Public Affairs Specialist "A" School Candidate Screening Process

Commandant

2100 Second Street, S.W.

United States Coast Guard

Washington, DC 20593-0001

Staff Symbol: CG-13

Phone: (202) 267-1381

Fax: (202) 267-4493

COMDTINST 1514.1

JUN 24, 2005

COMMANDANT INSTRUCTION 1514.1

Subj:

PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST "A" SCHOOL CANDIDATE SCREENING PROCESS

Ref:

(a) Training and Education Manual, COMDTINST M1500.10B

1. PURPOSE. This Instruction sets forth mandatory procedures for screening enlisted members who

apply for Public Affairs Specialist "A" School. Procedures include those to be administered by the

applicant's command and those to be administered by the nearest district/area Public Affairs Office.

2. ACTION. Area and district commanders, commanders of maintenance and logistics commands,

assistant commandants for directorates, Judge Advocate General and special staff offices at

Headquarters, and commanding officers of headquarters units shall ensure widest dissemination.

Internet release authorized.

3. DIRECTIVES AFFECTED. The Training and Education Manual, COMDTINST M1500.10B, will

be amended to reflect this policy. This Instruction replaces an informal document entitled "Public

Affairs Specialist Screening Interview Guidelines" previously posted on the G-IPA Intranet site.

4. ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT AND IMPACT CONSIDERATIONS. Environmental

considerations were examined in the development of this Instruction and have been determined to be

not applicable.

5. DISCUSSION.

a. A mandatory screening process for Public Affairs Specialist "A" School applicants has been in

place for more than a decade. The screenings were established for a number of reasons: The PA

rating is the smallest enlisted rating except for Musician. Since it is so small, most non-rated

members have little to no exposure to PAs before deciding on a career path; PAs play an

important role in public understanding and perceptions of the Coast Guard.

b. The screenings have two goals: 1) To determine whether the candidate has the personal qualities

needed to succeed as a Coast Guard PA; 2) To ensure the candidate fully understands the roles

and responsibilities of PAs.

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NON-STANDARD DISTRIBUTION: