Tony

@JayTheMA above is what @Riverine Rat posted and he is a member in good standing here. So actually, I think Triad today, public tomorrow... Triad 10 July Public 11 July Don't know what that PA product release is.

Thanks for the info @shindeepsailor

Yes, it helps very much. I marked it as recommended reading at the top for those who are new. Arm yourself with knowledge folks! Thanks again @Butter Star!

Now I remember what I was going to ask... for the uninitiated, how is an officers board conducted? We have some member on this forum who are officers so maybe they can shed some light (or anyone who knows of course.)

Remember copyright folks...

UNCLASSIFIED ROUTINE R 021520Z JUL 18 FM CNO WASHINGTON DC TO NAVADMIN INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS NAVADMIN 158/18 PASS TO OFFICE CODES: FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/JUL// SUBJ/BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM ENROLLMENT PERIOD AND CONTINUATION PAY// REF/A/DOC/NDAA/13APR15// REF/B/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/271444ZSEP16// REF/C/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/281546ZNOV16// REF/D/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/311929ZJAN17// REF/E/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/062134ZJUN17// REF/F/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/201541ZDEC17// REF/G/DOC/COMNAVPERSCOM/20DEC17// NARR/REF A IS SECTIONS 631 THROUGH 635 OF NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT, SUBTITLE D - DISABILITY PAY, RETIRED PAY, AND SURVIVOR BENEFITS. REF B IS NAVADMIN 217/16, ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM FOR THE UNIFORMED SERVICES. REF C IS NAVADMIN 259/16, NOTIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY TO OPT-IN TO THE BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM. REF D IS NAVADMIN 020/17, NOTIFICATION OF AVAILABILITY OF THE BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM OPT-IN TRAINING. REF E IS NAVADMIN 133/17, NOTIFICATION OF AVAILABILITY OF THE BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM OPT-IN COMPARISON CALCULATOR. REF F IS NAVADMIN 302/17, NOTIFICATION OF THE START OF THE BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM ENROLLMENT PERIOD AND ENROLLMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPT-IN ELIGIBLE SERVICE MEMBERS. REF G IS NAVPERS 15560D, NAVAL MILITARY PERSONNEL MANUAL (MILPERSMAN).// RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN reminds eligible Sailors that there are only 6 months left in the Blended Retirement System (BRS) enrollment period. As previously announced in references (a) through (f), the BRS enrollment period is from 1 January 2018 until 31 December 2018. During this period, opt-in eligible Service members may enroll in the BRS via the *myPay* website. Opt- in eligible Service members who do not choose to enroll in BRS will remain in the current *legacy* retirement system. If a Service member elects to enroll in the BRS, that election is irrevocable. Reference (g) article 1810-080 contains additional details on BRS opt-in criteria and procedures. 2. The BRS mid-career Continuation Pay (CP) rates have been released for Calendar Year 2019 (CY19). Please visit http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers- npc/support/21st_Century_Sailor/readiness/Pages/Personal-Financial- Management.aspx, to view the CY19 CP Pay Rates memo. Sailors that wish to opt-in to BRS and want to receive the mid-career CP are reminded that they must have opted in to BRS and requested CP before 12 years of service (YOS) to receive CP. The CP election is made via Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS). For Service members who have provided NSIPS with an up-to-date email address, NSIPS will send them email notifications of CP eligibility at 6 months, 6 months and 90 days prior to 12 YOS. Opt-in eligible Service members who choose to enroll in the BRS, and who will reach 12 YOS within the first 90 days of their enrollment may be required to manually elect CP through their Command Career Counselor (CCC) due to systems processing time. This manual process is detailed in reference (g) article 1810-081, see references (f) and (g) for CP details. 3. Command leaders are charged with ensuring that our opt-in eligible Service members are prepared to make an informed financial decision prior to the closure of the opt-in window on 31 December 2018. Ensuring that Sailors have the education and training tools needed to make the right decision for their situation is the job of command mentors, one of the six elements of being *Brilliant on the Basics* for retention and covered in NAVADMINs 095/18, 100/18, and 043/08. This responsibility to educate and train Service members continues even after they have made the decision to opt-in. Current reports show that there are some Service members who have opted in to BRS but are not making contributions to their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Account and are therefore not receiving government matching for their TSP. Leaders should encourage members in this situation to work with their Command Financial Specialist or a Financial Counselor to review their personal budget options to maximize their TSP contributions. 4. Commands should notify all opt-in eligible Service members within their command that there are 6 months left in the BRS enrollment period. To enable this notification, command administration departments must contact their supporting personnel office to certify the list of all opt-in eligible Service members is current within their command. 5. BRS information can be found on the Navy BRS page at http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers- npc/support/21st_Century_Sailor/readiness/Pages/Personal-Financial- Management.aspx. 6. As stated in references (b) through (e), the opt-in decision may be the most important financial decision of an eligible Service member, their family, and Navy career. A concerted effort by the Navy Total Force must be made to ensure that opt-in eligible Service members understand the opt-in decision and are equipped to make this decision prior to the closure of the opt-in period on 31 December 2018. 7. Released by Vice Admiral R. P. Burke, N1.// BT #0001 NNNN UNCLASSIFIED//

Ouch! Okay then, I will be nice to my wife when she complains about her plantar so I won't get hexed too! I will also refrain from laughing if she has an incident,thanks!!

My wife always complains about that too and I don't have a clue what it is except some foot thingy!

@808Rinks will most likely walk the plank.

Yes, if someone could explain, I got busy and only got bits and pieces... I'm behind the power curve on that.

Yeah, what @AS1(AW/SW/IW) said!

Yep, but I hope those days come back. Yeah, and also the funny stuff like when that person with the legit info posted, no one would notice because everyone was busy posting like Mr. "Career Counselor" who would post exactly 24hrs before the E4- E-6 release. Then he'd quietly leave until the next results.

Thanks much for that @BOATSNUGGYD, as long as there's an interest, the forum will keep going, no worries there.

I don't remember the weekend thing but that's when I get busy anyway, lol. But yeah people are coming to get there updates just not talking much like the old days. I got an alert a few weeks ago about a butt load of visitors from my analytics but again few talkers.

The funny thing is that we have a lot of visitors, according to the stats, and plenty of people joining up, but a lot less talking.

Have to do a server reboot.

Don't forget folks. You need to respond to the validation email when you sign up or your account can't be set up. You may have to check your spam folder or ask your IT.

Cycle 238 Active E7 Quotas (at bottom of PDF)

The chaos and calamity, as posted above, should be over. The forum now resides at a https address, making it more secure, and thus helping to fight the forces of evil and their minions who lurk about on the internet.

I will start doing some back-end maintenance soon that will affect the forum. Calamity and chaos may ensue but rest assured that the forum will still be here.

UNCLASSIFIED ROUTINE R 041505Z APR 18 FM CNO WASHINGTON DC TO NAVADMIN INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS NAVADMIN 085/18 PASS TO OFFICE CODES: FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/APR// SUBJ/PROFESSIONAL MILITARY KNOWLEDGE ELIGIBILITY EXAM (PMK-EE)// REF/A/DOC/BUPERS/2NOV07// AMPN/REF A IS BUPERSINST 1430.16F, ADVANCEMENT MANUAL FOR ENLISTED PERSONNEL OF THE U.S. NAVY AND U.S. NAVY RESERVE.// RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN announces establishment of the Professional Military Knowledge Eligibility Exam (PMK-EE) for the Navy. As part of Sailor 2025 and Rating Modernization efforts, the PMK-EE was created to provide greater emphasis on Professional Military Knowledge (PMK) and to separate it from examinations on rating knowledge. This is an initial step toward electronic advancement exams, and eventually, individually tailored rating exams, unique to the navy enlisted classifications held by a Sailor. PMK-EE will serve as an additional eligibility requirement for advancement to paygrades E4/5/6/7. PMK-EE will be delivered electronically, and will be available via the My Navy Portal website beginning in October 2018. 2. Sailors must attain a passing score on PMK-EE prior to 1 September 2019 to participate in Advancement Cycle 244. PMK content will no longer be included on the NWAE starting with the September 2019 E4/5/6 Exam. 3. PMK-EE Requirements and Administration: a. Sailors are required to successfully pass PMK-EE only once per paygrade. b. PMK-EE must be successfully completed by the first day of the NWAE administration month. c. Sailors will be able to access the PMK-EE via My Navy Portal through the Learning Management System (LMS). d. PMK-EE will consist of 100 questions representing five (5) topic areas (Leadership and Character, Career Information, Professional Conduct, Naval Heritage, and Seamanship). Each topic area may be taken independently of the other sections and in any order. Sailors must achieve a passing score of 80 percent or higher in each topic area to pass PMK-EE. Failure to achieve an 80 percent score on a topic will require that topic to be retaken. e. Once each topic area is completed, the LMS will provide the number of questions successfully answered for that topic, as well as the associated reference for incorrectly answered questions. Once all topic areas are successfully completed, PMK-EE will be finalized in the LMS and an overall exam score will be displayed. f. The topics and bibliographies used to develop PMK-EE questions will be available on the Advancement and Promotion webpage located on the My Navy Portal website. g. PMK-EE completion will be recorded in the LMS and the Navy Training Management Planning System (NTMPS). NTMPS can be used to determine individual Sailor eligibility for advancement. 4. Points of contact: a. FORCM Karim Cole, NETC N003, who can be reached at (850) 452-4024/ DSN 753 or via e-mail mamudu.cole(at)navy.mil. b. ETNCM James Berhalter, NETPDC N00E, who can be reached at(850) 473- 6083/DSN 753 or via e-mail james.berhalter(at)navy.mil. 5. For further information visit the Advancement and Promotion webpage located on the My Navy Portal website at https://www.mnp.navy.mil/group/mnpmain/home. 6. This NAVADMIN will remain in effect until superseded or cancelled, whichever occurs first. 7. Released by Vice Admiral R. P. Burke, N1// BT #0001 NNNN UNCLASSIFIED//

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- A group of eight Navy Culinary Specialist Submarine (CSS) chiefs broke new ground June 4 - 15 by writing advancement exam questions specific to their rating during an Advancement Exam Readiness Review (AERR) at Saufley Field in Pensacola. Previously, all Culinary Specialists took the same advancement exams, even though the submarine specialty was identified as its own rating in March 2017. Chief Culinary Specialist Submarine Kip Farrell, Leading CS at the Naval Submarine Support Center Pearl Harbor, and panel member for the CSS AERR, noted that a significant amount of submarine-specific knowledge is required in his rating. "The submarine force is presented with unique challenges that you don't find in the surface fleet," said Farrell. "By really focusing on the test and what applies to the submarine side of being a CSS, we are going down the path of what will make us a better warfighting unit under the water, and it will make us more capable, more ready, and more efficient in our jobs." Another member of the CSS AERR panel, Chief Culinary Specialist Submarine Timothy Maier, Supply Department Enlisted Advisor for USS New Hampshire (SSN 778), said that the new CSS bibliography gives his Sailors a clear path to study. "One benefit of having submarine-specific questions for our rating exam is that it gets the junior guys into the books and makes them read the references," said Maier. "On the old exams, since much of the test didn't apply to submarine Culinary Specialists, it was 'Why should I study?' Now the bibliographies are pinpointed to the CSS rating, so it gets both the senior and junior guys into the books." The CSS chiefs were part of the ongoing AERR process that seeks Navy chiefs (E7 - E9) interested in shaping the future of their ratings. AERR panel members worked as Fleet subject matter experts (SME) for their respective ratings to develop E4 - E7 advancement exams for future cycles, verifying and updating the exam question bank. Naval Administrative Message (NAVADMIN) 134/18 announced the latest AERR schedule: July to September 2018. Navy chiefs (E7 - E9) on active duty, Full Time Support (FTS), and reservists on Active Duty for Special Work (ADSW) are encouraged to take part in the process by reaching out to their respective Type Commander (TYCOMs) and community sponsors for application information. Each TYCOM has their own application procedure. "The knowledge that our fleet experts bring to the reviews is irreplaceable, as that's what enables the relevance of the exams and identifies Sailors with the right skills to select for advancement," said Master Chief Electronics Technician (Nuclear) James Berhalter, Naval Education and Training Professional Development Center (NETPDC) Command Master Chief. "As the CSS chiefs here these two weeks have seen, AERRs give chiefs a tangible, direct input toward shaping their community - participants have a say in what their reliefs need to know. AERR participation is also a significant experience and resume builder that will benefit every chief throughout the Navy." AERRs vary in length from one-to-two weeks and exam readiness reviews are held throughout the year, with each specific rating being reviewed on an annual basis. The reviews are held at NETPDC at Saufley Field in Pensacola, Fla. AERR Participants receive temporary duty (TDY) orders from their parent command, paid for by NETPDC. Travel is processed through parent command travel section and the Defense Travel System. "Being part of an AERR board is eye-opening; it's an experience a lot of people don't get the opportunity to be part of within their career," added Maier. "I'm going to go back and tell our chiefs that if you ever have the chance, then do it. Not only are you leaving your mark on the rating for the next exams, you are shaping the future of the CSS community." To view the annual AERR schedule, locate a specific rating recruitment and selection point of contact, or view AERR eligibility requirements, log into My Navy Portal www.mnp.navy.mil and search under Professional Resources/Navy Advancement Center/AERR. TYCOM and rating sponsor POCs are listed, and once selected, chiefs will receive an introductory e-mail from the Navy Advancement Center. It is suggested that SME selectees make early contact, asking any questions they have concerning the AERR process. NAVADMIN 134/18 also provides additional information and a listing of upcoming rating conferences scheduled for the next six months. Normally, four-to-eight nominees will be selected for each AERR panel. TYCOM selections of Fleet SME nominations for the AERRs will be made 45 days prior to each review. SMEs should contact their command's travel personnel as soon as they are selected to get an early start on the process. SMEs attending classified AERRs should make sure their SIPR Token, if they have one, is active and they have recent access (within the last 30 days) to important reference sites. NETPDC's mission is to provide products and services that enable and enhance education, training, career development, and personnel advancement throughout the Navy. Primary elements of the command include the Voluntary Education (VOLED) Department, the Navy Advancement Center (NAC), and the Resources Management Department.

Preparing for your advancement exam can seem overwhelming. Although there are many resources available, there is no quick way to prepare for your exam. Most importantly, you should not wait until the last minute to gather your materials and begin studying. The following information is geared toward helping you develop a study plan that will make the most of your time and effort. After you are sure you meet eligibility requirements to take your advancement exam, you need to obtain your current bibliography (BIB) for your rating and paygrade. To do this, log in to My Navy Portal (MNP) and select the Career Life Event pull down and then go to the Advancement and Promotion link (https://www.mnp.navy.mil/group/advancement-and-promotion). BIBs are also available through Navy COOL (https://www.cool.navy.mil/). Select Bibliography for Advancement and choose your bib. Since your bib is exam-specific and is posted six months prior to exam administration, you can use it to develop your study plan early in the preparation process. While we are on the topic of bibs, let's briefly discuss how bibs are created. Exam questions are developed by Fleet SMEs in your rating community during an Advancement Examination Development Conference (AEDC). For each question, Fleet SMEs reference the content to a published source from your rating's Advancement Exam Reference List or your PMK Advancement Exam Reference List. The item is verified to ensure the answer is correct, the content exists in print, and the information is generally available to all Sailors. Questions are then selected for an exam by Fleet SMEs in your rating community. Each reference used for a specific exam is compiled and the entire list of reference-linked questions becomes your exam bibliography. Therefore, your bib is a road map for developing your study plan. Periodically revisit the bib link to ensure that your bib has not changed. While every effort is made to verify the accuracy of your bib at the time of posting, there are circumstances that may occur during those six months that require a bib change. For example, a reference update or deletion for a reference posted on the bib may cause the bib to change. If your bib has changed, you will notice a revision date in red at the top of your bib. If this occurs, compare your original bib with the revised one and adjust your study plan as needed. Check with your Command Career Counselor or Educational Services Officer if you have trouble locating any of your references. Now that you have determined which references were used to create your exam questions, you can begin reviewing your references. Depending on the content of the reference and the amount of time you have to study before exam administration, plan how much time you will need daily/weekly to cover each reference. You will also need to determine whether you prefer to study alone or with a study group. The most important thing to remember is that your study plan must work for you. Rather than studying for hours in one session, break up your study time to reduce fatigue. This also allows you to break information into manageable chunks to study. Do not try to read a reference from cover to cover. Instead highlight or underline pertinent material. Flashcards are a great way to review vocabulary and specific facts. You can stick them in your pocket and study them on your own or with a shipmate when you have a few minutes of free time. Follow these tips when you are creating flashcards: Create one card for each fact or definition you need to learn. Put the question or vocabulary word on one side and the answer on the back. Study the cards in order. Quiz yourself by reading and answering each card. Flip the card to check your answer. Put the cards you answered correctly in a stack. Put the cards you answered incorrectly in another stack. Review the 'don't know' stack and test yourself again. Continue this process until you know all the answers. In addition to these tips, take advantage of command-sponsored training classes such as warfare qualifications, damage control and rating-specific Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS). Ask your LPO or LCPO for help when you encounter difficulties. Remember, you are in control of your study plan!

Bibliographies for the upcoming advancement exams are available for download. Exam scores are based on how many questions you answer correctly compared to peers taking the same exam. Prepare early! http://www.navyadvancement.com/navy-advancement/bibliography-advancement-rate.php

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- A new rating modernization initiative will provide active-duty, senior enlisted Sailors looking for their next billet the opportunity to get a jump on the process thanks to a new selection board pilot program, the Navy announced June 14. The Fiscal Year (FY)-19 Enlisted Advancement-to-Vacancy Selection Board, announced in NAVADMIN 144/18 is a pilot program where active-duty, senior enlisted Sailors apply for specific priority billets listed in the NAVADMIN and, if selected, are temporarily advanced to the billet paygrade. This pilot will be limited to critical E8 and E9 billets only. Pending the outcome of the pilot, we expect to expand this program to other enlisted paygrades. To be permanently advanced, Sailors must be selected for advancement via the normal advancement process. "This program will give motivated Sailors an opportunity to take on positions of greater responsibility, while at the same time helping the Navy to better align our senior enlisted leaders to the places we need them to be," said Capt. Rick Cheeseman, director, Career Management Department, Navy Personnel Command. The selection board is scheduled to convene Aug. 13 and applications to the board must be postmarked no later than July 9. For Sailors to be eligible, they must meet the following criteria: * Must meet all eligibility requirements for the regularly scheduled FY-19 Active Duty SCPO or MCPO advancement selection boards. * Applicants must receive a favorable endorsement from their commanding officer (CO) via a NAVPERS 1306/7. * Applicants must sign, and have their CO witness, a NAVPERS 1070/613 with the following statement: "I understand that by submitting an application for consideration by the FY-19 Enlisted Advancement-to-Vacancy Pilot Selection Board I am certifying that I am assignable to any billets for which I applied and will execute orders to those billets if directed." * Applicants must possess any required Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) codes for the billets advertised or have the experience to obtain the NEC en-route to the billet. Specific prerequisites for each billet are outlined in the NAVADMIN. Sailors who have submitted voluntary Fleet Reserve/retirement requests are not eligible. A full list of available billets, board application and communication procedures can be found in the NAVADMIN at www.npc.navy.mil.