Posted on 07/22/2009 11:40:33 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
Enlisted sailors with more than 20 years of service may find themselves out of a job by June, according to a Navy message Monday.
Performance-based continuation boards, the Navy’s latest end-strength shaping effort, are scheduled to kick off this September and will determine if a sailor is going to be recommended for continuation in service or forced to retire.
The program is focusing on sailors in the ranks of E-7 to E-9 with more than 20 years of active service. According to the Navy Personnel Command Web site, high-year tenure is currently 24 years for chief petty officers (E-7), 26 for senior chiefs (E-8) and 30 for master chiefs (E-9).
Commanders will be notified by November of sailors who are not selected for continuation. Those sailors will be required to transfer to the fleet reserve or retire by June 30, the message stated.
The move is designed to ensure the Navy retains top-performing sailors and is one of many force-shaping efforts the service currently has in place, officials said.
Earlier this year the Navy began cracking down on unfit sailors, administratively separating those who failed three or more physical fitness assessments in a four-year period.
More recently, the Navy expanded its perform-to-serve campaign to sailors with 10 to 14 years of service, now requiring them to submit an application to remain in their current rating. And last month the service suspended the selective re-enlistment bonus program, which had offered up to $90,000 to sailors with specific job skills.
The continuation boards, which consist of a dozen senior officers as well as 70 fleet, force and command master chiefs, will examine the last five years of the sailors’ records, the message stated. If a history of substandard performance is present, the board may review an individual sailor’s entire career.
Navy officials say quotas aren’t being established for the program.
"Documented misconduct and substandard performance will be the primary reasons a chief petty officer is not continued," Senior Chief Petty Officer Johannes Gonzales, regional career counselor at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, said Wednesday. "These boards are based on an individual’s performance and have nothing to do with numbers or rate management."
According to Gonzales, the board will look at a number of factors, but says one imperfection in a record shouldn’t give anyone reason to be worried.
"As chief petty officers, we operate under professional guiding principles," Gonzales said. "The ones leaving are the ones who have not kept up with those principles."
Advancement to chief petty officer hit a 10-year low this year, according to the Navy’s 2010 advancement quotas.
That seems to be the plan.
Up or out has been the rule for a long time.
I suspect not.
“And last month the service suspended the selective re-enlistment bonus program, which had offered up to $90,000 to sailors with specific job skills.”
When the economy tanks like it has recently, getting ample people able to perform complex jobs as an enlisted person was not unheard of in decades past. It was that way in the early 80s when I endlisted. I had a BA degree and another fellow had a MS in Microbiology. We both left in 1986 because the economy had improved and jobs were readily available.
I was offered a hefty bonus to reup but had satisfied my 6-year contract obligation as a linguist and went off to a civilian job.
Too many senior NCOs and not enough ships?
One might have thought that the ibvious strength between their ears after so much experience would outweigh the condition of their biceps. Guess not.
During the Clinton years, programs were implemented that “encouraged” soldiers to leave. It was primarily Soldiers married to soldiers. I forget the details exactly, but they began to be less accommodating with duty stations, placing spouses far apart. This happened to two of my good friends, both Senior ranking.
Military height/weight standards are a sore spot for me. I am 5’ 10” very stocky and was always considered overweight by BMI standards. We had body-builders in my unit that were classified as obese yet there were tall guys with huge beer bellies that were considered fit.
It wasn’t until the Air Force got a clue and combined fitness tests with BMI standards that they got a better picture of fitness. I’ll never forget my last fitness test and the pride of hearing someone say, “is that TSgt {my lastname remove for privacy} coming across the finish line first?”
It’s not just senior enlisted. Both of my daughters have told me that anyone who doesn’t pass their PRT on the second try can be separated now. It used to be 3 strikes and you’re out. Failing it on the first try is now up to the command for separation also.
This ended in March, I think? Both of my daughters re-uped in February and got $60,000 each. It ended right after that. My daughters were also right in time to take advantage of early reenlistment. That also ended just after they re-uped. Now you have to wait until you have 1 year or less left on your contract.
Wonderful, RIF is back. Is that man going to repeat EVERY stupid thing Carter did?
The One has said two entire battle groups (or more) will be cut - so now is the time to start to winnow the ranks.
Happened with G Bush the First, Billy-Bob Clinton, little Jimmy and to some extent, Nixon.
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