thedrifter
04-17-08, 06:03 AM
Navy Wants to Give Sailors 3 Years Off
April 16, 2008
Stars and Stripes
ARLINGTON, Va. -- Congress plans to review a Navy proposal that would
give sailors up to three years off to pursue other interests while they
keep their health benefits and receive a monthly stipend.
The sailors would determine what to do with their time off, such as
pursuing an education or caring for an ill family member, said Lt.
Stephanie Miller, a spokeswoman for the Navy’s Diversity and
Women’s
Policy Directorate for the Chief of Naval Personnel.
Upon returning to active duty, those sailors -- who would retain their
rank -- would be required to serve two months for every month they took
off, she said.
The proposal is written to apply to all servicemembers, but only the
Navy plans to use it so far, Miller said Tuesday.
“They are interested to see how we make it work before they implement
their own programs,” Miller said.
All sailors are eligible for the program, and the Navy is putting
together an instruction telling sailors how they can apply, she said.
The proposal would be part of the 2009 National Defense Authorization
Act, which Congress expects to vote on this September, according to the
Navy.
If approved, the Navy would launch a pilot program in February
involving
20 officers and 20 enlisted sailors per year for three years, for a
total of 120 sailors, according to the Navy.
Miller said the Navy decided to limit the number of participants in the
pilot program to better monitor those involved, and because the sailors
likely would come from undermanned communities.
The Navy has learned that sailors in such undermanned communities are
not responding to financial retention incentives, but they are
interested in other incentives, she said.
Participants would transfer to the Individual Ready Reserve for up to
three years, during which time they would not deploy, Miller said.
Their only responsibility would be to muster once a year for drug
testing and to make sure they are physically fit, she said.
During their time in the IRR, sailors would keep their commissary
privileges and receive a monthly stipend equal to one-fifteenth of
their
basic pay, Miller said.
“What we really see is the best benefit of the program is maintaining
the health-care benefits for you and your family,” she said.
The time sailors spend in the IRR would not count as time in service or
time in grade, Miller said.
Sailors also would have their rank frozen while they are in the IRR,
and
their date of rank will be moved up to compensate for their time off,
Miller said.
For example, a sailor who received a commission or date of advancement
in 2001 and took two years off would compete for promotion with those
who were commissioned or received advancement in 2003, she said.
At the end of the three-year pilot program, the Navy will decide
whether
to make the program permanent, Miller said.
“This program has the full support of DOD, and will serve as a
demonstration project for all services,” a recent Navywide message
said.
But it is too early to tell whether the Navy program could be extended
to the Marine Corps if it is approved, a Corps spokesman said Tuesday.
“Since this is a ‘demonstration project’ we wouldn’t be able to
provide
anything for you, until the Navy fully discovers the
advantages/disadvantages resulting from this pilot program,” said
Maj.
Jay Delarosa in an e-mail.
Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Anne Edgecomb said it would be
“speculative”
to say what the likelihood is that the Army would adopt the program.
The Air Force does not have a program similar to the Navy’s proposal,
said Air Force spokesman Capt. Michael R. Andrews.
As for whether the Air Force could adopt such a program, “We are
aware
of the Navy’s proposal and will follow its development very closely
--
it has great potential to benefit all the services,” Andrews said in
an
e-mail.
Ellie
April 16, 2008
Stars and Stripes
ARLINGTON, Va. -- Congress plans to review a Navy proposal that would
give sailors up to three years off to pursue other interests while they
keep their health benefits and receive a monthly stipend.
The sailors would determine what to do with their time off, such as
pursuing an education or caring for an ill family member, said Lt.
Stephanie Miller, a spokeswoman for the Navy’s Diversity and
Women’s
Policy Directorate for the Chief of Naval Personnel.
Upon returning to active duty, those sailors -- who would retain their
rank -- would be required to serve two months for every month they took
off, she said.
The proposal is written to apply to all servicemembers, but only the
Navy plans to use it so far, Miller said Tuesday.
“They are interested to see how we make it work before they implement
their own programs,” Miller said.
All sailors are eligible for the program, and the Navy is putting
together an instruction telling sailors how they can apply, she said.
The proposal would be part of the 2009 National Defense Authorization
Act, which Congress expects to vote on this September, according to the
Navy.
If approved, the Navy would launch a pilot program in February
involving
20 officers and 20 enlisted sailors per year for three years, for a
total of 120 sailors, according to the Navy.
Miller said the Navy decided to limit the number of participants in the
pilot program to better monitor those involved, and because the sailors
likely would come from undermanned communities.
The Navy has learned that sailors in such undermanned communities are
not responding to financial retention incentives, but they are
interested in other incentives, she said.
Participants would transfer to the Individual Ready Reserve for up to
three years, during which time they would not deploy, Miller said.
Their only responsibility would be to muster once a year for drug
testing and to make sure they are physically fit, she said.
During their time in the IRR, sailors would keep their commissary
privileges and receive a monthly stipend equal to one-fifteenth of
their
basic pay, Miller said.
“What we really see is the best benefit of the program is maintaining
the health-care benefits for you and your family,” she said.
The time sailors spend in the IRR would not count as time in service or
time in grade, Miller said.
Sailors also would have their rank frozen while they are in the IRR,
and
their date of rank will be moved up to compensate for their time off,
Miller said.
For example, a sailor who received a commission or date of advancement
in 2001 and took two years off would compete for promotion with those
who were commissioned or received advancement in 2003, she said.
At the end of the three-year pilot program, the Navy will decide
whether
to make the program permanent, Miller said.
“This program has the full support of DOD, and will serve as a
demonstration project for all services,” a recent Navywide message
said.
But it is too early to tell whether the Navy program could be extended
to the Marine Corps if it is approved, a Corps spokesman said Tuesday.
“Since this is a ‘demonstration project’ we wouldn’t be able to
provide
anything for you, until the Navy fully discovers the
advantages/disadvantages resulting from this pilot program,” said
Maj.
Jay Delarosa in an e-mail.
Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Anne Edgecomb said it would be
“speculative”
to say what the likelihood is that the Army would adopt the program.
The Air Force does not have a program similar to the Navy’s proposal,
said Air Force spokesman Capt. Michael R. Andrews.
As for whether the Air Force could adopt such a program, “We are
aware
of the Navy’s proposal and will follow its development very closely
--
it has great potential to benefit all the services,” Andrews said in
an
e-mail.
Ellie