. A member can log in any time to manage their record and validate its accuracy. When checking on documents within your iPERMS record, there are items that are particularly useful for boards and panels. For the enlisted workforce, awards and qualification letters are seemingly the most important. For those of us who have been in for quite a few years, the best way to ensure your record is complete is to compare it side by side with your ESS. Make sure your awards and qualifications received from all units are in iPERMS. If your award is listed on your ESS, it needs to be in iPERMS because the content within the award makes an impact on your evaluation within the board or panel. Another important document to have in a record is a CG-4082. This is a one-page document used to track items that are not typically found within a formal record. The CG-4082 is an optional form, but it is an important addition to a member’s military record. It is strongly recommended to use the CG-4082 to document all your significant education, training, and qualifications. There should be an emphasis on items that are not captured on a member’s ESS–most commonly are college courses completed while working towards a degree. Training that is relevant to the Coast Guard is also acceptable on a CG-4082. Be cautious on listing information on the form that references civilian employment–unless there is a direct nexus to the Coast Guard. A candidate cannot be judged on civilian accomplishments when being considered for Service-based boards or panels. One of the most common phrases from board members is, “Where is their updated 4082?” Having an up-to-date form speaks volumes to board members; it tells them that you care about your record and are placing yourself to be as competitive as possible. Another often under-used tool is career counseling that Reserve Personnel Management offers throughout the year. Members have done a great job contacting RPM-2 for assignment counseling, but did you know that RPM-1 offers counseling to review records to help the member look as competitive as possible? Reach out to RPM-1 Boards and Panel Section via email: [email protected] . Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Barry Bena — WINTER 2024 24
