The Navy is offering senior enlisted sailors promotions to E-8 and E-9 as part of a new pilot program if they agree to fill specific at-sea leadership billets.
The pilot program, dubbed Senior Enlisted Advance to Position, is the most recent initiative from the service to fill sea billets. Sailors in the pilot program will be assigned to the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group based out of Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton in Washington; the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group out of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek in Virginia; and the aircraft carrier George Washington homeported at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.
Sailors “will be permanently advanced upon reporting to their ultimate duty station” and must then complete 36 months of obligated service in the sea billet.
The pilot program is only open to active duty sailors. Nuclear and special warfare community sailors are not eligible for the program.
“Factors for consideration in determining best and fully qualified applicants include sustained superior performance, documented qualifications, platform experience, and potential to succeed in the billet,” the NAVADMIN said.
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Those eligible to apply for the pilot program must have either been selected or screened as a non-select for senior chief petty officer or master chief petty officer by the FY23 selection boards, or be advancement-eligible for the FY24 selection boards.
“All Sailors selected for SEA2P billets should expect to receive permanent change of station (PCS) orders with a transfer date as early as 30-45 days after selection,” the NAVADMIN said.
The deadline to apply is the end of the month.
The Navy, which has claimed it’s struggling with gaps in sea-intensive ratings, also unveiled its Detailing Marketplace Assignment Policy in December to fill more sea billets.
The program offers sailors in certain ratings monetary incentives ranging from $200 a month to $800 a month to extend their sea duty tour, along with advancement incentives so sailors could advance to E-5 sooner by completing another sea tour, rather than remaining an E-4 on a shore tour.
The first phase of DMAP, which launched in March, was available to the following ratings: following ratings: aviation boatswain’s mate (fuel); aviation boatswain’s mate (aircraft handling); gas turbine system technicians (mechanical), and culinary specialist.
