Chiefs, officers eligible to leave early - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Chiefs, officers eligible to leave early

The Navy’s looking to give people early outs, but the service is targeting not only junior enlisted sailors, but also retirement-eligible senior enlisted and officers.

Officials are willing to release eligible sailors up to a year early and will offer time-in-grade waivers to qualified chief petty officers, commanders and captains — allowing them to retire in their current paygrade early.

The service announced the moves in three separate NavAdmin messages released Dec. 23 and 24, all signed by chief of personnel Vice Adm. Mark Ferguson.

Enlisted sailors

NavAdmin 369/08 announced the Enlisted Early Transition program, allowing eligible sailors the chance to head home up to year before their current discharge date. This also applies to sailors who have already signed extensions that will kick in during 2009, provided they meet other eligibility requirements.

In the message, Ferguson stated that high retention, low attrition and better-than-average recruiting successes are the reasons the service is offering the early outs.

“These conditions put us in a unique position to expand early separation opportunities for selected sailors and sailors who have received a Perform to Serve separation letter who would otherwise separate later in the fiscal year,” he said in the message.”

But it will be up to individual commanding officers to approve or disapprove the initial requests based on their own requirements before forwarding the requests to the Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tenn. for final approval.

“Commands recommending approval of early separation should not expect a relief until the separated sailors’ current [rotation date], Ferguson wrote, though he also recommended contacting that sailors details to determine if a relief is available as well.

Those not eligible for the early outs are:

•Those currently holding permanent change of station orders.

•Anyone already slated to fill a Global War on Terrorism Support Assignment.

•Anyone currently collecting Selective Reenlistment Bonus or even those whose ratings or Naval Enlisted Classifications make them eligible for an SRB.

• National Call to Service sailors.

• Nuclear power program sailors.

• SEALs, special warfare combatant crewman, explosive ordnance disposal technicians or divers.

• Those on Department of Defense area tours who haven’t completed their duty requirement.

Chiefs and officers

NavAdmins 370/08 and 371/08 announced the time-in-grade waivers for retirement-eligible senior enlisted sailors and commanders and captains.

Retirement-eligible E-7 through E-9 sailors can get a waiver to retire in their current paygrades after just one year time in grade, down from the required two years.

Here, too there are restrictions. Those who can’t get a waiver are:

• Those currently holding permanent change of station orders.

• Anyone already slated to fill a Global War on Terrorism Support Assignment.

• Anyone currently collecting a Selective Reenlistment Bonus or even those whose ratings or Naval Enlisted Classifications make them eligible for an SRB.

• Nuclear power program sailors.

• SEALs, special warfare combatant crewman, explosive ordnance disposal technicians, or divers.

• Those on Department of Defense area tours who haven’t completed their duty requirement.

In addition, officials have extended the their current time-in-grade waiver program for commanders and captains the active, full-time support and selected reserve. These waivers drop the required years of service in each paygrade from three down to just two — allowing officers to collect retirement at their existing paygrade. This program was announced first in 2004, though officials now say it will remain in effect until further notice.