ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR (SO) RATING:

1 NAVADMINs are known that refer back to this one:
NAVADMIN ID Title
NAVADMIN 093/07 SEAL AND SWCC RATE STUDY PORTAL
RAAUZYUW RUENAAA0700 1282340-UUUU--RHMFIUU.
ZNR UUUUU ZUI RUEWMCS8725 1282339
R 082340Z MAY 06
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1NT//
TO NAVADMIN
INFO RHMFIUU/CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1NT//
RUENAAA/CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1NT//
BT
UNCLAS //N01300//
NAVADMIN 132/06
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1NT/MAY//
SUBJ/ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR (SO) RATING//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  CNO HAS APPROVED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SPECIAL
WARFARE OPERATOR (SO) GENERAL RATING.  THE SO RATING WILL IMPROVE
NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE READINESS, SUPPORT OPTIMAL MANNING, AND ALIGN
NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE ENLISTED PERSONNEL WITH THE SKILL SETS
DEMANDED FOR THE GWOT.  BY ALLOWING SAILORS TO FOCUS ON RATING
SPECIFIC TECHNOLOGY AND TRAINING SYSTEMS, THE NAVY WILL REDUCE
TRAINING INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS, WHILE BROADENING THE PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT, CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND QUALITY OF SERVICE FOR OUR
SAILORS.
2.  CONVERSION FROM SOURCE RATINGS TO THE SO RATING FOR NEC 5320,
5323, 5326, 8491, AND 8492 DESIGNATED PERSONNEL WILL BE AUTOMATIC.
CONVERSION FOR ACTIVE E1-E9 AND RESERVE E6-E9 PERSONNEL WILL OCCUR
ON 1 OCT 06, AND CONVERSION FOR RESERVE E1-E5 WILL OCCUR ON 1 MAR
07.  NO INDIVIDUAL ACTION BY THE MEMBER WILL BE REQUIRED.  ONLY
SELECTED RESERVES E1-E9 CURRENTLY SERVING IN VALID NAVAL SPECIAL
WARFARE RESERVE BILLETS BY BILLET IDENTIFICATION NUMBER AND RESERVE
BILLET SEQUENCE CODE WILL BE CONVERTED TO THE SO RATING.  SELECTED
RESERVES HOLDING NEC 5320, 5323, 5326, 8491, AND 8492 NOT CURRENTLY
SERVING IN A VALID NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE RESERVE BILLET HAVE UNTIL 1
SEP 06 TO TRANSFER TO A VALID RESERVE NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE BILLET.
ALL OTHERS WILL REMAIN IN THEIR SOURCE RATING AND NEC WILL BE
REMOVED BY EPMAC.
3.  ACTIVE DUTY PERSONNEL WITH NEC 5320, 5323, 5326, 8491, AND 8492
WHO DO NOT DESIRE TO CONVERT TO THE SO RATING MUST SUBMIT A NAVY
ENLISTED CLASSIFICATION CHANGE REQUEST (EPMAC 1221/2) TO REMOVE THE
5320, 5323, 5326, 8491, AND 8492 NEC AND AN ENLISTED PERSONNEL
ACTION REQUEST (NAVPERS 1306/7) TO REMAIN IN THEIR SOURCE RATING NOT
LATER THAN 1 JUL 06.  PERSONNEL NOT APPROVED TO REMAIN IN THEIR
SOURCE RATING MUST REQUEST LATERAL CONVERSION TO A CREO 1 OR CREO 2
RATING FOR WHICH THEY QUALIFY.  THESE CONVERSIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED
DIRECTLY TO COMNAVPERSCOM (PERS-4811).
4.  THE SO RATING BADGE WILL BE ALL BLACK CONSISTING OF AN ANCHOR
CROSSED HORIZONTALLY BY A TRIDENT AND DIAGONALLY BY A FLINTLOCK
PISTOL.  ALL ACTIVE E1-E9 AND RESERVE E6-E9 DESIGNATED NEC 5320,
5323, 5326, 8491, AND 8492 PERSONNEL CAN CONVERT TO THE NEW SO
RATING BADGE ON 1 OCT 06, AND RESERVE E1-E5 DESIGNATED NEC 5320,
5323, 5326 8491 AND 8492 PERSONNEL CAN CONVERT TO THE NEW SO RATING
BADGE ON 1 MAR 07.
5.  PER UNIFORM REGULATIONS, PARA 4235, ALL ACTIVE E1-E9 AND RESERVE
E6-E9 PERSONNEL MAY CONTINUE WEARING THEIR SOURCE RATING BADGE UNTIL
THEIR NEXT ADVANCEMENT OR UNTIL 30 SEP 08, AND RESERVE E1-E5
PERSONNEL MAY CONTINUE WEARING THEIR SOURCE RATING BADGE UNTIL THEIR
NEXT ADVANCEMENT OR UNTIL 28 FEB 09.
6.  THE ENLISTED SO WARFARE DESIGNATION WILL BE SEAL (SEA, AIR,
LAND).  THE SEAL SPECIAL WARFARE INSIGNIA CURRENTLY EXISTS AND WILL
NOT CHANGE.  THE SEAL INSIGNIA WILL BE WORN IN THE SUPERIOR POSITION
(ABOVE THE RIBBONS) WHEN SERVING IN AN SO BILLET FULFILLING SO
DUTIES, AND WARFARE DESIGNATOR (SEAL) WILL NOW BE PLACED NEXT TO THE
SO MEMBERS RATING DESIGNATOR (I.E. SOCM(SEAL) SMITH).
7.  FOLLOWING IS THE NAVY-WIDE EXAM ADMINISTRATION SCHEDULE:
    E7 (ACTIVE DUTY)
        LAST SOURCE RATING EXAM - JAN 06
        FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR RATING EXAM - JAN 07
    E7 (SELECTED RESERVE)
        LAST SOURCE RATING EXAM - FEB 06
        FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR RATING EXAM - FEB 07
    E4 - E6 (ACTIVE DUTY)
        LAST SOURCE RATING EXAM - SEP 06
        FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR RATING EXAM - MAR 07
    E4 - E6 (SELECTED RESERVE)
        LAST SOURCE RATING EXAM - FEB 07
        FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR RATING EXAM - AUG 07
8.  FOLLOWING IS THE E7 AND E8/9 SELECTION BOARD SCHEDULE:
    E8/9 (ACTIVE)
        FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE PANEL BOARD - SPRING 2006
        (FY-07 BOARD)
    E8/9 (RESERVE)
        LAST SOURCE RATING PANEL BOARD - SPRING 2006 (FY-07 BOARD)
        FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR RATING PANEL BOARD - SPRING
        2007 (FY-08 BOARD)
    E7 (ACTIVE)
        FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE  PANEL BOARD - SUMMER 2006
       (FY-07 BOARD)
    E7 (RESERVE)
        LAST SOURCE RATING PANEL BOARD - SUMMER 2006 (FY-07 BOARD)
        FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR RATING PANEL BOARD - SUMMER
        2007 (FY-08 BOARD)
9.  COMNAVCRUITCOM WILL RECRUIT TO THE SO RATING IN FY-07.  RECRUITS
SHIPPED IN FY-06 UNDER THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS CHALLENGE PROGRAM -
SEAL OPTION WILL REMAIN IN CONTRACTED SOURCE RATING UNTIL COMPLETION
OF SO "A" SCHOOL.
10.  MONTHLY STATUS UPDATES, FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND OTHER
WEB-BASED RESOURCES WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE SEAL AND SWCC LEARNING
CENTER PAGE ON NAVY KNOWLEDGE ONLINE AT WWW.NKO.NAVY.MIL AND THE
SPECWAR ENLISTED COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT PAGE AT
WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/ENLISTED/COMMUNITYMANAGERS/SPECIALWARFARE.
11.  THIS NAVADMIN DOES NOT MODIFY ANY PREVIOUS GUIDANCE CONCERNING
EARLY SEPARATION, FLEET RESERVE, OR CONVERSION PACKAGES.  SELECTIVE
REENLISTMENT BONUS AND SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENT PAY APPLICABLE TO NEC
5320, 5323, 5326, 8491, AND 8492 WILL CONTINUE TO BE PAID AFTER THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SO RATING.
12.  POCS:
-  ENLISTED COMMUNITY MANAGERS:
CDR DANE THORLEIFSON, (901) 874-2858 / DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT
DANE.THORLEIFSON@NAVY.MIL
SKCM(EOD) JOHN SIEGEL, (901) 874-2827 / DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT
JOHN.SIEGEL@NAVY.MIL
ENCM(DSW/SW/SS/MDV) MIKE WINTER, (901) 874-3116 / DSN 882 OR EMAIL
AT LEONARD.WINTER@NAVY.MIL
- RESERVE ENLISTED COMMUNITY MANAGERS:
LCDR TOM SIMPSON, (901) 874-4511/DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT
THOMAS.SIMPSON@NAVY.MIL
PSCS DEAN CHEVES, (901) 874-4508/DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT
DEAN.CHEVES@NAVY.MIL
- NSW OPERATIONAL SUPPORT GROUP
CAPT B. J. KEEPERS, (619) 437-5196/DSN 577 OR EMAIL AT
BJ.KEEPERS@NAVSOC.NAVY.MIL
CDR ROGER MEEK, (619) 437-0787/DSN 577 OR EMAIL AT
ROGER.MEEK@NAVSOC.NAVY.MIL
-  CENTER FOR SEAL AND SWCC
MR. RON COOPER, (619) 437-5999/DSN 577 OR EMAIL AT
RONALD.COOPER@NAVSOC.NAVY.MIL
MR. RICK ROGERS, (619) 437-3620/DSN 577 OR EMAIL AT
RICHARD.ROGERS@NAVSOC.NAVY.MIL
-  ADVANCEMENT POLICY:
LCDR JULIET COOK, (703) 695-0888/DSN 225 OR EMAIL AT
JULIET.COOK@NAVY.MIL
-  DETAILER:
CMDCM(SEAL) DOUG MCNUTT, (901) 874-35643/DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT
DOUGLAS.MCNUTT@NAVY.MIL
-  SRB/SDAP
MMC JOHN DOVEL, (901) 874-3193/DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT
JOHN.DOVEL@NAVY.MIL
-  CONVERSIONS
YNC(SW) DANIEL BOUCHER, (901) 874-3908/DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT
MILL_CONVERSIONS@NAVY.MIL
13.  RELEASED BY VADM J. C. HARVEY, JR., N1.//
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