ADVANCEMENT ELIGIBILITY RELATED TO CHANGES TO THE NAVY-WIDE ADVANCEMENT EXAM AND PHYSICAL FITNESS ASSESSMENT SCHEDULES DUE TO COVID-19 MITIGATION

[Tony]

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ROUTINE
R 191853Z MAY 20 MID110000709029U
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC
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NAVADMIN 145/20

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/MAY//

SUBJ/ADVANCEMENT ELIGIBILITY RELATED TO CHANGES TO THE NAVY-WIDE ADVANCEMENT 
EXAM AND PHYSICAL FITNESS ASSESSMENT SCHEDULES DUE TO COVID-19 MITIGATION//

REF/A/NAVADMIN/OPNAV/181759ZMAR20//
REF/B/NAVADMIN/OPNAV/182232ZMAR20//
REF/C/NAVADMIN/OPNAV/271705ZAPR20//
REF/D/DOC/BUPERS/19SEP18//
REF/E/NAVADMIN/OPNAV/261427ZMAR20//

AMPN/REF A IS NAVADMIN 071/20, PHYSICAL READINESS POLICY UPDATE.
REF B IS NAVADMIN 072/20, POSTPONEMENT OF SELECTION BOARD SCHEDULE.
REF C IS NAVADMIN 121/20, SUPPLEMENTAL NUMBER TWO FOR E-4 THROUGH E-7 
FEBRUARY 2020 (CYCLE 106) SELECTIVE RESERVE AND MARCH 2020 (CYCLE 247) E-4 
THROUGH E-6 ACTIVE-DUTY, FULL-TIME SUPPORT AND CANVASSER RECRUITER NAVY-WIDE 
ADVANCEMENT EXAMINATIONS.  
REF D IS BUPERSINST 1430.16G, ADVANCEMENT MANUAL FOR ENLISTED PERSONNEL OF 
THE U.S. NAVY AND U.S. NAVY RESERVE. 
REF E IS NAVADMIN 089/20, VOLUNTARY EXTENSIONS FOR ACTIVE COMPONENT NAVY 
MEMBERS WITH APPROVED SEPARATION OR RETIREMENT DATES.//

RMKS/1.  As a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Cycle 1, 2020 physical 
fitness assessment (PFA), senior enlisted selection boards, and the spring 
Navy-wide advancement exam (NWAE) schedules were changed as detailed in 
references (a) through (c).  The intent of this NAVADMIN is to clarify and 
update policy with regard to the impact of these changes on enlisted 
advancement eligibility and commissioning.

2.  NWAE Eligibility.  Eligibility for the March 2020 cycle 247 and cycle 106 
NWAE has been established, and thus Sailors cannot become eligible for the 
NWAE as a result of the exam postponement.
Additionally, E-3 Sailors who are in a PFA failure status will not be 
eligible to advance via the rank-order method outlined in reference (c).

3.  High Year Tenure (HYT) Limits.  Sailors who reach their prescribed HYT 
limits:
    a.  E-4 through E-6 candidates:  In line with reference (d), E-4 through 
E-6 candidates must have a HYT date that is on or after 1 July 2020 in order 
to have been eligible for the spring 2020 Cycle 106 and 247 NWAE.  Due to 
postponement of the exams, the results for advancement may not be released 
until after 1 July 2020.  Therefore, Sailors approaching their HYT date may 
request to remain in service beyond their HYT limits until advancement status 
can be determined.
    b.  E-7 through E-9 candidates:  In line with reference (d), E-7 
candidates must have a HYT date on or after 1 September 2020, and
E-8 through E-9 candidates must have a HYT date on or after 1 July
2020 in order to be eligible for advancement.  Sailors impacted by the 
postponement of selection boards outlined in reference (b) may not receive 
results of those boards until after their HYT date.
Sailors approaching their HYT date may request to remain in service beyond 
their HYT limits until advancement status can be determined.
    c.  All Service Members approaching their HYT limits may submit a HYT 
waiver request via command-endorsed Electronic Personnel Action Request 
(ePAR/1306) to MyNavy Career Center (MNCC) via MyNavy Portal or by e-mailing 
the ePAR request directly to askmncc(at)navy.mil.  The request should state 
that the HYT date of the Service Member exceeds (1 July 2020 or 1 September 
2020) and that they desire to remain in service beyond their prescribed HYT 
limits in order to receive their advancement results.

4.  PFA Failures.  All Sailors with PFA failures, including those with two or 
more consecutive PFA failures, will be able to regain eligibility for 
advancement by passing the official Cycle 2 2020 PFA or a mock PFA prior to 
the official Cycle 2 2020 PFA.  Guidance for conduct of the PFA will be 
promulgated after COVID-19 restrictions have been relaxed.  This allows 
Sailors, who were not given a chance to regain eligibility during the Cycle 1 
2020 PFA, the opportunity to regain eligibility as quickly as possible.  
Sailors may not gain eligibility for the Cycle 247 or Cycle 106 advancement 
exams as eligibility for those has already been closed.  All mock PFAs must 
be entered in the Physical Readiness Information Management System (PRIMS) 
under the fitness enhancement program tab of the Service Member to officially 
document the passing score.

5.  Advancement withheld due to PFA failure(s).  Sailors who were selected 
for advancement during NWAE cycle 105 (August 2019) or cycle 244 (September 
2019) and had their advancement withheld due to failing one or more PFAs are 
required to pass a subsequent mock or official PFA.  The same applies to 
Sailors enrolled in auto/ accelerated advancement programs (selective 
training and reenlistment, professional apprenticeship career track, 
accelerated advancement program, etc.) who were scheduled for advancement but 
could not due to PFA failures.  The exception to policy (ETP) guidelines 
outlined in reference (d), paragraph 104, will be permitted for these Service 
Members and must be received by 31 December 2020.  The ETP will allow Sailors 
to be advanced past the 30 June 2020 limiting date for the cycle.  A 
commanding officer (CO) or officer-in-charge (OIC) letter is required to be 
sent via e-mail to Naval Education and Training Professional Development 
Center (NETPDTC) at sfly_N321_discrepanc(at)navy.mil with a copy of the PFA 
completion documentation of the Sailor, indicating that the advancement is 
reinstated (no longer being withheld) and requesting the original advancement 
date to be effected.  Requests submitted after 31 December 2020 will require 
adjudication by the Board for Correction of Naval Records.

6.  Multiple PFA failures and Soft End of Active Obligation of Service 
(SEAOS) in 2020.  Sailors who have failed two or more consecutive PFAs and 
whose SEAOS is in calendar year 2020 will be given the option to extend their 
SEAOS to 31 December 2020 in line with reference (e).  This will give Sailors 
an opportunity to pass a mock PFA or the Cycle 2 2020 PFA, thereby regaining 
eligibility to reenlist, participate in the NWAE and be advanced.  In 
accordance with reference (e), SEAOS extension requests should be forwarded 
on a command endorsed ePAR/1306 to MNCC via MyNavy Portal or by e-mailing the 
ePAR/1306 directly to askmncc(at)navy.mil.

7.  Meritorious Advancement Program (MAP) Candidates:  Changes to the NWAE 
and PFA schedules do not affect the MAP season.  However, those ineligible to 
be MAP-advanced due to PFA failures may regain eligibility by passing a mock 
or official PFA as outlined in paragraph 4.

8.  Enlisted Commissioning Programs:  The requirement for Active Component 
and Reserve Component enlisted personnel to have successfully passed a PFA 
for their particular commissioning program (e.g. Limited Duty Officer/Chief 
Warrant Officer (LDO/CWO), Seaman to Admiral-21 (STA-21), Medical Enlisted 
Commissioning Program (MECP)) is immediately suspended.  In order to ensure 
candidates are qualified, they must have successfully completed their most 
recent PFA and, if a Service Member is medically exempt, passed the most 
recent PFA prior to being medically exempt.

9.  The guidance outlined above is intended to ensure no Sailor is 
disadvantaged as a result of the COVID-19 mitigations.  Questions and 
concerns regarding these policy changes may be referred to MNCC at 
askmncc(at)navy.mil or 1-833-330-MNCC (6622).

10.  Released by Vice Admiral John B. Nowell, Jr, N1.//

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