Coast Guard Reserve Policy Board

Commandant

2100 Second Street, S.W.

United States Coast Guard

Washington, DC 20593-0001

Staff Symbol: G-WT

Phone: (202) 267-6443

COMDTINST 5725.1

COMMANDANT INSTRUCTION 5725.1

Subj:

COAST GUARD RESERVE POLICY BOARD

Ref:

(a) 14 U.S.C. 703

(b) DHS Delegation No. 0170, Paragraph 2.(43)

1. PURPOSE. To establish policies and procedures for the Coast Guard Reserve Policy Board (RPB).

2. ACTION. Area Commanders, Assistant Commandants, the Director of Reserve and Training, Chief

of the Office of Reserve, and the President of the RPB shall familiarize themselves with provisions

of this Instruction. Internet release of this instruction is authorized.

3. DIRECTIVES AFFECTED. None.

4. DISCUSSION. Reference (a) requires the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to

convene a Coast Guard RPB at least annually to consider, recommend, and report to the Secretary on

reserve policy matters. At least one-half of the members of the board must be Reserve officers.

Reference (b) delegates to the Commandant of the Coast Guard the duties assigned to the service

Secretary in reference (a). Historically, the RPB has been an important vehicle for ensuring that

issues affecting the Coast Guard's Reserve force received due consideration at the highest levels of

the service. However, the absence of uniform policies and procedures for the RPB have resulted in

wide inconsistencies from board to board in terms of size and composition, scope and selection of

issues for consideration, level of staff preparation and support required, frequency of board meetings

and, ultimately, the disposition of the board reports submitted to the Commandant. In addition, the

integration of the Coast Guard Reserve structure into the active duty force begun in the mid 1990s

has blurred many of the distinctions between regular and reserve personnel. Finally, the extensive

mobilization of the Reserve after the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, has

dramatically heightened the importance of the Reserve, and raised significant issues that merit the

attention of the RPB. This Instruction is intended to better align the RPB with the Reserve Program

and firmly establish its mandated role as a working advisory body to the Secretary and the

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