The Navy’s massive, multiyear initiative to modernize its human resources systems has led to disruptions in sailor pay, benefits and discharge paperwork in recent years as the service seeks to modernize and streamline dozens of very old systems into something resembling a modern 21st-century digital infrastructure.
One day in the future, leaders say that sailors will be able to handle pay and benefits issues from their phone, as easily as they bank today.
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That day will not arrive in 2023, but last summer, Big Navy promised to do better by the fleet and resolve pay, DD-214 retirement paperwork and benefits issues a lot faster.
“Good, bad or ugly, it is important that we get after issues that are impeding readiness and our ability to be the best Navy in the world,” said Adm. Daryl Caudle, the commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, in a July statement. “Input from our fleet Sailors made it very clear that our pay system is not running smoothly, which is impacting Sailor and family readiness. Timely and accurate pay for our Sailors is a no-fail mission and the task order is our initial plan to get after it.”
The past few years have brought a plethora of disruptions for sailors on these fronts, but the Navy reports progress on things like its DD-214 backlog.
The Navy is planning to transition its MyNavy Career Center enterprise to a new Human Resources Information System, which will aim to provide “timely and accurate Sailor Pay and entitlements within 14 days of that initial documented submission without the need to resubmit.”
How this progress will continue and advance after the New Year remains to be seen.
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.
