diff --git a/parm/soca/letkf/letkf.yaml.j2 b/parm/soca/letkf/letkf.yaml.j2
index 14da1cfd9..9cb7821ca 100644
--- a/parm/soca/letkf/letkf.yaml.j2
+++ b/parm/soca/letkf/letkf.yaml.j2
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ background:
   members from template:
     template:
       date: '{{ WINDOW_MIDDLE | to_isotime }}'
-      ocn_filename: "{{ GDUMP_ENS }}.ocean.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f009.nc"
-      ice_filename: "{{ GDUMP_ENS }}.ice.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f009.nc"
+      ocn_filename: "{{ GDUMP_ENS }}.ocean.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f006.nc"
+      ice_filename: "{{ GDUMP_ENS }}.ice.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f006.nc"
       read_from_file: 1
       basename: ./ens/mem%mem%
       state variables: [socn, tocn, ssh, uocn, vocn, cicen]
diff --git a/parm/soca/letkf/letkf_stage.yaml.j2 b/parm/soca/letkf/letkf_stage.yaml.j2
index 934fe6e5b..f6b2242dc 100644
--- a/parm/soca/letkf/letkf_stage.yaml.j2
+++ b/parm/soca/letkf/letkf_stage.yaml.j2
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@
 # create working directories
 ######################################
 mkdir:
-- "{{ DATA }}/bkg"
-- "{{ DATA }}/data_output"
+- "{{ DATA }}/Data"
 - "{{ DATA }}/obs"
 - "{{ DATA }}/INPUT"
 {% for mem in range(1, NMEM_ENS + 1) %}
@@ -46,8 +45,8 @@ copy:
 {% set com_prev_ocn.COM_OCEAN_HISTORY_MEM = com_prev_ocn.COM_OCEAN_HISTORY_MEM.replace(search_term, replace_term) %}
 {% set com_prev_ice.COM_ICE_HISTORY_MEM = com_prev_ice.COM_ICE_HISTORY_MEM.replace(search_term, replace_term) %}
 {% endfor %}
-- ["{{ com_prev_ocn.COM_OCEAN_HISTORY_MEM }}/{{ GDUMP_ENS }}.ocean.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f009.nc", "{{ DATA }}/ens/mem{{ '%03d' % mem }}/{{ GDUMP_ENS }}.ocean.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f009.nc"]
-- ["{{ com_prev_ice.COM_ICE_HISTORY_MEM }}/{{ GDUMP_ENS }}.ice.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f009.nc", "{{ DATA }}/ens/mem{{ '%03d' % mem }}/{{ GDUMP_ENS }}.ice.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f009.nc"]
+- ["{{ com_prev_ocn.COM_OCEAN_HISTORY_MEM }}/{{ GDUMP_ENS }}.ocean.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f006.nc", "{{ DATA }}/ens/mem{{ '%03d' % mem }}/{{ GDUMP_ENS }}.ocean.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f006.nc"]
+- ["{{ com_prev_ice.COM_ICE_HISTORY_MEM }}/{{ GDUMP_ENS }}.ice.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f006.nc", "{{ DATA }}/ens/mem{{ '%03d' % mem }}/{{ GDUMP_ENS }}.ice.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f006.nc"]
 {% endfor %}
 ######################################
 # copy fix files
@@ -65,10 +64,3 @@ copy:
 - ["{{ SOCA_INPUT_FIX_DIR }}/INPUT/ocean_hgrid.nc", "{{ DATA }}/INPUT/ocean_hgrid.nc"]
 - ["{{ SOCA_INPUT_FIX_DIR }}/INPUT/ocean_mosaic.nc", "{{ DATA }}/INPUT/ocean_mosaic.nc"]
 - ["{{ SOCA_INPUT_FIX_DIR }}/INPUT/ocean_topog.nc", "{{ DATA }}/INPUT/ocean_topog.nc"]
-######################################
-# copy deterministic background
-######################################
-- ["{{ COM_ICE_HISTORY_PREV}}/{{ GDUMP }}.ice.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f009.nc", "{{ DATA }}/bkg/{{ GDUMP }}.ice.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f009.nc"]
-- ["{{ COM_ICE_HISTORY_PREV}}/{{ GDUMP }}.ice.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f009.nc", "{{ DATA }}/INPUT/cice.res.nc" ]
-- ["{{ COM_OCEAN_HISTORY_PREV}}/{{ GDUMP }}.ocean.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f009.nc", "{{ DATA }}/bkg/{{ GDUMP }}.ocean.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f009.nc"]
-- ["{{ COM_OCEAN_HISTORY_PREV}}/{{ GDUMP }}.ocean.t{{ gcyc }}z.inst.f009.nc", "{{ DATA }}/INPUT/MOM.res.nc"]
diff --git a/test/soca/gw/prep.sh b/test/soca/gw/prep.sh
index 447ca7846..2cefdc39d 100755
--- a/test/soca/gw/prep.sh
+++ b/test/soca/gw/prep.sh
@@ -68,9 +68,11 @@ do
     oceandir=${COMENS}/06/mem00${mem}/model_data/ocean/history
     mkdir -p $oceandir
     cp ${clim_ens_dir}/ocean.${mem}.nc $oceandir/enkfgdas.ocean.t06z.inst.f009.nc
+    cp ${clim_ens_dir}/ocean.${mem}.nc $oceandir/enkfgdas.ocean.t06z.inst.f006.nc
 
     # ice member
     icedir=${COMENS}/06/mem00${mem}/model_data/ice/history
     mkdir -p $icedir
     cp ${clim_ens_dir}/ice.${mem}.nc $icedir/enkfgdas.ice.t06z.inst.f009.nc
+    cp ${clim_ens_dir}/ice.${mem}.nc $icedir/enkfgdas.ice.t06z.inst.f006.nc
 done