Commandant
2100 Second Street, S.W.
United States Coast Guard
Washington, DC 20593-0001
Staff Symbol: G-OCS-1
Phone: (202) 267-4315
Fax: (202) 267-4593
COMDTINST 16114.35
31 JUL 03
COMMANDANT INSTRUCTION 16114.35
Subj:
PROSPECTIVE SURFMAN PROGRAM
Ref:
(a) Personnel Manual, COMDTINST M1000.6 (series)
1. PURPOSE. This Instruction establishes the Prospective Surfman Program (PSP), a system of
identification, selection, training, and assignment of surfmen trainees.
2. ACTION. Area and district commanders, commanders of maintenance and logistics commands,
commanding officers of headquarters units, assistant commandants, Chief Counsel, and special staff
offices at Headquarters shall comply with this Instruction. Internet release authorized.
3. DIRECTIVES AFFECTED. Personnel Manual, COMDTINST M1000.6(series), will be updated to
reflect the provisions of paragraph 10d of this Instruction.
4. BACKGROUND. Coast Guard surfmen are the service's most highly trained boat handlers. They
are part of a long tradition of lifesavers, dating back almost 200 years, responsible for some of our
service's greatest rescues. Operating rescue boats in surf and heavy breaking seas remains one of
the most challenging and dangerous tasks Coast Guard boat crews perform. The surfman
qualification process is long (due in part to limited training opportunity) and is extremely
demanding. Consequently, since 1999, an average of only fifty percent of surfman duty billets have
been filled with qualified personnel. This program is intended to attract, identify and select
prospects; and to properly guide, train, and develop surfmen trainees.
5. DISCUSSION. The Prospective Surfman Program (PSP) provides the necessary training for
members of any experience level who enter the program to become expert coxswains and achieve
qualification as surfmen. After qualification, members are assigned to surf stations as duty surfmen
where they operate the Coast Guard's most capable boats in often harsh and unforgiving conditions,
leading boat crews in the execution of Coast Guard missions.
DISTRIBUTION SDL No. 140
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NON-STANDARD DISTRIBUTION:
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