Reservist Magazine is the award-winning official publication of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Quarterly issues include news and feature articles about the men and women who comprise America's premier national maritime safety and security
Issue link: https://uscgreservist.epubxp.com/i/436616
Headquarters Program Update Position-Based Competencies: Answering Our nation's Call By Lt. Andrew Younkle (CG-1312) Coast Guard reservists answer our nation's call to duty. Whether responding to a nationally-significant event like Hurricane Katrina, assisting a Captain of the Port with elevated maritime security conditions, or working side-by-side with active duty shipmates at a station or sector; the Coast Guard Reserve must be ready. But how does an individual reservist, a District Commander, or the Reserve program define and articulate readiness? The Reserve Forces Readiness System (RFRS) has been instrumental in ensuring that baseline readiness metrics are tracked and achieved through monitoring Reserve drills/ADOS, GMT, medical readiness, and other important managerial functions. Being administratively ready (green), however, does not directly translate into a Reserve force that is trained and capable of responding to an event like the Deepwater Horizon spill of national significance. We need documented requirements and a trained force with the right mission-centric capabilities. Enter the new era of position-based competencies. The Coast Guard Reserve has made a critical investment in time and resources to align over 6,000 Reserve positions to mission-related competencies that are position-based. Here's why position-based competencies are a huge win for the individual reservist, the operational commanders, and the Reserve program as a whole. Individual Reservist: A position-based competency (or competencies) provides a clear mission skill-set and training path for each reservist. It helps the individual be ready to answer our nation's call with a capability. Properly entered into the Individual Training Plans, position-based competency attainment is the next step beyond administrative readiness. Operational Commanders: As reservists under their command attain position-based competencies in boat forces, shore forces, incident management, defense operations, and mission support; operational commanders gain "bench-strength" that can be used either within their AOR, or offered for higher use in the event of a national-level contingency. Reserve Program: Competency-based resource management practices are the Coast Guard Reserve's principal tool to protect and defend the AFC-90 Reserve Training Budget. Each CGHQ-level program and/or Rating Force Master Chief creates doctrine to define position-based requirements. Stakeholders then assign position-based competencies using CG Form 5311. Requirements validate the Reserve's substantial value in financial terms. Return on investment provides sound financial figures of how much each competency is worth, how much it costs to achieve and ultimately supports the Coast Guard Reserve's ability to mobilize and augment in a time of crisis. Position-Based Competencies: "Red is the new Yellow" By Lt. Cmdr. Melissa Ransom (CG-1312) When talking about reservist position-based competencies through Fiscal Year 2016, celebrate the "Red." For the first time, the Coast Guard Reserve is working with CGHQ-level programs, Rating Force Master Chiefs (RFMC) and other stakeholders to define, refine and assign Coast Guard Reserve Requirements based upon mission-signed doctrine, and competencies assigned. The Coast Guard Reserve Legal Program (RJAG) led the way with a June 2012 decision memo. The RJAG memo provided the foundation to define the legal program structure, define competencies, training, career growth, and right size the workforce to support a mobilization similar to Deepwater Horizon. RJAG is now better-equipped to answer our nation's call. ALCOAST 520/13 announced the Boat Forces Reserve Management Plan which supported mobilization readiness for reservists assigned to Boat Forces units. The plan defined readiness requirements, standardized Reserve PALs at stations, and introduced new Reserve competencies to ensure our Reserve Component is ready and capable of effectively conducting boat operations in support of the Commandants Reserve Policy Statement. Reserve Boat Forces are now better positioned to assist operational commanders and respond to a national contingency. In January of 2014, The Reserve Public Affairs Concept of Operations (CONOP) established a Public Affairs mobilization requirement to support a Joint Information Center. The CONOP aligned resource requirements with advancement requirements. Today, Reserve Public Affairs personnel can not only perform traditional duties similar to their active duty counterparts, but they are training to answer our nation's call if there is a regional or nationwide contingency. The Office of Reserve Affairs (CG-131) is continuing to work with all programs and RFMCs to further define requirements, capabilities, training required, and workforce structure to validate the Coast Guard Reserve capabilities and return on investment. The Individual Training Plan (ITP) calculates the costs associated each Reservist's plan to achieve their assigned competencies, timeline for achievement, and is used to purchase quotas in the courses required to achieve each competency. As the requirements are defined and thousands of competencies are assigned, CG-131 encourages leadership to "celebrate the red status" for competencies. The red is how we communicate to Congress the Coast Guard Reserve requirements, costs, and what capabilities can be purchased or lost based upon the fiscal year's Reserve Training Appropriation (AFC-90). A competency based human capital tool defends the Reserve appropriation, tracks training costs for each competency and monitors each Reserve member's progress. In today's constrained budget climate the Coast Guard Reserve will be better able to convey to Congress exactly what capability will be diminished if the AFC-90 appropriation is reduced. Celebrate the Red – it sets the course to green. 32 RESERVIST � Issue 1 • 2015