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NAVADMIN 034/15

SUBJ/NAVY ASIA PACIFIC HANDS AND ASSOCIATED ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION 
DESIGNATORS//

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/FEB//
REF/A/DOC/DOD/JAN12//
REF/B/DOC/DODI/12JUN07//
REF/C/DOC/BUPERSMAN/OCT14//
REF/D/DOC/OPNAV/4OCT11//
REF/E/MSG/DON CIO/171625ZFEB12//
NARR/REF A IS SUSTAINING U.S. GLOBAL LEADERSHIP:  PRIORITIES FOR 21ST CENTURY 
DEFENSE.  REF B IS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) INSTRUCTION 5160.70, 
MANAGEMENT OF DOD LANGUAGE AND REGIONAL PROFICIENCY CAPABILITIES.
REF C IS THE MANUAL OF NAVY OFFICER MANPOWER AND PERSONNEL CLASSIFICATIONS 
(NOOCS MANUAL), VOLUME I.  REF D IS OPNAV INSTRUCTION 1000.16K, NAVY TOTAL 
FORCE MANPOWER POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.  REF E IS GENADMIN MESSAGE FROM DON 
CIO REGARDING THE DON SSN REDUCTION PLAN.//

RMKS/1.  Navy has created five Additional Qualification Designators (AQD) to 
identify officers with experience and education relating to the U.S. Pacific 
Command (PACOM) Area of Responsibility (AOR).  These AQDs align with the Asia 
Pacific (APAC) Hands concept, which supports the *rebalance toward the APAC 
region* per reference (a).  The goal of the APAC Hands program is to develop 
officers with enhanced regional and operational understanding who then are 
able to continue to progress to senior decision making levels within their 
communities.

2.  The five PACOM AOR-focused AQDs are structured to identify increasing
levels of regional proficiency.  This proficiency is gained through education 
or experience, or a combination of the two.  The AQDs align with the regional 
proficiency skill level guidelines in reference (b) and are applicable both 
to billets and officers of all designators. The AQDs will facilitate 
distribution, requirements identification, and personnel tracking.  More 
information on the AQD series and corresponding requirements for each level 
are in reference (c) and on the Navy Language, Regional Expertise, and 
Culture (LREC) website at http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-
npc/career/language_culture/pages/default2.aspx.

3.  Eligible officers will be coded with an AQD corresponding to the 
appropriate level of PACOM AOR-related experience and/or education. 
Experience typically will be accumulated by serving in AQD-coded billets,
which are aligned to existing community requirements (e.g. regional desk 
officers, attach*s and other embassy personnel, intelligence staffs, 
operational planners, public affairs officers).  The intent is to align
regional skills to existing requirements.  Because APAC Hands will be 
assigned to billets consistent with their designators, they will remain
competitive within their communities.

4.  All commands are highly encouraged to identify APAC Hand positions
that may require or be enhanced by regional knowledge.  Typically, these 
billets will be found on staffs at the operational or strategic level and 
will be related to the work required by the incumbent rather than based on a 
physical location.  Coding billets will facilitate opportunities for 
education en route, which should reduce manning shortfalls and minimize the 
requirement for on the job training to learn regional dynamics.  Budget 
Submitting Offices should initiate billet coding per reference (d) in 
coordination with OPNAV N1 and community leadership.  The OPNAV N1 point of 
contact for APAC Hands policy and coding requirements can be reached at ALTN
-apac@navy.mil.

5.  Officers who already have qualifying experience and/or education may 
self-nominate for an APAC Hands AQD by sending an application to PERS-450 via 
their commands.  Packages must provide all pertinent information including 
certified transcripts of regional education, applicable certificates, fitness 
reports, awards, and any other relevant documentation of education or 
experience in the APAC region. E-mail packages to mill_pers-45@navy.mil, 
or send hardcopies to:

    Commander, Navy Personnel Command
    PERS-45
    5720 Integrity Drive
    Millington, TN 38055-4300

Per reference (e), all e-mails containing personally identifiable information 
(PII) must be encrypted; do not send unencrypted e-mails containing PII.

6.  Additional information is available on Navy*s LREC website and at
http://www.facebook.com/navylanguageregionalexpertiseandcultureoffice.

7.  This NAVADMIN will remain in effect until superseded or canceled, 
whichever occurs first.

8.  Released by Vice Admiral W. F. Moran, N1.//

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