Adm. Linda Fagan in front of the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle in New London, Conn., Aug 19, 2022. US Coast Guard Photo
The US Naval Institute has an excellent interview with the Commandant. The lead off is about steps being taken to lower barriers to both service entry and long-term service.
“The Coast Guard commandant has a message for the country – she’s hiring.
“The Coast Guard is feeling an acute recruiting crunch across both officer and enlisted ranks, so reforming the service workforce is at the top of Adm. Linda Fagan’s agenda and the centerpiece of the Coast Guard’s latest strategy that rolled out in October.”
But there is a lot more to the interview. She also talks about cutter recapitalization, the helicopter fleet, and the Coast Guard’s increasing role internationally.
You may have noticed that “we are hiring” signs are up all over the country. There is a structural labor shortage in the country as job creation is way up, unemployment is at record lows, and “boomers” are finally leaving the work force. As a result, the Commandant is looking hard at ways to recruit and retain members, including recognizing prior work experience. Likely the average age of the workforce is going to increase. This is all to the good. Experience and guile beat youth and enthusiasm every time.
It is worth noting that, over the last 30 years, the number of Coast Guard personnel authorized has increased while the size of the other four military branches, not surprisingly, have decreased. (DOD active-duty personnel are down 36%.) While I don’t have a figure for 1993, in Oct 1989, it appears the Coast Guard’s active-duty allowance was 36,899 personnel. Current authorization is 44,500. That would be a 20.6% increase.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
Following from MyCG
https://www.mycg.uscg.mil/News/Article/3270341/coast-guard-extends-enlisted-retirement-age/
Coast Guard extends enlisted retirement age
By Zach Shapiro, MyCG Writer
The Coast Guard has extended the retirement age for active duty enlisted members from 30 years to 34 years of military service.
If you have an approved retirement letter based on the previous policy, and you would like to continue your career in the service, please contact the Separations branch of the Enlisted Personnel Management division (EPM-1). If you have any questions about how service beyond 30 years impacts assignment eligibility, please contact the applicable assignment officer (AO) in the Assignments branch of EPM (EPM-2).
“This initiative is designed to promote retention. But more importantly, it rewards members who have served in our Coast Guard and embodied our core values for most of their lives,” said Capt. Jonathan Carter, EPM division chief.
“EPM intends to waive the two years of service normally required for members who wish to cancel approved retirements,” Carter added. However, this will only apply to 30-year retirements approved before the release of the Update to Active Duty Enlisted Retirement Beyond 30 Years ALCOAST 014/23.
EPM is making additional process updates in accordance with this policy change. “We are also establishing a new screening window for the Senior Enlisted Continuation Board (SECB). Members are typically screened for continued service between years 20-21 and 25-26. Coinciding with the new 34-year time-in-service limit, EPM will institute a third SECB screening window between years 30-31 starting in 2023. The additional SECB screening window will ensure that only deserving members are eligible for this unique opportunity and the privilege of continued service in our Coast Guard,” Carter explained.
For any general policy questions, please contact the Office of Military Personnel Policy (CG-133).
Resources:
Update to Active Duty Enlisted Retirement Beyond 30 Years ALCOAST 014/23
Interesting look at the challenge of recruiting, “Military Services Competing Over the Same Recruiting Pool of Less Than 500,000”
https://news.usni.org/2023/02/14/military-services-competing-over-the-same-recruiting-pool-of-less-than-500000?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=5d7d40a131-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-5d7d40a131-230448833&mc_cid=5d7d40a131&mc_eid=e873a959e6