ALIGNMENT OF ENLISTMENT CONTRACTS WITH DUTY STATION TOUR LENGTHS

[Tony 540]

UNCLASSIFIED

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R 221516Z DEC 17

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NAVADMIN 307/17

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/DEC//

SUBJ/ALIGNMENT OF ENLISTMENT CONTRACTS WITH DUTY STATION TOUR LENGTHS//

REF/A/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/061543ZJAN17//

REF/B/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/281806ZFEB17//

REF/C/DOC/COMNAVPERSCOM/08JAN08//

REF/D/DOC/COMNAVPERSCOM/03SEP14//

REF/E/DOC/COMNAVPERSCOM/16MAY16//

REF/F/DOC/COMNAVPERSCOM/16FEB17//

REF/G/DOC/COMNAVPERSCOM/22APR10//

REF/H/DOC/COMNAVPERSCOM/13MAY16//

REF/I/DOC/OPNAV/30JAN07//

NARR/REF A IS NAVADMIN 004/17, VOLUNTARY EXTENSION OF ENLISTMENT.
REF B IS NAVADMIN 051/17, EXTENSION OF DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR VOLUNTARY 
EXTENSION.  REF C IS MILPERSMAN 1306-106, TIME ON STATION
(TOS) AND RETAINABILITY/OBLIGATED SERVICE (OBLISERV).  REF D IS MILPERSMAN 
1306-125, ENLISTED RECORD FLAGS.  REF E IS MILPERSMAN 1160-140, CAREER 
WAYPOINTS  REENLISTMENT.  REF F IS MILPERSMAN 1160-040, EXTENSION OF 
ENLISTMENTS.  REF G IS MILPERSMAN 1306-126, FIRST-TERM PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT 
POLICY.  REF H IS MILPERSMAN 1306- 611, PROFESSIONAL APPRENTICESHIP CAREER 
TRACK (PACT) PROGRAM.  REF I IS OPNAVINST 1160.8A, SELECTIVE REENLISTMENT 
BONUS (SRB).//

RMKS/1.  There are currently over 61,000 Sailors whose enlistment contract 
ends prior to their projected rotation date (PRD).  This misalignment causes 
unexpected gaps in manning.  This NAVADMIN announces comprehensive policy and 
process changes, and directs commands to take immediate action to align 
enlistment contracts with duty station tour lengths.  Effective upon release 
through 31 May 2018, the Navy is in an Alignment Open Season with details 
spelled out in paragraph 5.  In addition, we are implementing several policy 
and process changes to maintain long term alignment.  These changes are 
effective immediately and include:
    a.  Commanding officers (CO) extension authority,
    b.  Obligated service (OBLISERV) policy,
    c.  Career Waypoints (C-WAY) policy, and
    d.  Enlistment extension policy.

2.  Policy changes.  Policy changes required to implement and sustain 
alignment between enlistment contracts and duty station tour lengths are 
outlined below.  These policy changes greatly benefit our Sailors, putting 
them in an active role in deciding what is best for their career by 
communicating their desire directly to their detailers and community 
managers.  Updates to the corresponding MILPERSMAN (MPM) articles are 
forthcoming.
    a.  COs extension authority.  References (a) and (b) offered first-term 
Sailors on sea duty an opportunity to extend their enlistment without C-WAY 
approval, providing Sailors more career stability and giving the Navy a 
clearer picture for ordering in replacement personnel.  Many Sailors took 
advantage of this policy change and extended their enlistment.  Effective 
immediately, this NAVADMIN makes the COs authority to extend a Sailors 
enlistment contract to complete their prescribed tour without C-WAY approval 
permanent.  Sailors whose enlistment contract ends prior to their duty 
station tour lengths  will be asked to obligate service to complete their 
prescribed tour.  This will reduce mid-tour C-WAY decisions.  References (a) 
and (b) are hereby canceled.  Additional guidance on how C-WAY will be used 
is outlined below in section 2.c.
    b.  OBLISERV policy.  Effective immediately, to improve the alignment 
between the end of enlistment contract and tour lengths, all permanent change 
of station (PCS) orders will require OBLISERV for the full prescribed tour.  
These changes will be updated in reference (c).  Sailors must complete their 
prescribed tours, unless released by the Assignment Control Authority, 
Commander, Navy Personnel Command (NAVPERSCOM).  Nuclear trained Sailors will 
be handled in line with established policies between OPNAV N133 and PERS-403.
         (1) Transferring and gaining commands are responsible for verifying 
that a Sailors end of enlistment contract match or exceed the prescribed tour 
for their next duty station.  If a Sailor does not desire to OBLISERV for 
orders for the prescribed tour, the transferring command will use a NAVPERS 
1070/613, Administrative remark, to document the Sailors decision.  The 
command is required to notify the respective rating detailer at NAVPERSCOM by 
naval message within 30 days of receipt of the PCS orders.  The message 
template for notifying NAVPERSCOM can be found at
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-
npc/enlisted/community/Pages/eaosinit.aspx.  NAVPERSCOM (PERS-40BB) will 
track Sailors who do not OBLISERV in line with reference (d), and PERS-40 
will make final decisions on orders approval.  Sailors may still be directed 
by PERS-40 to execute orders based on contract time remaining and needs of 
the Navy.  These Sailors are considered as being in the decision window upon 
arrival.
         (2) A decision window is defined as the length of time from when a 
Sailor checks onboard and completes the initial career development board 
(CDB) up to 13 months from the end of their enlistment contract.  Sailors in 
the decision window may request to extend their enlistment contract to the 
full prescribed tour via NAVPERS 1306/7, Personal Action Request, and, with 
CO approval, may extend their enlistment.  Sailors with less than 13 months 
to the end of their enlistment contract may still request to extend via 
NAVPERS 1306/7 to their prescribed tour, but due to the fact that a relief 
may already be identified, approval is subject to billet availability.  In 
this situation, commands will send a copy of the NAVPERS 1306/7 to the 
applicable rating detailer for feedback before approving an extension.
         (3) Sailors completing initial skills training might not have 
enlistment contracts that align with their prescribed tour.
Initial assignment PCS orders will include a provision to allow Sailors to 
voluntarily extend their enlistment to complete the prescribed tour.  Sailors 
declining to voluntarily extend their enlistment will execute the orders as 
written.  Their gaining command shall inform these Sailors of the benefits of 
extending their enlistment during the reporting Career Development Board 
(CDB).
    c.  C-WAY policy.  C-WAY will allow Sailors with less than 14 years of 
service and E-6 and below in rank to communicate their career intentions with 
the enlisted community managers (ECM).  This allows the ECM to efficiently 
manage their enlisted communities for accurate accession planning, retention 
goal setting, and advancement planning.  This constant communication will 
also help stabilize manning for the command by clearing up the demand signal 
for distribution or accession replacements.  Nuclear trained Sailors will 
continue to manage C-Way through OPNAV N133.
         (1) Commands will mark Sailors in C-WAY as no apply this month 
selecting undecided reason from the drop-down menu at 16 months if they are 
undecided about extending to complete their prescribed tour length, and they 
want to defer their decision to extend.  This is repeated for months 15 and 
14 if the Sailor remains undecided.  This process ensures Sailors are easily 
identified to the Career Development Team.
         (2) The decision window ends at 13 months prior to the end of the 
enlistment contract, and Sailors who remain undecided will be marked by their 
commands in C-WAY as Intends to Separate selecting Other reason in the drop-
down menu adding the following
note:  Decline to obligate service to match SEAOS to Prescribed Tour.  Based 
on this information, PERS-40 will automatically adjust the Sailors duty 
station tour lengths to the end of their enlistment contract, ensuring that 
Navy can begin the process of finding a relief.  Sailors still have the 
option to stay Navy and extend (as noted in para 2.b.2) with CO approval by 
submitting a NAVPERS 1306/7 to extend their PRD to the prescribed tour, which 
allows PERS-40 to restore the PRD to the prescribed tour and the rating ECM 
to reset the Sailor in C-WAY, if necessary.  These changes will align with 
reference (c) and be added to references (e), (f) and (g).
    d.  Enlistment extension policy.  Effectively immediately, all Sailors, 
with the exception of nuclear-trained Sailors, can extend their current 
enlistment contract up to a total of 48 aggregate months to match their duty 
station tour length, or to obtain the required OBLISERV to execute PCS 
orders.  This is a change from the previous maximum of 23 aggregate months in 
one enlistment contract, and will be updated in reference (f).  Nuclear-
trained Sailors requiring an extension greater than 23 months in one 
enlistment contract will coordinate with OPNAV N133.

3.  Professional Apprenticeship Career Track (PACT) policy reminder.
PACT Sailors are assigned a 24-month tour length/PRD per reference (h).  If 
PACT Sailors are subsequently designated and remain at their current command, 
their PRD will be adjusted to the prescribed tour for their rating (including 
PACT sea time already served).
Once designated, these Sailors are subject to the same policies as rated 
Sailors and may extend their EAOS to match their new PRD.
These actions align PACT Sailors to their new rating cohort so they can 
compete more favorably in C-WAY in the future.

4.  Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) policy reminders.  SRB eligible 
Sailors may extend their enlistment to match the prescribed tour length for 
their next duty station according to the most current SRB NAVADMIN.  In line 
with reference (i), Sailors shall be counseled about the benefits of 
reenlisting prior to their extension becoming operative.  In order for 
extension to not count against the SRB computation, it is required that a 
Sailor reenlist for 2 years past any inoperative extension(s).  The ability 
to submit a NAVPERS 1070/613, Administrative Remarks, in lieu of hard 
OBLISERV, if the combined inactive extension(s) is more than 24 months, could 
potentially result in monetary loss.  Use of NAVPERS 1070/613 entries for 
periods of more than 24 months must be requested from
PERS-811 using the request format at
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/
enlisted/community/Pages/eaosinit.aspx.  Nuclear trained Sailors should 
contact OPNAV N133 for guidance and permission to exceed 24 months with a 
NAVPERS 1070/613.

5.  Alignment Open Season is the time period from release of this message 
until 31 May 2018.  During this period, we want to make rapid improvement to 
align enlistment contracts to tour lengths.
The following actions are authorized during the open season:
    a.  Commands will engage Sailors whose enlistment contracts end before 
their PRD to facilitate the initial execution of this NAVADMIN.  Using Billet 
Based Distribution, command Activity Manning Managers can identify Sailors 
whose enlistment contract ends before their duty station tour length.  At 
CDBs and subsequent discussions, personnel should be advised about the career 
implications of a decision to extend their enlistment contract, and the 
benefits of staying Navy.  Commands are required to counsel Sailors on the 
importance of extending prior to 13 months before the end of their enlistment 
contract to ensure career stability.
    b.  With CO approval, Sailors requiring a High Year Tenure (HYT) waiver 
to comply with this policy are approved to extend to meet the full prescribed 
tour length without the need of a HYT waiver request.  Nuclear-trained E4 and 
E5 Sailors who will exceed HYT or nuclear trained E6 Sailors who intend to 
extend past 20 years of service, must submit a HYT waiver request via NAVPERS 
1306/7 to OPNAV N133.
      c.  Sailors who were not approved in C-WAY for reenlistment but who are 
mid-tour can be extended by their Commanding Officer to complete their 
prescribed tour, following guidance contained in this NAVADMIN.  These 
Sailors can then re-compete in C-WAY for a reenlistment quota during the 
normal orders negotiating timeline.

6.  Points of contact:
    a.  NAVPERSCOM (PERS-40), COMM 1-866-827-5672 (U-ASK-NPC).
    b.  NAVPERSCOM (PERS-811), COMM (901) 874-4993/DSN 882-4993.
    c.  BUPERS-33 C-WAY Admin Desk, COMM (901) 874-2102, or email at 
Career_Waypoints@navy.mil.

7.  This NAVADMIN will remain in effect until superseded or canceled.

8.  Released by Vice Admiral R. P. Burke, N1.//

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