The ‘True’ Role of the PHS Liaison

Law Office of Shannon James PLLC

The following is not legal advice and does not confer an attorney-client relationship.

The ‘True’ Role of the PHS Liaison

Over the years, I have had clients surprised with their Commissioned Corps Liaison and the perceived
lack of assistance provided as it related to their personal situation. This typically involves an adverse
action taken against the officer where the officer expected the liaison to advocate on their behalf. This
situation might occur less frequently if more officers understood what the liaison’s role is and what it is
not.

Liaisons are not necessarily the officer’s advocate. Dictionary.com defines an advocate as a person who
speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc. 1 But did you know liaisons are authorized
to issue Letters of Counseling to officers outside of their chain of command? Commissioned Corps
Instruction (CCI) 211.07, Accountability for Conduct and Performance, provides:

A Commissioned Corps Liaison (Corps Liaison) may issue an LOC for an officer who is
not in the Corps Liaison’s supervisory chain of command in the following
circumstances: (1) Related to an officer’s failure to: properly wear the uniform; submit
requests for leave in the Corps’ leave system of record; submit a Commissioned
Officers’ Effectiveness Report (COER) as directed; meet readiness requirements and/or
submit documentation to CCHQ. (2) Other circumstances authorized by the Director,
CCHQ. 2

Indeed, I have seen cases where the liaison advised on the drafting of a Letter of Reprimand (LOR) or
other adverse action, much to the consternation of the officer. For many officers, this can feel like a
betrayal. But CCI 211.07 offers greater insight into the liaison role. Section 7-3 provides:

Corps Liaisons are responsible for providing information and guidance to managers
regarding Corps policy…

Therefore, it should not come as a surprise if the liaison does not appear to be acting as the officer’s
advocate in every situation. The confusion simply lies in the role that liaisons are tasked with and a lack
of information on what that role entails. Dictionary.com 3 defines a liaison as, “the…connection
maintained by communications between units…of any other organization in order to ensure concerted
action, cooperation…”

This is not to knock liaisons or the vital role they play. PHS liaisons assist officers in a myriad of areas,
however, the role of the liaison is not to advocate for a particular officer, but to advocate for the
Commissioned Corps as a whole and serve as the communication link between the Public Health Service
and the various agencies it serves.

1 https://www.dictionary.com/browse/advocate
2 See https://dcp.psc.gov/ccmis/ccis/documents/CCI211.07.pdf for additional information on the role of liaisons in
the conduct and performance of officers.
3 https://www.dictionary.com/browse/liaison

The following is not legal advice and does not confer an attorney-client relationship.