Council Purposes and Objectives

entitlements such as the Survivor Benefit Plan because they are widows, widowers, or orphans of

retirees or members who died on active duty; disability retirees on the Temporary Disability

Retired List (TDRL) or Permanent Disability Retired List (PDRL); active duty and Reserve

retirees over 60 years of age who are eligible to draw retired pay; and retirees subject to recall,

including Reserve retirees in RET-2 status, not drawing retired pay, and active duty retirees

under 60 years of age who are eligible to draw retired pay. Retirees who would be eligible to

draw retired pay but who instead merged their military service with federal civilian retirement

are also included. Additionally, Federal civilian retirees who worked for the Coast Guard may

also maintain links with the Service via regional retiree councils.

b. Coast Guard military retirees and annuitants are valuable members who are affected by

Congressional legislation, have unique needs and can effectively represent the Coast Guard to

local and national decision makers. Retirees under age 60 remain subject to recall to active duty,

but their needs differ from those of members on active duty. These needs must be clearly visible

to senior Coast Guard leadership in order to maintain this special personnel resource.

5. COUNCIL PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES. The National Council of Coast Guard Retirees was

chartered in July 1982, and renamed the Commandant of the Coast Guard National Retiree Council

(CCGNRC) in 2002. Its primary purpose is to keep open a positive line of communications between

the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard military retiree community in an effort to make sure the

resources and capabilities of each are used to help resolve the needs of the other. The CCGNRC and

the RCGRCs are forums through which this communication takes place. Specific benefits that can

accrue from active outreach between Coast Guard units and retirees, under auspices of the CCGRNC

program, include:

a. Improving the interface between retirees and local Coast Guard units.

b. Developing and establishing methods for retirees and annuitants to function as mentors and to

participate in the Service's recruiting and retention initiatives.

c. Raising the visibility of the Coast Guard through coordinated efforts between District

Commanders and local retirees.

d. Establishing Retiree Services Offices, staffed by RCGRC volunteers, at Coast Guard units where

needs and interests warrant this service.

e. Developing comprehensive, easy to access, and understandable survivor benefits counseling

tools and packages for retirees and annuitants.

f. Promoting enhanced understanding of ongoing military health care issues throughout the entire

retiree and annuitant community.

g. Forging a strong communications link between the sponsoring command and the retiree and

annuitant community where RCGRCs are chartered.