ok....let me try this again now that my posting problem is resolved:

By Mark D. Faram

mfaram@militarytimes.com

The Navy plans to cut end strength by 9,000 sailors over the next four years.

That would ratchet the service’s end strength — 328,271 as of Feb. 18 — even lower than planned for the recent drawdown, and lower than Navy officials believe they need to carry out the service’s post-war missions.

In fact, the plan — included in the Navy’s 2012 budget — puts the service on track to exceed the drawdown goal of 322,500 by fiscal 2013, dropping to 319,000 by the end of fiscal 2015.

Cuts started in earnest in 2003, when the Navy, with an end strength of 382,235, put into effect a plan to whittle the force.

Since then, more than 53,000 sailors have been shown the door.

Navy officials were able to con­vince Congress in 2009 to pause that drawdown, saying they just couldn’t go any lower and still meet all the Navy’s regular mis­sions — as well as provide nearly 14,000 active and reserve individ­ual augmentee sailors annually to serve with the Army and Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Mark Ferguson told Navy Times in a Feb 17 interview that those requirements are pro­jected to begin dropping off during fiscal 2012 and continue to drop into 2013.

Moreover, he said units assigned to Navy Expeditionary Combat Command are likely targets for cuts.

Though Ferguson acknowledged that the projected cuts are shown in this year’s budget documents, he said future end strength is far from settled.

“There’s some element of uncer­tainty in the out years, which is why I’m reluctant to say that’s exactly where we’re going to go,” he said.

That’s because demand for sailors in the war zones may not go away, he said. Also, he noted that ship-building schedules could change, which could cause planned decommissionings to slip. Both factors could give him ammunition to keep the Navy’s end strength higher.

But he said the biggest battle is out of his hands: The most impor­tant factor in determining the Navy’s future size will be “the fis­cal environment and what we’re going to face next year and the year after.” “I would say I’m absolutely cer­tain that 325,700 is the number for [fiscal 2012],” Ferguson said. “For [fiscal 2013], we’re in the middle of a new budget build, and a lot of these items are back on the table for discussion, because they’re kind of based on projections.” Ferguson said he and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead both believe that the Navy needs to remain roughly 325,000 strong, even post-war, to meet slated missions and man the current fleet as well as the ships of the future.

Ferguson said he believes fleet leaders will be able to argue against future cuts. But he also admits that their success will ultimately depend on available funds. If they are not successful, the service will need to make hard decisions.

War-related reductions

Ferguson said fiscal 2012 will be the first year Navy manpower won’t be inflated because of the war effort.

“All of our funding in this budget is the baseline for the active side,” he said. “There’s no supplemental funding as we had in previous years for end strength.” And as the war in Iraq winds down, he said some of the roughly 15,000 active-duty sailors at Navy Expeditionary Combat Command face cuts.

“There are some reductions in capacity in those areas. We will reduce some of the maritime expe­ditionary security squadrons, and there are some projections that we could take — not until [fiscal 2013] and out — some other NECC reductions” for units yet to be identified, he said.

Those initial cuts to the security squadrons, officials say, will result in going from six squadrons in the active force down to just to three while maintaining seven in the reserves.

Also, as many as three naval mobile construction battalions could go away in 2013 or beyond. There are nine active and 12 reserve battalions, each with roughly 600 sailors.

“Right now, we’re projecting that we will take two active battalions out in [fiscal 2013] from the nine we have today,” Ferguson said “But I will tell you that’s still on the table for debate.” Navy budget officials say projections for fiscal 2013 budget call for removing three battalions from the active force, although the Navy is expected to fight to keep that loss to two.

Yet to be decided is whether battalions go away for good, or switch to the reserve component.

“We’re looking at, is the right answer seven active and 14 reserve or seven active and 12 reserve?” Ferguson said Additionally, the projected Marine Corps drawdown of roughly 15,000 to 20,000 people will help the Navy cut more of what Ferguson calls “blue in support of green” billets.

“We contribute billets, such as corpsmen and chaplains and other personnel, in support of the Marine Corps,” he said. “So as Marine Corps reduces in size, those [billets] will start to reduce in the outer years.”

Finding savings

Since the post-Cold War draw­down began in 1990, the enlisted force has borne the brunt of man­power cuts.

The enlisted work force has been cut 47.8 percent since 1989, when the service hit its post-Vietnam high, while officers were cut by 28.3 percent over the same time frame.

The previous drawdowns, Fer­guson said, avoided cutting what he calls “overhead” — reducing the officers who were overseeing the work.

That’s why Ferguson turned to the officer corps first, seeking to eliminate or consolidate officer­heavy staffs.

“For example, we had a subma­rine squadron staff with four boats in it,” he said. “We’re now going to a squadron construct where they had eight or nine boats in it, as it was years ago — that’s an example of how when we took the strength out, we did not focus on the strength that was overseeing it.” From fiscal 2012 through 2014, he’ll consolidate staffs, with the goal of cutting 2,000 to 3,000 billets.

Those savings, he said, include the consolidation of 2nd Fleet with Strike Forces Atlantic Training and Fleet Forces Command.

Also being eliminated are a destroyer squadron staff, three sub­marine squadron staffs, an air wing staff and a carrier strike group staff. He also said he had identified 1,000 billets to be cut at Navy Installations Command, the sys­tems commands and Navy Recruiting Command.

As a part of these staff reduc­tions, Ferguson also is looking at the structure of the officer corps, seeking to shrink that to bring it even more in line with the trimmer enlisted work force. He started at the top.

“We did flag billets, we eliminat­ed nine and reduced 15 [in rank],” he said. Those 15 reductions, he said, were done by dropping some O-8 billets down to O-7 and some O-7 billets to O-6.

Next, he reworked the billet structure of the restricted line and staff communities, such as lawyers, all types of medical offi­cers and supply. “We looked at the seniority of the billets in those offi­cer communities and we rolled some of them down,” he said.

Ferguson didn’t say how many total billets this officer corps restructuring produced.

Still, he said, reviews like this will continue during the next few budget cycles in an effort to find more savings.

Recruiting untouched

Ferguson said one thing the Navy won’t do is reduce recruiting goals. The service learned a valuable les­son in the previous drawdowns, when recruiting cuts created man­ning problems in later years.

Ferguson said officials learned savings must come from other places.

“Were down to [bringing in] 34,000 this fiscal year,” he said. “We’ve probably got a little room left, but we’re extremely close to the margins — we cannot cut our future by stopping accession.” □

From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy announced April 14 that it will conduct a focused enlisted retention board (ERB) in August for 31 specific ratings.

The ERB will be conducted as a result of record high retention and low attrition among active duty Sailors and to meet current and future planned end strength controls.

Currently, the Navy is overmanned in 31 of its 84 ratings, and as a result, many ratings have limited Perform-to-Serve (PTS) quotas available, resulting in increased competition and reduced opportunity for strong performing Sailors to reenlist. In order to enable the PTS program to work as designed to shape the force, Navy leadership has determined it is necessary to increase the opportunity for top performing Sailors to compete for a quota.

"Programs like Perform-to-Serve and selective reenlistment bonus have been effective tools at optimizing and stabilizing our force strength. Retention behavior, coupled with the shift of 6,800 billets back to sea and development of our capabilities in key areas such as ballistic missile defense (BMD), cyber and information dominance has necessitated the establishment of the enlisted retention board to meet congressionally mandated end strength and to rebalance the force," explained Chief of Naval Personnel, Vice Adm. Mark Ferguson.

The board will review the records of selected third class petty officers (E-4) through senior chief petty officers (E-8) in the 31 overmanned ratings with greater than seven but less than 15 years of cumulative service as of Oct. 1 2011, and will be conducted in two independent phases -- Phase I will review E-4 to E-5 Sailors and will convene Aug. 22, 2011. Phase II will review E-6 to E-8 Sailors and will convene Sept. 26, 2011.

The specific ratings identified include the following:

- Aviation Boatswain's Mate Fuels (ABF)
- Aviation Machinist's Mate (AD)
- Aviation Electrician's Mate (AE)
- Aerographer's Mate (AG)
- Aviation Structural Mechanic (AM)
- Aviation Support Equipment Technician (AS)
- Aviation Electronics Technician (AT)
- Aircrewman Mechanical (AWF)
- Aircrew - Tactical Helicopter (AWR)
- Aircrew – Avionics (AWV)
- Aviation Maintenance Administrationman (AZ)
- Builder (BU)
- Construction Electrician (CE)
- Construction Mechanic (CM)
- Engineering Aide (EA)
- Electrician's Mate Surface (EMSW)
- Equipment Operator (EO)
- Electronics Technician, Surface Warfare (ETSW)
- Fire Controlman (non-Aegis) (FC)
- Gas Turbine Systems Technician, Electrical (GSE)
- Machinist's Mate, Surface Warfare (MMSW)
- Mineman (MN)
- Machinery Repairman (MR)
- Operations Specialist (OS)
- Parachute Rigger (PR)
- Personnel Specialist (PS)
- Religious Program Specialist (RP)
- Ship's Serviceman (SH)
- Sonar Technician Surface (STG)
- Steelworker (SW)
- Utilitiesman (UT)

The board will exclude Sailors whose soft expiration of active obligated service (EAOS) date is in FY12 because they will be considered in PTS. The board will also exclude those who advanced to their current paygrade in cycles 208 (E-4/5/6), 209 (E-8/9), 210 (E-7), or 211 (E-4/5/6), are nuclear qualified, Joint Special Warfare Command enablers and those currently enrolled in the Navy's Safe Harbor program.

This quota-based board is anticipated to review roughly 16,000 records and will identify approximately 3,000 Sailors who will not be retained on active duty. In essence, this board will review roughly 6percent of the force to separate approximately 1 percent. Separation quotas will be developed by individual rating, pay grade and years of service, and will be published once the board convenes.

In an effort to provide maximum opportunities for conversion ahead of the board, eligibility requirements will be adjusted to allow eligible Sailors to convert to an undermanned rating prior to the board convening. Those Sailors approved for rating conversion prior to the board will be exempted. Procedures to apply for rating conversion will be published by May 1 and the applications must be received by June 15, 2011.

Those Sailors not selected for retention will need to separate by June 30, 2012, but qualified Sailors will be afforded the opportunity to compete for a Selected Reserve quota via PTS. The Career Transition Office (CTO) will be available to assist Sailors who desire to make this transition into the Reserve Component.

Sailors separated by this board will also have access to the Navy's transition assistance programs which includes the Transition Assistance Management Program (TAMP), employment assistance, relocation assistance for separating members stationed overseas, and other benefits for members who are involuntarily separated. Members will also be eligible for involuntary separation pay.

"Navy values the service of every Sailor. The decision to establish this board was made after careful consideration, and will allow Navy to keep our very best Sailors in these overmanned ratings, improve advancement opportunity, and enable PTS to maintain this balance into the future. We also strove to afford Sailors the opportunity to shift ratings prior to the board and to affiliate with the reserves should they not be continued on active duty."

To read the ERB announcement, NAVADMIN 129/11, visit www.npc.navy.mil.

To listen to Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Gary Roughead's comments on the ERB, visit www.navy.mil/navydata/cnoPlay.asp?id=4379.

For more news from Chief of Naval Personnel, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnp.

Ray, the link that I attached below is for an article posted on the Navy New Service recently regarding the STA-21 program.  There is information in the article which may help answer some of your questions.  There is also a group here on the NavyDads site called STA-21.  You might check out the group page and read thru some of the posts.

My son was planning to submit his application this July also, but he was advised by his superiors it was best he wait at least one more year.  His chances of being selected will improve.  He already has quite a few college credits and outstanding evals, but he's only been active duty 3 yrs. come this July.  

http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=59529

Retention Board Quotas Released

From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Initial enlisted retention board (ERB) quotas were published May 18 to provide Sailors a clearer picture of the competition in individual ratings, paygrades, and years of service-competitive categories.

"These initial quotas have been released to show Sailors how focused the ERB will be and to help them make informed career decisions," explained Rear Adm. Tony Kurta, director of military personnel plans and policy.

As a result of increased competition and reduced opportunity for strong-performing Sailors to reenlist caused by record high retention and low attrition, Navy announced the establishment of the ERB in NAVADMIN 129/11, April 14.

The main objective is to help the Navy achieve mandated end strength by eliminating overmanning in 31 ratings. Rebalancing Navy manpower will have many benefits in the Fleet, including improved Perform-to-Serve reenlistment approval and advancement opportunity in these ratings.

All 15,688 eligible Sailors will first be reviewed for adverse performance; no quotas have been established for this portion of the ERB. Retention quotas will then be applied to years of service (YOS) bands where overmanning is concentrated. These bands are focused by rating and paygrade, and are established to ensure a balance of seniority, skills, and experience necessary to meet current and future Navy requirements.

Since chiefs and senior chiefs in the designated 31 ratings are not currently overmanned in the 7-14 YOS bands, they will not compete for retention quotas, but will still be reviewed for adverse performance.

The quotas posted on the Navy Personnel Command website are first listed by rating and paygrade, with a "rating inventory" showing the total number in each category. This is followed by the total number of Sailors eligible for the ERB within that category. All of these Sailors will receive a performance review.

For example, when a Sailor looks at the quotas, they will see there are 491 ABF3s and 371 ABF2s in the Navy. Of this group, there are only 2 ABF3's with 7-14 years of service and 180 ABF2's with 7-14 years of service who are eligible for the ERB.

The second block of numbers is further refined and focuses on the number of eligible Sailors within each YOS band subject to the quota-based review. Not all YOS will be subject to quotas. The final block shows the total number of Sailors who will be retained.

Returning to the previous example, the quota-based portion of the board will review the ABF3s with 7-14 YOS, and ABF2s with 7-13 YOS (YOS 14 will not be reviewed for ABF2s). These populations are 2 and 176 respectively, equaling a total of 178 Sailors who will compete for the 101 retention quotas.

These initial quotas are only a snapshot of the current rating manning. Revised quotas will be developed based upon Sailor retention behavior and approved rating conversion requests in the intervening period. These final quotas will be released after the board convenes, following the same process as Enlisted Selection Boards.

To view learn more about the ERB, conversion opportunities and to view the complete quota list, visit http://www.public.navy.mil/BUPERS-NPC/BOARDS/ENLISTEDCONTINUATION/P....

hugely important news:

Navy Revises Career Paths to Emphasize Service at Sea

Transition Benefits: "Shipmates to Workmates" Transitions Talent

Story Number: NNS111130-09 Date: 11/30/2011

From Naval Sea Systems Command Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Now that the Navy has begun notifying the more than 3,000 Sailors impacted by Enlisted Retention Boards, six major Navy commands have started a program to aid transitioning Sailors compete for job opportunities as federal civilians.

The Shipmates to Workmates program - managed jointly by the Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, Naval Facilities Command, Naval Supply Systems Command, Commander, Naval Installations, Space and Naval Warfare Command, and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations - will provide information about career opportunities available at partnering commands and actively assist sailors prepare job applications and resumes.

The participating commands will steer separating sailors, command career counselors and transition assistance coordinators to a dedicated Shipmates to Workmates website to facilitate participation. This website will serve as a "one-stop shop" for sailors seeking to Navy-related employment.

"Finding out that you are being separated from the Navy, will be a significant blow," said Rear Adm. Clarke Orzalli, vice commander NAVSEA. "The Shipmates to Workmates program is an opportunity to do what we can to soften the blow, as well as continue to utilize their significant skills for the benefit of the Navy."

Through the website and other outreach programs, the effort will attempt to demystify the government service hiring process, match job supply to demand, link existing Navy and Defense Department transition support, and assist qualified sailors with local hiring processes.

"The Shipmates to Workmates program is simply good leadership - this program demonstrates our commitment, as leaders, to our sailors by assisting those being involuntarily separated," said Cmdr. Pat Sanders, NAVSEA's lead for the program.

Each of the participating commands will participate in job fairs and other hiring events for transitioning sailors. The first event is a career forum that will be held Dec. 3 from 1100 to 1400 at NSA Bethesda in the Fleet and Family Support Center, Bldg. 11, room 109. Future forums are scheduled at fleet concentration areas throughout the country, including a Dec. 6 forum in Norfolk.

For more information on the "Shipmates to Workmates" program as well as a full schedule of upcoming career forums, please visit the Shipmates to Workmates website at http://jobs.navair.navy.mil/sm2wm/.

Enlisted Retention Board Process Explained

The following is a message from Chief of Naval Personnel and Navy Total Force Command Fleet Master Chief  Scott Benning on the enlisted retention board process.

Over the past few years, we have had to make some difficult, but necessary choices to balance our force.  Our Navy has felt the effects of record-high retention in several ratings, under manning in other key ratings, force structure changes and decisions required to meet changing platforms and manning requirements.  To meet our global mission by filling billets at sea and manning the Fleet with the right mix of Sailors, we needed to use a combination of force-shaping methods.

It is important to recognize upfront that the ERB was conducted using the same principles as all of our boards – these principles are fairness, equity and integrity.  Our board process is a fair, structured and a tried-and-true process.  The board members strictly followed a board precept, which outlined how the board was executed.   The board was conducted in two phases, and the precept gave board members specific guidance on selection standards for each phase.  First was a performance review, where each member’s record was strictly examined following the precept.  Following that was the quota-based portion of the board, which racked-and-stacked each Sailor’s record next to their peers to select the best-qualified Sailors for retention.  Board members included a diverse group of officers, warrant officers, command master chiefs and master chiefs, representing different ratings, geographic locations and warfare perspectives, who relied on their best judgment and Fleet perspective throughout the process.

Most importantly, all members of the board took an oath pledging that they would perform their board duties without prejudice or partiality.  Under the oath, members also gave their word not to speak to anyone outside of the board about individual records, board discussions, or individual votes.  These measures ensure that members can be fully engaged in making the best decisions as a board, and maintains confidentiality and the integrity of the board process.

We recognize this also means that Sailors are not able to get more details on why they were separated, and for some that may be troubling.  While we understand that not having these details leaves many questions unanswered, and provides little closure, I want you to know that as a past member of several boards, I can personally attest that the Navy’s boards are conducted with the absolute highest levels of fairness, equity and integrity.

To our senior enlisted leaders – you have the very important task of making sure your Sailors stay smart on the many policies that will impact their careers.  Your Sailors are looking to you for guidance on how to be best prepared for milestones such as Perform to Serve, advancement exams, and selection boards.   Please do not take this responsibility lightly.

It’s also important that you take the lead in ensuring Sailors separating due to the ERB are aware of the many transition programs the Navy has in place to assist them, and their family members.  We’ve put in place several enhanced transition benefits for those Sailors.  Perhaps the most valuable is the outplacement service provided by the firm of Challenger, Gray and Christmas, Inc., or CGC. Right now, Sailors enrolled with CGC are receiving one-on-one resume and interview preparation, customized job search and placement assistance to help them obtain civilian employment.  This program provides crucial benefits to our Sailors, and we strongly encourage all ERB-separating Sailors to take advantage of this service that has been contracted to enable greater opportunities for success as you transition.

Shipmates, just as you have been here for the Navy, your Navy leadership is here for you and we want to do all we can to assist you in a successful transition.

Thank you to all of our Sailors and their families who work extremely hard and sacrifice everyday to enable the success of our Navy and nation.  We are truly grateful for your service

this is what a Profile Sheet looks like by the way...your sailors future is dependent on these profiles and the scores they achieve on advancement exams, evals, and billets available.

awesome link here folks: Everything you need to know about benefits with the military.

from Navy Times:

More cuts looming

DoD to plan for fewer troops, frozen PCS moves, slashed bonuses

By Andrew Tilghman

atilghman@militarytimes.com

The massive defense cuts threat­ening the military next year would have an immediate impact on the active-duty force: halting travel, reducing incentive pays, abruptly slashing funding for Afghanistan operations and most likely leading to involuntary separations, according to experts.

Top Pentagon officials say they will begin formal planning this summer for the so-called seques­tration budget cuts that will take effect in January if Congress fails to reach an overarching deal to reduce federal spending. Many experts say it appears increasing­ly likely that the military will actually face the spending cuts that were considered highly improbable just a few months ago. “I expect sequestration in some form to take effect,” said Macken­zie Eaglen, a defense analyst with the American Enterprise Insti­tute. “I think the outcome is going to be pretty ugly, no matter what happens.” The cuts would reduce the Pen­tagon’s base budget to 2007 levels, adjusted for inflation.

Some pillars of military life will remain unchanged. Twice-month­ly paychecks, housing and food allowances and combat pay are set by law.

But many perks that pad pay­checks likely would end immedi­ately, such as re-enlistment bonus­es and the array of incentive pays provided to troops with special language skills or in specialty career fields such as aviation, sub­marines, surface ships and medicine, said Fred Pang, a former top Pentagon manpower official under President Clinton.

Re-enlistment standards likely would tighten as the services tried to shrink the force through attri­tion. The flow of new recruits would likely slow, and the Delayed Entry Program would expand as the services decided how to man­age their new budgets, Pang said.

Moreover, troops likely would face a halt to virtually all travel and moving assignments.

“All of a sudden, everybody is frozen in place,” Pang said. “For all intents and purposes, you’d stop all permanent change-of­station travel, all temporary duty travel, everything except for the medical kind or moving back from the combat zone.” Sequestration would affect the money that supports troops in Afghanistan and other overseas contingency operations, a Penta­gon spokeswoman said. But it remains unclear precisely what that impact would be.

President Obama has the authority to protect military per­sonnel accounts from the direct effects of sequestration. But that will not fully blunt the impact on service members.

“Even if you exempt personnel accounts, you are still going to have a big problem,” said Larry Korb, a former Pentagon manpow­er official under President Reagan who is now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C.

hear that......Eric in Hawaii...no PCS x'fers makes me wonder how he's getting back to the mainland.......

why support the military when you can p!$$ away $500 mil on Solyndra and the like.....

sorry all....haven't been posting much though there is so much to keep up on.  The handwriting may be on the wall for the future of our sailors and our fleet. 

CNP Talks Tuition Assistance, PTS and More with Sailors in Norfolk...

Story Number: NNS130319-06 Release Date: 3/19/2013 1:32:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Darien G. Kenney, Navy Public Affairs Support Element - East

NORFOLK (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Personnel addressed Sailors during an all-hands call aboard Naval Station Norfolk, March 18.

Vice Adm. Scott Van Buskirk took this opportunity to discuss issues affecting Sailors' naval careers, their families and their futures. One of the big-ticket items in the news lately is tuition assistance.

"Ninety percent of Sailors who use TA complete the courses they take and Navy leadership is actively working to keep TA in this tough economy," said Van Buskirk. "They are looking at the structure to allow those Sailors who are eligible to continue to use it."

He also discussed the continued impact Sailors have throughout the fleet from an operational standpoint.

"The missions you are accomplishing are making a difference in the world because you are all tremendous ambassadors," said Van Buskirk. "We have supported deployments on the ground and on ships and are fully engaged in supporting critical missions from the Horn of Africa to Afghanistan to the Western Pacific."

Van Buskirk said his number one priority is to man the fleet by ensuring Sailors are assignable, deployable and distributable.

"In the last year, we have had 90 percent PTS approval and greater than 95 percent in the last four months," said Van Buskirk.

Van Buskirk said the Navy is continuing to make improvements to PTS, which increases Sailors' ability to have a say in their career and improve the ability to distribute Sailors where we need them most.

During a question and answer session, Van Buskirk took questions regarding the Navy's current financial state since enacting sequestration and what the future holds.

"It feels good to know that the Navy leadership hears our concerns and for the CNP to come and let us know that he is on our side and doing everything for Sailors," said Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class (SW/AW) Darius Branch.

When asked about retirement pay, Van Buskirk said a commission will be stood up to look at retirement pay, but current active duty will be grandfathered into the current retirement pay.

Much of the question and answer session focused on family-related programs, and Van Buskirk assured attendees the Navy is dedicated to helping Sailors and their families.

"Our Navy remains committed to maintaining the funding for our Sailors and family readiness programs as much as possible, and our goal is to have no impact on those programs in the future," said Van Buskirk.

September Exams Pave Way for Continued Advancement...

Story Number: NNS130430-05
Release Date: 4/30/2013 1:51:00 PM

By Ensign Jacqui Wengler, Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- The Navy announced guidance for the administration of the Cycle 220 September 2013 E4-E6 Advancement Exam via Naval Administrative Message (NAVADMIN) 116/13, released April 29.

The message outlines procedures and general examination information. Eligibility criteria, deadlines for commands to confirm eligibility lists, waiver application procedures and special requirements are also contained in the NAVADMIN.

NAVADMIN 116/13 covers Active Duty, Active Reserve, Full Time Support, and Canvasser Recruiter Sailors testing for advancement in rate.

Because of the Personnel Security Investigation (PSI) budget shortfall due to FY13 Continuing Resolution (CR) and sequestration, this cycle of exams will be different regarding security clearances. The NAVADMIN states that due to these budget shortfalls, Sailors with an expired or expiring security clearance are still considered to be in access and may participate in the exam cycle.

Commands pending deployment and deployed ships and Sailors who are unable to take the exams during the scheduled dates may order exams six months early. Educational Services Officers (ESOs) must follow procedures outlined in the message regarding missed examination cycles prior to Cycle 220.

For the first time in 13 years the examination answer sheet form has been updated. The new answer sheets reflect the newly-structured 175 question examination format and replaces the Social Security Number (SSN) with the Department of Defense Identification Number (DOD-ID). This new answer sheet will be green in color distinguishing it from the old red answer sheets. So far, nearly 500 new answer sheets have been sent to commands requesting early orders for Cycle 220.

Master Chief Cryptologic Technician Eddy Mejias, Naval Education and Training Professional Development Technology Center (NETPDTC) command master chief, says it is important for Sailors to take their careers into their own hands and ensure they use the resources produced by the Navy Advancement Center.

"The bibliographies published on Navy Advancement Center's Navy Knowledge Online (NKO) page provide each advancement candidate with the primary tools they will need to successfully master the content on cycle-specific exams," said Mejias. "We publish bibliographies directly from the questions used on an exam, so Sailors should have confidence in their exam preparation when they study all the material listed in their rating bibliography."

Examination results will be posted on the Navy Enlisted Advancement Systems (NEAS) website and may be accessed by ESOs and authorized viewers.

Quotas are out for Cycle 219 March 2013 Petty Officer (E4-E6) http://www.navy.mil/docs/active_pao_cycle_219.pdf

some advancement (E4-E6) links- note these are by rating:

http://www.slideshare.net/NETPDTC/219-active-duty-pr-yn

http://www.slideshare.net/NETPDTC/219-active-duty-its-os

http://www.slideshare.net/NETPDTC/219-active-duty-hm-it

http://www.slideshare.net/NETPDTC/219-active-duty-dc-gsm

http://www.slideshare.net/NETPDTC/219-active-duty-ati-ctt

http://www.slideshare.net/NETPDTC/219-active-duty-abe-as

Cycle 219 March 2013 Petty Officer (E4-E6) Advancement Results – FY14:

Results Are Released!

About 3,700 fewer active-duty petty officers will advance this cycle, with advancement opportunity falling across all three paygrades.

Active-duty sailors were selected to fill 22,681 quotas this cycle, compared with 26,379 from November. E-5s saw the sharpest drop in opportunity — 26.51 percent this cycle, down from 32.42 percent last cycle. E-6s (17.46 percent, down from 19.59 percent) and E-6s (43.77 percent, down from 47.7 percent) also saw decreases.

Full-time support sailors and canvasser recruiters will fill 573 quotas, up from 476 last year.

I'm so proud of my son and super happy!
BZ to all of the sailors who've advanced HOOYAH! :)

Special Programs: Think Equal Opportunity Advisor...

Story Number: NNS130522-19 Release Date: 5/22/2013 12:45:00 PM
By By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andrea Perez, Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs Office

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- Sailors looking to enhance their career by working outside their rate should consider becoming an Equal Opportunity Advisor (EOA), Navy leaders said May 22.

"Equal opportunity advisors play a vital role in the Navy's ability to maintain operational readiness and accomplish its mission," said Senior Chief Sonar Technician (Surface) Mark Vandervort, EOA detailer, Navy Personnel Command (NPC).

According to MILPERSMAN 1306-917, EOAs can stimulate a free-flow of communication at all levels within a chain of command, making them an invaluable asset to the Navy.

Vandervort says EOAs are command climate experts who strengthen a chain of command by keeping leadership aware of any equal opportunity related issues as well as procedures and practices that may affect the mission, readiness, welfare and morale of Sailors.

"Those commands that can capitalize on their Sailor's skill sets are those that perform the best," said Vandervort. "As the command climate expert, it is the EOA's responsibility to assess the command climate and determine not only what is working right within a command, but also identify potential barriers that may prohibit Sailors from achieving their full potential."

Sailors in pay grades E-6 to E-9 may be eligible to apply for EOA duty after being interviewed by an EOA.

To become an EOA, Sailors must earn the 9515 Equal Opportunity Advisor Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) by attending the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) at Patrick Air Force Base in Cocoa Beach, Fla.

"The EOA course is intense but rewarding," said Vandervort. "The training not only provides students with the tools required to be an EOA, but also provides them with a variety of tools that will allow them to grow as leaders."

The 12-week EOA course provides training in gender communications and cultural awareness, socialization, conflict management, complaints processing, interpersonal communications, and many other topics.

"EOAs ensure Sailors are being treated fairly and with the dignity and respect with which all Sailors should expect to be treated. When utilized correctly, the EOA can be an integral member of the command's leadership team," said Vandervort.

EOAs are assigned to major shore commands, nuclear aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships and training commands.

A complete listing of eligibility requirements can be found in MILPERSMAN 1306-917. Sailors who meet the requirements and would like to apply for EOA duty should request release to Special Programs by submitting a completed NAVPERS 1306/7 to their rating detailer prior to entering their normal detailing window.

The required obligated service for an EOA tour is 36 months, and members selected are required to complete two full consecutive EOA tours, one sea and one shore.

Special Program detailers assign Sailors to more than 20 special programs Navy-wide, including Recruit Division Commander duty and recruiting duty, service on the USS Constitution or the USS Arizona Memorial, and assignment to the Blue Angels or the Navy Ceremonial Guard. MILPERSMAN 1306-900 contains a complete list of special programs available.

For more information, visit the EOA Web Page on the NPC website at www.npc.navy.mil/ENLISTED/DETAILING/SHORESPECIALPROGRAMS/Pages/EOAS...

Cycle 092 (Feb 2013) "Reserve" E4-E6 Advancement Results:
http://www.slideshare.net/NETPDTC/092-e4-e6

Career Navigator Goes Online...

NAVY EXAMS ARE NOT PASS/FAIL, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE TO FAIL...

Navy-wide Advancement Exams (NWAE) are designed to create a distribution of scores so candidates can be rank-ordered. The purpose of the exam is not to pass or garner a certain score to show a level of knowledge, the exam is designed so the Navy can determine where a Sailor stands in comparison to his/her peers taking the same test, in the same paygrade and rating. In other words, the test determines how much you know about your rating's occupational standards compared to your peers. The raw score (total number of questions answered correctly) is used to calculate the standard score (20-80), which is a numeric representation of your standing among all other test takers. An 80 indicates the candidate(s) with the highest raw score. However, to pass the advancement exam, you will need to have a raw score of at least 49 for E4, 55 for E5 and 61 for E6 and E7. Currently, all enlisted advancement exams have 175 questions.
(N32)

FY14 Senior Chief Results...

Application Period Open for CNO's Rapid Innovation Cell...

Story Number: NNS130625-12Release Date: 6/25/2013 3:08:00 PM
From Navy Warfare Development Command Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- The Navy is currently accepting applications for new members of the CNO's Rapid Innovation Cell (CRIC) for fiscal year 2014.

The CRIC was established in 2012 to provide junior leaders with an opportunity to identify and rapidly field emerging technologies that address the Navy's most pressing challenges. The CRIC capitalizes on the unique perspective and familiarity that junior leaders possess regarding modern warfare, revolutionary ideas, and disruptive technologies.

Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC) manages the program and provides administrative and travel support.

CRIC members are volunteers from a cross-section of Navy communities. Participation in the CRIC is a collateral duty that does not require a geographic relocation or release from one's present duty assignments. Selection to the CRIC is based partly on a candidate's proposed project. Once a CRIC member's project is approved, the member remains in the CRIC to shepherd his or her project to completion.

CRIC candidates must have exceptional drive, passion and vision necessary to carry a project to completion. The burden of membership is high, but the rewards are even greater. CRIC members regularly meet with leading innovators in the government and civilian sector, and have access to flag-level sponsorship, funding and a support staff dedicated to turning a member's vision into reality.

Ideal CRIC candidates are officers O-3 and below, and enlisted members E-4 to E-6 transitioning to or currently on shore duty. Having an identified problem to solve with a rapidly implementable solution is desired, but not required. CRIC members generally commit about four days per month outside of their regular duties, participating in ideation events and managing their project. Because CRIC membership is project-based, length of membership depends on the duration of the individual's project, but should not exceed 24 months.

Current projects include 3-D printing, Google Glass integration (Sea Glass), crowdsourced wargaming, and new communication capabilities.

"We are looking for innovation minded personnel with a demonstrated ability to think and operate outside normal paradigms," said Rear Adm. Terry B. Kraft, commander, NWDC. "The CRIC was established to give our junior 'disruptive thinkers' a safe haven to mature nontraditional solutions until they can effectively demonstrate their value to the fleet."

The application period is open to July 31, 2013. Nominations forms and further information are available at https://www.nwdc.navy.mil/ncfi/cric/default.aspx.

Candidates will be announced no later than September 1, 2013. Membership start dates will be staggered throughout the fiscal year; as current members rotate back to sea duty or complete their projects, new members will be added. Verified command support is required for membership.

For more news from Navy Warfare Development Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/nwdc/.

SEPTEMBER ACTIVE DUTY ADVANCEMENT EXAMS
The Active Duty E4-E6 Navy-wide advancement exams scheduled for September will be held on the following dates:
E6 - 5 SEPTEMBER 2013
E5 - 12 SEPTEMBER 2013
E4 - 19 SEPTEMBER 2013
For more information on this advancement cycle, check NAVADMIN 116/13.
(N32)

Active Duty CPO QUOTAS:
Cycle 218 FTS E7 Quotas are posted on NPC's website.
(N32)


RESERVE CPO QUOTAS:
Cycle 218 FTS E7 Quotas are posted on NPC's website.
(N32)

Nimitz Conducts Career Fair at Sea...

Story Number: NNS130723-07Release Date: 7/23/2013 9:29:00 AM
By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Derek A. Harkins, USS Nimitz Public Affairs

USS NIMITZ, At Sea (NNS) -- Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) conducted a career fair on the ship's aft mess decks July 21.

"One of the Navy career counselors jobs is to provide information to the crew," said Chief Navy Counselor Dean Miller, a career counselor aboard Nimitz. "One of the most successful ways to accomplish that task is to hold a career fair. We floated the idea up the chain of command, who were receptive and supportive of this combined event, and were given the green light."

Volunteers for the event taught Sailors about opportunities to advance their careers through commissioning programs, educational opportunities and special assignments that include recruiting and instructor duties.

"If Sailors are interested in molding the future of the Navy as an instructor, I want to encourage them to do that," said Chief Electronics Technician Timothy Hoover, an administrative leading chief petty officer for the "Blue Diamonds" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 146 currently embarked with Nimitz.

Another opportunity Sailors had the chance to learn about was serving at Recruit Training Command (RTC), helping to mold newly recruited Sailors at the Navy's only enlisted boot camp.

"Depending on a Sailor's paygrade, serving as a recruit division commander (RDC) can help advance their career a lot," said Chief Yeoman Joel Campbell, a former RDC at RTC.
Sailors seeking to serve in special operations forces or in the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) field were guided on paths they would need to take to be eligible for those duties.

"I really enjoy talking to the EOD guys," said Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Joseph Janelle, a Sailor who visited the career fair. "I've been trying for EOD. They're helping me out with that."

The event was conducted on a Sunday, with many of Nimitz' Sailors off duty for holiday routine. This allowed for many Sailors to take their time and visit multiple stations at the fair.

"There are two things that are a prime commodity for an aircraft carrier: time and space" said Miller. "We were able to nail down a space and a time that would maximize the use of talent on board and reach the majority of the crew. This was truly a combined effort."

Sailors from a variety of different ratings and paygrades advised the participants. These volunteers offered the participants pamphlets, instruction and advice.

"This is a nice forum for young Sailors wanting to do something beyond what they're doing here on the ship," said Hoover. "It helps them decide what they want for their future in the Navy."

With participation from Sailors with experience from many different opportunities and assignments, Nimitz' career fair provided the crew with information on how to make the most of their futures.

"We're allowing Sailors to benefit from the experience of people who have done certain jobs," said Hoover. "Holding career fairs like this in the Navy is important."

"Sometimes we tend to forget about taking time out of our schedule to talk about our careers because we are so focused on the mission," said Miller. "This career fair offered an opportunity to have subject matter experts provide answers to the crew. We wanted to highlight the incredible jobs the Navy has to offer when it is your time to roll to shore duty."

Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom.

EXAM BIBLIOGRAPHY DETAIL

There have been a few questions on our forum about the lack of detail (chapter/page information) in some rating bibliographies, so this note will address that topic.

The Navy administers norm-referenced exams, which are designed to compare the rating knowledge of Sailors in the same rating and paygrade so a rank-ordered list can be created. However, most tests taken outside of the Navy are criterion exams (pass/fail), where a standard has to be met f...or qualification or a letter grade.

Due to the nature of Navy enlisted exams, detailed bibliographies would defeat the purpose of the exam which is to determine who are the most knowledgeable Sailors - NOT who are the best studiers.

Rating subject matter experts (SMEs) work with the NAC staff to develop exam bibliographies based on the questions loaded on an exam. The reference detail that lists pages, chapters, enclosures, etc., is determined by SMEs at an Advancement Exam Readiness Review (AERR).

There are many factors that are taken into consideration by SMEs when developing reference detail, but it's important to understand the purpose of the exam when you see your bibliography.

First, you have the same bibliography as everyone else in the same paygrade and rating. Some say it's equally unfair...

Bottom line: Sailors with the most rating knowledge, who truly know more about their rating than their peers, are best served by a bibliography that has the least amount of reference detail.

(N32)

FY-14 ACTIVE-DUTY NAVY E7 SELECTION BOARD RESULTS
Congratulations to all CPO selectees!
(N32)

http://www.navy.mil/ah_online/documents/fy14_e7results.pdf

Navy Advancement Center Announces Enlisted Examination Answer Sheet Change...

Story Number: NNS130806-01Release Date: 8/6/2013 12:07:00 AM
By Tom Updike, Naval Education Training Professional Development Technology Center

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- The updated enlisted examination answer sheet announced Aug. 5 in naval administrative message (NAVADMIN) 195-13 will be implemented for the E4-E6 Navy-wide advancement exams, administered starting in Aug. 2013 for Reserve and Active Duty personnel.

The new form, NETPDTC 1430/2 (REV 3-2013), is green in color and replaces the red answer sheet which has been in use for more than 10 years. A key change to the new form is the use of the Department of Defense Identification Number (DOD ID). The DOD ID is a unique 10-digit number that is associated with personnel and their common access card (CAC). A DOD ID is assigned to each person registered in the Defense Enrollment and Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).

"The new green exam answer sheet is part of a larger effort within NEAS (Navy Enlisted Advancement System) to support the Department of Defense's social security number reduction plan," said Cdr. Scott Briquelet, Navy Advancement Center (NAC) director. "We are taking steps to inform all command ESOs (Educational Services Officers) of the answer sheet change in advance of the upcoming exam cycles."

The NAC ships and processes more than 300,000 examination answer sheets each year. The use of the DOD ID rather than an individual Sailor's social security number (SSN) mitigates exposure of advancement candidates' personally identifiable information (PII).

CACs issued after June 2011 will have the DOD ID number displayed on the back of the card. Sailors with access to an NMCI computer can also get their DOD ID number by looking for the window containing the 10-digit DOD ID number during log in or upon removal of the CAC.

The new green answer sheet must be used for all future examination cycles. Command ESOs should destroy any outdated red answer sheets held. Use of a red answer sheet will result in scanning errors and exam discrepancies.

NAC also updated the Advancement in Rate or Change of Rating Worksheet (NETPDTC 1430/3 REV 06-13) which is used locally by commands to perform calculations and establish eligibility for enlisted advancement cycles. Advancement information on the form, such as a Sailor's performance mark average (PMA) and individual award points is copied from the cycle worksheet to the examination answer sheet on the day of the exam. The new worksheet also requires the use of the DOD ID. The form can be downloaded on the Navy Enlisted Advancement System (NEAS) Web at https://neasos.cnet.navy.mil/.

"We are also using NEAS Web to help ESOs look up individual advancement candidate DOD IDs to support exam ordering and processing," added Briquelet.

New, Flexible Career Options Provide Opportunities for a Lifetime of Service...

Story Number: NNS130807-06Release Date: 8/7/2013 12:59:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andrea Perez

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- Continuum of Service (CoS) programs provide Sailors more flexibility to move between the active and Reserve components, allowing for a lifetime of service, officials said in a message released Aug. 7.

NAVADMIN 198/13 applies to eligible officer and enlisted Sailors who currently serve on active duty or in the Reserves.

The message provides an overview of various CoS programs which allow Sailors to transition between the components. The message also details rating and designator conversion programs for enlisted and officer personnel, and the Career Intermission Pilot Program, which allows Sailors to temporarily transition to the Individual Ready Reserve.

Applications for CoS programs can be submitted by detailers, command career counselors or anyone with prior access to Fleet-RIDE through the new Career Waypoints (C-WAY) information technology system. A NAVPERS 5239/8 (SAAR Addendum) is required to access C-WAY.

The C-WAY system is a part the Career Navigator Program and combines all Navy career management processes together to provide Sailors with tools that are more transparent and integrated, and give them a more active role in managing their careers.

Sailors considering any rating conversion may improve their opportunity for selection by taking the Armed Forces Classification Test to improve their initial ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) score. This may expand the number of ratings for which they qualify.

Active-duty Sailors not granted an in-rate or conversion opportunity can always request to join the Navy Reserve five-to-three months prior to their end of active obligated service. The Navy Reserve also offers a two-year deployment deferment for Sailors who join within six months of leaving active duty.

The Career Transition Office (CTO) at Navy Personnel Command (NPC) provides counseling and support to active-duty officer and enlisted Sailors considering a transition to the Reserves. Interested Sailors can contact a CTO representative by phone at (901) 874-4192, or email at cto.officer@navy.mil or cto.enlisted@navy.mil.

For more detailed information on CoS programs and the Career Navigator Program, visit the C-WAY Web Page on the NPC website at www.npc.navy.mil/career/careercounseling/Pages/CareerWaypointSystem....

Continue to Serve Through Conversion...

Story Number: NNS130821-10Release Date: 8/21/2013 1:13:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andrea Perez, Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- Conversion programs allow Sailors from all walks of life to make a major job change and continue their Navy careers, officials said Aug. 21.

Several Continuum of Service (CoS) conversion programs that apply to eligible officer and enlisted Sailors who are currently serving on active duty or in the Reserves are outlined in NAVADMIN 198/13.

To date, thousands of Sailors have converted to different ratings, allowing the Navy to keep Sailors who are committed to a career in the Navy.

According to a new conversion status report on the Active Duty Conversions Web Page on www.npc.navy.mil, more than half of active duty conversion requests in 2013 have already been approved.

Applications for conversion can be submitted by detailers, command career counselors (CCCs) or anyone with prior access to Fleet-RIDE through the new Career Waypoint (C-WAY) information technology system. A NAVPERS 5239/8 (SAAR Addendum) is required to access C-WAY.

Active-duty enlisted Sailors, in conjunction with reenlistment applications submitted via the C-WAY-Reenlistment process, can voluntarily request to change ratings.

Reserve Sailors, working with their CCC, can view and apply for a rating conversion through C-WAY-Conversion.

Active-duty and Reserve officers interested in conversion can request a voluntary designator change. Requests for Reserve designator changes are considered continuously, while requests for AC designator changes are decided by a lateral transfer board twice a year.

Per MILPERSMAN 1440-010, requests for conversion into ratings that are properly manned, will only be considered on a case-by-case basis and requests for conversion to overmanned ratings will not be considered.

For more information, visit www.npc.navy.mil/CAREER/CAREERCOUNSELING/Pages/Conversions.aspx or www.npc.navy.mil/career/careercounseling/Pages/CareerWaypointSystem...;

NAVY-WIDE ADVANCEMENT EXAM VERBATIM
The first few minutes of the administration of a Navy-wide Advancement Exam (NWAE) is a nervous time when advancement candidates are wondering what will be inside that sealed exam booklet. What did the exam proctor just say? Well, check out the link below to get an early look at what will be read aloud before you open your upcoming exam.
(N32)

Verbatim Aug 2013

Taking a Break
How three Sailors used CIPP to accomplish their life goals...

WHAT HAPPENS TO MY EXAM AFTER I TURN IT IN?

Command ESOs are responsible for immediately gathering and shipping answer sheets. Shipments are mailed to NAC in Pensacola, Fla. Once received, the NAC staff inventories each box, verifies command information, and prepares the batch for scanning and imaging. As each answer sheet is processed, discrepancies are worked to ensure each candidate's record is accurate so all elements of the Final Multiple Score are set for the rank-order process. All candidate answer sheets are archived digitally.
(N32)


Why haven't the results come out yet?

After an advancement exam is administered, Sailors wait patiently for the results. We've noticed on this forum that many continue to ask when the E4/E5/E6 results will be released. That information is not available to the NAC, but rather depends on a process that includes Fleet ESOs and Navy manpower commands. There are seven primary steps that lead to exam results.

Here is a basic snapshot of the process from exam administration to release of results:

1. Exams are administered

2. Fleet and shore ESOs mail answer sheets to Pensacola - historically, this process step takes six to seven weeks because substitute exams must also be counted and returned

3. Before exams can be scored, 95% of the projected exam answer sheets have to be received from the Fleet to ensure that the Navy doesn't over promote (this includes late exams)

4. The NAC then sends a listing of how many test passers are in each rating to the CNO

5. Enlisted Community Managers (ECMs) and manpower authorities determine vacancies and funding available

6. Quotas are approved by CNP and forwarded to the NAC

7. Final Multiple Score (FMS) cut lines are set and published results are immediately sent to the Fleet