Sick of being in the Navy? Want to get out early?
You might be in luck, as the sea service has announced which job ratings and year groups will be eligible for the Enlisted Early Transition Program, or EETP.
The initiative seeks to reduce the ranks in overmanned ratings and year groups by offering an early out to sailors who want to leave before their contractual obligation is up.
Go here to see the quotas and applicable ratings.
All told, Big Navy is looking to release 714 sailors across 23 ratings, according to the quota table.
Early separation requests will have to be submitted via commanding officers.
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According to a Page 13 sailors will have to sign as part of the deal, those who are honorably discharged or released from active duty under the EETP who are enrolled in the Montgomery G.I. Bill may be entitled to one month of G.I. Bill benefits for each full month served on active duty, maxing out at 36 months.
Those discharged under the EETP who have served 20 months of a two-year term of service, or 30 months of a three-year term, may receive the full 36 months of benefits.
For more information on EETP, email ronald.guyton@navy.mil.
A Chief of Naval Personnel statement announcing the program last month said the early outs were being offered “to help restore rating health and open up promotion opportunity for sailors seeking to stay Navy.”
Other types of early outs are also being considered, though much will depend on where sailors are in their careers and their reasons for wanting to separate.
“As the Navy has grown in recent years, some enlisted ratings at specific paygrades have become overmanned due to high retention in these ratings,” Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. John Nowell said in last month’s statement. “Fleet readiness is our number one priority while also allowing for a flexible marketplace of talent management.”
Other enlisted sailors nearing their 20 years of service will also be able to request early transfer to the Fleet Reserve under certain situations, allowing an early transition from active duty.
“Each request is reviewed to make sure that sea and critical shore billets are not gapped,” the Navy release states. “Any such negative impacts will result in the request being disapproved.”
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Early separation will also be made available for sailors facing forced rating conversions, as long as they have less than a year left before their soft expiration of active obligated service.
“Consideration for this type of early separation request must contain a statement of understanding from the Sailor that the Navy will recoup any unearned bonuses given for the service that won’t be completed,” the release states.
Other early out options include those for sailors wanting to attend college, apply for a commissioning program or transfer to another service branch.
To learn more about these options, contact the MyNavy Career Center at askmncc@navy.mil or call 1-833-330-6622.
Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
