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Opportunity beckoning in undermanned ratings

In the first Career Re-enlistment Objective list in a year, things are looking good for junior sailors in most ratings who are looking to move up. The numbers show many ratings moving toward the undermanned status – normally good for advancement and opportunity to convert into those career fields.

But in the higher petty officer ranks, most ratings remain overmanned at the E-6 level, and that could mean tighter advancement and less opportunity for petty officers to switch jobs.

The changes were announced in NavAdmin 263/08 on Sept. 18. It said that before a sailor can float a conversion package to his community manager or request conversion through the Perform to Serve re-enlistment approval system, he must also have that move validated by the Fleet Rating Identification Engine, known as Fleet RIDE. The system is a computer-based tool that teases out a sailor’s interests and abilities and matches him to ratings that need his skills.

The CREO list, normally produced twice a year, is used primarily by manpower planners and career counselors to determine whether petty officers can re-enlist in their rating or be required to convert jobs to stay Navy.

Officials generally prefer sailors in overmanned and properly manned ratings to convert into undermanned ratings. All other combinations are considered, but on a case-by-case basis.

Here’s how things stack up:

E-6

Of the 81 ratings on the list, 56 are overmanned, up one from a year ago.

They include aerographer’s mate, submarine and surface storekeepers, all of which moved down from “properly manned.”

Missile technician and cryptologic technician (networks) went from overmanned to properly manned.

Fifteen ratings are considered properly manned now, up from 14 last year. Cryptologic technician (interpretive) and explosive ordnance disposal moved into this category from undermanned. Eleven ratings did not change.

Just 10 ratings remain undermanned at first class petty officer, down from 12, because CTI and EOD are now considered properly manned.

E-5

As with E-6, the largest number of ratings — 36 of 81 — are overmanned at E-5. That’s down one from last year.

Eleven ratings left the overmanned category and are now considered properly manned, while 10 went from properly manned to overmanned.

Those now overmanned are all three types of aviation boatswain’s mates, electronics technicians, aerographer’s mates and air traffic controllers. In addition, the Seabee ratings of builder, construction mechanic and equipment operator are now considered overmanned.

Thirty-two ratings are now properly manned, up two from last year.

A majority of this year’s 13 undermanned ratings also were among the 14 ratings in this category last year.

Now undermanned are intelligence specialist and cryptologic technician (technical).

At the same time, three ratings — cryptologic technician (interpretive), cryptologic technician (networks) and EOD — left undermanned for the ranks of properly manned.

E-1 to E-4

At the most junior levels, 40 of 79 ratings are now undermanned. Twenty ratings are properly manned and 19 are overmanned.

That’s up from 35 undermanned, 21 properly manned and 23 overmanned last year.

Of the 40 now undermanned, nine of those moved over from properly manned and one rating, cryptologic technician (maintenance), jumped from overmanned to undermanned — the only rate that jumped two spots in the entire list.

Of the 20 ratings properly manned, nine came from the undermanned category, eight moved over from overmanned, and seven stayed the same.