I mentioned that I would try to do this, so here it is. Everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask about the assignment process. If you have a question this is the place to ask it. I will also try to post any official information here that I can (critical fill solicitations, BM Sitreps, etc.).
There have to be a couple of ground rules though -
First, I won't talk about any one persons specific situation here. If you want to know why you got such and such a job e-mail your detailer, via your unit POC. If you are looking for tips on how to set yourself up for success, and the information could be useful to multiple BM's ask away.
Second, I will only post information here that I know to be true, based on our current policy, business practice or regulation.
Third, because I'm a BM Detailer, much of the information here will not apply to other rates. While all rates use the same personnel manual we all have different ways of managing our accounts because of the differences between rates. For instance BM's have no problem filling UW jobs whereas other rates do, etc.
Fourth, I will not post everyday - I will try to answer all of the questions you post but I'm not making any promises.
I'll give this a try for a month or so and then if it's too much or too contentious I'll thank everyone for their participation and go back into my lurking mode.
I hope that everyone takes some good information away.
Good Luck,
Bosun Kerner
Boatswain Mate Assignments Afloat

I'm going to start with a quick post -
E-Resumes - The deadline was this past Friday, however if you choose to make a change to your e-resume we will receive the info right up to the point that we poll the positions we're slating. (Check my website for more info on how the process works.) No, I can't give you a date on when we'll be slating each particular rank, but know that we start with E9's and work our way down.
If you are going to make changes to your e-resume, please think about the following:
1) Our job is to meet the service need - that's a tall order, some of the things we have to look at are; the amount of money we are spending, are we creating a robust pool of candidates 2, 5, 10 years down the road to fill all of the OIC jobs; is a member stagnating on a particular platform or geographic region.
2) If you are a BM1 and you have been at MM Stations your whole rated career, you would do well to ask for afloat (MM & ATON) and ATON ashore jobs, before you ask for more Stations. Vice Versa if you have been afloat your whole career. I realize that you get in your comfort zone and you don't want to leave the type of unit you know, but trust me I've been there and you need to expand your career as much as possible.
3) If you need/want sea time, keep in mind we have a whole fleet of cutters that are bigger than 110 feet long. I've heard the concerns - "If I go to a 378' I'll never get a chance to qualify as a DWO" - Not true. If you get onboard and the 1st LT doesn't tell you you are expected to qualify, a few trips to the XO's cabin during request and complaint mast asking to break in and the XO will get tired enough of seeing you that he'll get you into the break-in rotation.
4) Is your e-resume realistic? I don't know, but I know right away if it's not. Again, check my web-site it goes into detail about the process and how to be realistic, but no matter what you ask me, I will never tell anything less that to rank EVERY job that's open that you will be willing to go to. Let's just say that you really want to stay in St. Petersburg, FL. It would be far better to have Savannah, GA on your e-resume lower down on your list than to stop at 10 jobs in the St. Pete area, not get one and then receive the left over list with nothing other than Maine and Alaska jobs available on it.
OK, enough. I'm sure I've created some questions with this and if you ask them I'll try to answer - but this post is long enough and I still have to RAS in and do some more work tonight - to top all that off Mama Bosun is starting to glare at me and if Mama's not happy no one's happy.
One final thought, if you see any information that you even think may be vaguely useful, please pass it on. I realize from my own transfers both enlisted and warrant that when it's transfer season the instinct is to look out for number one - but as BM's we are all leaders and we owe it to those we work with to help them at every step. Stay safe, be professional, keep an eye on the weather and by all means keep an eye out for one another.
Bosun

Bosun,

Let me start by saying thanks for the opportunity to have a good free flowing exchange of info b/n all of us BM's an you. My first question is, how much do you look at competencies for jobs? Such as getting an ATON job with no ATON experience, or a HX job with no MLB experience. I have heard ATON is a tough field to get into with no experience. Is pipeline training good enough or is all of this just heresay?

Secondly, I've been to one of your road shows and you said "tell me a story" in your narrative on the e-resume. Do you really want to hear about our families, our past experiences, etc., or just our goals and how we think we can help the Coast Guard?

Lastly, at the expense of being the guiney (spelling?) pig here, I feel many people may be intimidated to ask you things here in fear of sounding "stupid," for you are pretty much the "god" of our future. Will you judge people by their questions on this board by looking up their profile and passing judgment or should be really ask you what's on our minds?

Thanks again BOSUN, hopefully I'm not the "stupid" one and this sparks some Q&A from the fleet.

Gotta get back to Mama BM2.

This thread is now featured. This is a great opportunity fellow BMs, dont let it pass without asking. Lets do this though. If there is a BM or Striker who does have a fear of asking a question, email me at aloconte@yahoo.com, and ill ask the question, but leave your name off.

T

Bosun,

Glad to see your active participation on the boards! This will eventually get rid of a lot of the rumors and myths to the assignment process that most members have stuck in their heads!

To everyone else lurking here....ask away! Now is the time to get the answers you've always asked your shipmates and never got the proper answer! This will be straight from the horse's mouth!

Good evening Mr. Kerner, I have a question about Co-location. My wife and I both are BM's, her priority is five, mine is three, which priority do you go by when assigning us?

BMARS - thats the dumbest question I've ever heard, I'm going right now to look up your profile and figure out where you are . Just kidding - Thanks for being the person I look for on my road shows - the one who is willing to go first.
First - How do quals fit with assignments? It depends (great answer, huh?) Quals are not the be all and end all. In most cases we are going to try to get you to mission platforms which you don't have experience in. Where having the qual is much more important is for the units who will be in extremis that year without a qualified person or at the more senior levels. For instance I can't send a BMC who has never been afloat and has no aton to a 175. A unit that size can't absorb that person in an unqualified status for as long as it would take to get him to speed. I will tell you that if there is evidence that you've sought out training and quals in a mission area on your own, that looks very good from where we sit. Did that cover it?
Second - What about Member Comments? This is what I really want to know - What do you want out of your next tour (or tours) of duty. For instance "I want to get on a ship so I get my sea time to make warrant" or "I want to get ATON experience". But remember I don't see your comments unless I see your name and I don't see your name unless you have a job that I'm trying to fill on your e-resume. I don't particularly need to know about your family or your educational background. I do want to know if you are enrolled in special needs or if you or your wife is working on a degree (remember though in my eyes the CG comes first) and this is a good place to remind me if you are a CoLo. One thing I DON'T want you to do is cut and paste a regular resume out of MS Word or whatever into the comments. I don't need to know that you graduated summa cum laude from Her Lady of Whatever High School. I also don't need to know that you have a DWO letter on a 378. I can (& will) get that info from your competencies page in DA. If it's not listed, head over to the SPO with a copy of the letter and stand there until you see a YN enter it. And before you ask, yes I do still have a copy of my original Surfman Qual signed in 1985 (stop snickering). However if you are 3 tasks or a Board away from that qual the comments are a good place for that. Did that answer it?
Third - Am I going to judge people on here? After boot camp I stayed on as an Asst. Company Commander for one company. At one point my CC (Now LCDR K. Willis) said to me "I like you, you may be ignorant but you're not stupid." I don't know why he said it at the time but it's always stuck with me - there is a huge difference between not knowing information (being ignorant) and being incapable of learning something (stupid). My guess is that the stupid people aren't going to bother to ask questions here because they couldn't care less. So no, while I can't say that I'm not going to look at your profile, I can say I won't do it to find out where the "dumb kid" is stationed so I can stick it to him.
As far as I'm concerned, in here, the ship just tied up and we're all sitting around the E club with a cold frosty beverage talking about the thing that I know best.
Bosun
P.S. at the risk of looking ignorant I'm not a big forum guy so I have no idea what this is going to look like with the quote reply. I don't know if I should be doing it that way or even if your quote should appear above or below my answer so bear with me while I try to catch up with Commandant 2.0, although I doubt I'll ever get a face book thingy - my kids would laugh at me.

quote:

Originally posted by BMARS:
Bosun,

Let me start by saying thanks for the opportunity to have a good free flowing exchange of info b/n all of us BM's an you. My first question is, how much do you look at competencies for jobs? Such as getting an ATON job with no ATON experience, or a HX job with no MLB experience. I have heard ATON is a tough field to get into with no experience. Is pipeline training good enough or is all of this just heresay?

Secondly, I've been to one of your road shows and you said "tell me a story" in your narrative on the e-resume. Do you really want to hear about our families, our past experiences, etc., or just our goals and how we think we can help the Coast Guard?

Lastly, at the expense of being the guiney (spelling?) pig here, I feel many people may be intimidated to ask you things here in fear of sounding "stupid," for you are pretty much the "god" of our future. Will you judge people by their questions on this board by looking up their profile and passing judgment or should be really ask you what's on our minds?

Thanks again BOSUN, hopefully I'm not the "stupid" one and this sparks some Q&A from the fleet.

Gotta get back to Mama BM2.

quote:

Originally posted by AlbertGator:
Good evening Mr. Kerner, I have a question about Co-location. My wife and I both are BM's, her priority is five, mine is three, which priority do you go by when assigning us?

Good question - the answer is both. Colo's are tough on us as well as on you. For our part we try hard to keep married couples together, but it doesn't always work. Choices have to be made by the member regarding professional development and their ideas of what a Colo is are sometimes skewed. One of the current BM Detailers is a Colo. At one unit where he was Colo'd his wifes duty station was about 2 hours from his. At another unit he chose to go as a geo bachelor to get one of his many tickets punched.
But I digress - you should expect to use your Priority 3 to go somewhere that she will be able to get with her priority 5. If she's a YN, priority 5 isn't that bad, but if she's a BM as I said in an earlier post (I think) over the last several years over half of the BM's in the CG transferred as 3 or better. Lets say though that you are both BM2's and there are 2 BM2 positions open in the St. Petersburg area. Don't use your 3 to go to the one, because it is a highly sought after area, and it's unlikely that she will be able to get the other BM2 position as a 5. Does that answer your question?
Bosun

Yes sir it does, she just made BM1 and I just took the NOV SWE for BM1. We both put SMTC as our first 6 picks(BM2) for me and 5(BM1) for her being that it's such a large unit. We're assuming and have been told by others that those jobs shouldn't be that highly sought after, would you agree with that? Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer my questions sir!

What are the overall feelings of the detailers when it comes to allowing BM's an opportunity to grab an assignment as a Company Commander?

Bosun Kerner,

Along with my fellow BM's, I sincerely thank you for the open line of communication. As previously mentioned, I also agree this will clear up any rumors or confusion on how the assignment process really works. Rest assure, I will definitely "pass the word" to our junior members when helping them with their e-resumes, as I am sure all senior BM's will.

My question is about XPO orders. Now that the XPO Slate has been filled (for the most part), when do you anticipate orders will be cut???

#2 - If the member has worked out a report date with their current and future command, is it worth contacting the detailer prior to being issued orders to avoid amending these orders later???

#3 - Does having your name on the AY09 XPO Assignment Message meet the requirement to put in for Boat Forces Command Cadre School, or do we need to wait for official orders in hand???

Thanks again for your time Sir. It is truly commendable that you make time to answer our questions "off-line".

-BM1 (XPO Select)

Mr. Kerner,

First: I would like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to answer all of our questions. I know I don't speak for myself when I say that your answers to the questions we ask will not only help us, but our shipmates as well, so thanks again.
Second: I currently have a SN on the BM3 list. He has served 3 years out of a 4 year enlistment. We are on a PB and with 1 year left of enlistment would you transfer him or keep him onboard? I guess it would depend on if he obligates service to transfer? It has been a question on both our minds for some time.
Thank you again Mr. Kerner taking the time to do this.

SaltyBM,

Thank you for asking that string of questions. I think those were on a lot of our minds. Good Post!!!

-BM1

quote:

Originally posted by Cwadley:
What are the overall feelings of the detailers when it comes to allowing BM's an opportunity to grab an assignment as a Company Commander?

What are our feelings? That's good - didn't anyone tell you we're Detailers, we have no feelings? Seriously our feelings on Company Commander? Same as any other special assingment - DAS Team, Instructor (some jobs), etc. Our concern is for the your career and the CG. If you have rounded yourself out some, usually a CC job isn't out of reach. I say usually, becuase we're still experiencing a shortage of BM2's so we are hard pressed to release them from rate at all. Let's say your on your 3rd tour in the CG, came in went somewhere as a non-rate, struck (or went to school) then headed to a station. During the next 2-3 years you got Coxn and BO qualified, but then advanced yourself out of the unit - then you head off 2 a 270, as a BM2. You learn the deck, you learn the bridge, you get your DWO letter. 2 years later you make BM1 and it's time to go. You're thinking CC - I'm thinking, yeah that could work because you have your basic quals (coxn, BO, DWO) as long as you understand getting into the ATON field afterwards is highly unlikely. Does that make sense?

quote:

Originally posted by AlbertGator:
Yes sir it does, she just made BM1 and I just took the NOV SWE for BM1. We both put SMTC as our first 6 picks(BM2) for me and 5(BM1) for her being that it's such a large unit. We're assuming and have been told by others that those jobs shouldn't be that highly sought after, would you agree with that? Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer my questions sir!

AG - That's not entirely true, in the past there has been a perception that instructor jobs are not good for the BM career. We are trying to change that perception and we are having some success. The theory is we don't want the folks going to instructor positions because they are the least qualified - we want our best and brightest teaching the up & comers. Anyhow, you seem to have the hang of it, as long as you didn't stop with the SMTC jobs. Keep going - include Yorktown, Portsmouth, Miami, San Fran all of the areas where there are a plethora of BM billets. That will be the best chance for success.
Bosun

quote:

Originally posted by saltyBM:
Bosun Kerner,

Along with my fellow BM's, I sincerely thank you for the open line of communication. As previously mentioned, I also agree this will clear up any rumors or confusion on how the assignment process really works. Rest assure, I will definitely "pass the word" to our junior members when helping them with their e-resumes, as I am sure all senior BM's will.

My question is about XPO orders. Now that the XPO Slate has been filled (for the most part), when do you anticipate orders will be cut???

#2 - If the member has worked out a report date with their current and future command, is it worth contacting the detailer prior to being issued orders to avoid amending these orders later???

#3 - Does having your name on the AY09 XPO Assignment Message meet the requirement to put in for Boat Forces Command Cadre School, or do we need to wait for official orders in hand???

Thanks again for your time Sir. It is truly commendable that you make time to answer our questions "off-line".

-BM1 (XPO Select)

Salty,
I can't tell you when we'll start cutting orders for XPO and OIC. There is an intricate (and mind numbing) process that has to happen first called the Command Weave. We look at every OIC/XPO that is transfering this year, we figure in retirements of outgoing Command Cadres and then we work our way back from that, keeping in mind that we have to figure travel time, and on-site relief (even though that's not required for XPO), then after it's all complete we start cutting orders - realistically it could be the end of January, based on the problems we're having this year.
If you have worked with your receiving command on a depart date, now is the time to reach out to us if there is a bona-fide issue. If not contact us after we issue the orders and we'll see what we can do, but remember no promises, since one report date could in turn affect 10 others.
I've spoken to the CO of TQC and told them that we don't object to their using the slate messages to start working on pipeline training, however that is their sandbox and it is strictly up to them.
Bosun

quote:

Originally posted by ProudBM11:
Mr. Kerner,

First: I would like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to answer all of our questions. I know I don't speak for myself when I say that your answers to the questions we ask will not only help us, but our shipmates as well, so thanks again.
Second: I currently have a SN on the BM3 list. He has served 3 years out of a 4 year enlistment. We are on a PB and with 1 year left of enlistment would you transfer him or keep him onboard? I guess it would depend on if he obligates service to transfer? It has been a question on both our minds for some time.
Thank you again Mr. Kerner taking the time to do this.

Proud,
Check my website for information on how we deal with stikers (http://www.uscg.mil/cgpc/epm/AO/BMAfloat.asp). As for his transfer, if he tells us he is going to relad we might not transfer him far away, but if later we find out that he has re-enlisted or extended, we feel like maybe we have been played and we don't enjoy that. A Striker will get his set of BM3 orders with a 2 year Obliserv (same as A school), so your guy would have to extend for about a year to take a set of orders. I would recommend that everyone in his situation do what they have to get one set of orders. Odds are you are his first unit in the CG and it's hard to make an informed decision about anything in one unit. The CG owns him for six years anyway and the economy isn't great, so unless he just won the powerball, I'd recommend he stick around and see if the CG doesn't start to grow on him.
One other note on obligated service (obliserv). If I cut a set of orders with an obliserv requirement, and the member refuses to obligate; his unit has to send a message stating that. We will then reply with a message saying one of three things - 1)Obliserv is waived execute the orders; 2)Orders are cancelled, new orders will be forthcoming with no obliserv requirement (the member is going someplace that we have a hard time filling); 3) Orders are cancelled member to remain at current unit until EOE. All of those responses will state 'member may not re-enlist or extend with out prior permission from epm-1'. Only in rare cases to fill a critical service need will epm-1 approve those. In other words when someone throws down the refusal to obliserv card, they need to start working on finding a civilian job.
Which message we send depends on numerous things, including unit and service need, time remaining on contract and need of the unit the member is supposed to go to (note that I didn't mention member preference). Hope that answers the question.
Bosun

Bosun
I have a question reguarding Bahrain billets I don't know if you handle the special billet area, But I was wondering when the orders were being cut and when should someone expect them? I've been hearing different things such as there are two teams one team starts training in Feburary and the other some time around November.

Thanks BOSUN, I appreciate your time here on this board.

It's funny how your sentance, "that is the stupidest question I've ever heard" can make your stomach drop like the SAR alarm being sounded.

Thanks again!

Bosun -

There's a seperate thread that has brought up a question (thread over here.

Several members posted things like:

quote:

#1-#7 All Bahrain 110's
#1-6 SMTC
#1-7 Key West 110's
#2-8 All California 87's

What I'd been told in the past was that lists like this are a good way to frustrate and "**** off" the detailer. Especially in reagards to the Bahrain one, in that the message states to apply for one billet only to be considered. But more generally, from what I've heard, putting just 1 or 2 110s in Key West is enough to get the point across that that's where you want to go, and to move on from there. That putting EVERY SINGLE KW 110 is akin to "spamming" your list and if you don't get one of them, be prepared to get #25 on your list. Any truth to this?