VOLUNTARY SEA DUTY PROGRAM UPDATE:
2 NAVADMINs are known that refer back to this one:
RTTUZYUW RUEWMCS0000 1881653-UUUU--RUCRNAD ZNR UUUUU R 061653Z JUL 12 FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// TO NAVADMIN INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// BT UNCLAS//N01306// NAVADMIN 205/12 MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/JUL// SUBJ/VOLUNTARY SEA DUTY PROGRAM UPDATE// REF/A/DOC/CNO WASHINGTON DC/311552ZJAN12// REF/B/DOC/OPNAV/13APR10// NARR/REF A IS NAVADMIN 043/12, VOLUNTARY SEA DUTY PROGRAM. REF B IS MILPERSMAN ARTICLE 1300-308, TOUR LENGTHS AND TYPES.// RMKS/1. THIS NAVADMIN PROVIDES IMPORTANT UPDATES REGARDING THE VOLUNTARY SEA DUTY PROGRAM (VSDP). THE VSDP WAS INSTITUTED TO SUPPORT THE NAVY'S WARFIGHTING MISSION OF OPERATING FORWARD AND MAINTAINING READINESS. HIGHLY TRAINED AND MOTIVATED SAILORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO VOLUNTEER TO EXTEND THEIR ENLISTMENT IN THEIR CURRENT SEA DUTY BILLET BEYOND THEIR PRESCRIBED SEA TOUR (PST), TO TERMINATE SHORE DUTY EARLY AND ACCEPT NEW ORDERS TO A SEA DUTY BILLET, OR TO ACCEPT BACK-TO-BACK (B2B) SEA DUTY ORDERS BEYOND NORMAL SEA/SHORE FLOW LIMITS, PER REF A. 2. VOLUNTEERING TO RETURN TO SEA DUTY UNDER THIS PROGRAM OFFERS TWO KEY BENEFITS. SAILORS AND THEIR FAMILIES CAN STAY IN THE SAME DUTY LOCATION OR CHOOSE TO RELOCATE TO A DUTY STATION OF THEIR CHOICE. PARTICIPATING IN THE VSDP WILL ALSO ALLOW SAILORS TO DEFER THEIR NEXT PTS WINDOW, PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE THEIR RECORD WITH OPERATIONAL DUTY. 3. THE FOLLOWING CLARIFICATION AND ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE IS PROVIDED AS AN UPDATE TO REF A, AND CODIFIES CURRENT PRACTICES: A. THE VSDP IS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM; HOWEVER, ONCE VSDP ORDERS HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATED WITH THE DETAILER, THE VSDP REQUEST WILL NOT BE CANCELLED, EVEN IF A PTS QUOTA IS SUBSEQUENTLY OBTAINED. B. THE FOLLOWING IS NEW GUIDANCE THAT SUPERSEDES REF A, PARA 9(A). VSDP APPLICATIONS ARE ACTIVE OVER TWO CAREER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM/INTERACTIVE DETAILING (CMS/ID) CYCLES. IN ORDER TO DE-CONFLICT PTS AND VSDP, SAILORS WHO WISH TO APPLY FOR VSDP MUST HAVE THEIR APPLICATION SUBMITTED FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH, TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE MONTH OF THEIR FINAL PERFORM-TO-SERVE (PTS) APPLICATION. FOR EXAMPLE: A SAILOR WITH AN SEAOS IN JANUARY 2013 WILL BE REVIEWED IN FR-PTS FOR THE FINAL TIME IN JULY 2012 AND MUST HAVETHEIR VSDP APPLICATION SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN 30 MAY 2012. C. THE FOLLOWING IS NEW GUIDANCE THAT SUPERSEDES REF A, PARA 9(H). IT IS DESIRED THAT SHORE DUTY SAILORS COMPLETE AN 18-24 MONTH TOUR AT THEIR PRESENT COMMAND PRIOR TO EXECUTING NEW VSDP ORDERS, HOWEVER IT ISNOT REQUIRED. PERS-40 WILL REVIEW EACH CASE BASED ON THE ORDERS REQUESTED AND CURRENT COMMAND MANNING. D. SAILORS CURRENTLY ON SHORE DUTY MUST SUBMIT THEIR VSDP REQUEST THROUGH THEIR CHAIN OF COMMAND IN A TIMELY MANNER TO ENSURE RECEIPT BY PERS-40 AT LEAST 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO THEIR PRD. REQUESTS RECEIVED BY PERS-40 BEYOND THAT POINT WILL BE RETURNED WITHOUT ACTION. THE INTENT BEHIND THIS TIMEFRAME IS TO ENSURE THAT SHORE DUTY SAILORS CURTAIL A MINIMUM OF SIX MONTHS OF SHORE DUTY TO RECEIVE PTS DEFERMENT OR GEOGRAPHICAL PREFERENCE. E. SAILORS CURRENTLY ON SEA DUTY SHOULD SUBMIT REQUESTS FOR A B2B SEA TOUR 9-12 MONTHS PRIOR TO THEIR PRD. SUBSEQUENTLY, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE FOR A SEA DUTY TOUR FOLLOWING VSDP GUIDELINES THROUGH MONTH EIGHT, AT WHICH TIME THEY MUST HAVE SELECTED A SET OF ORDERS OR HAVE THEIR REQUEST RETURNED DISAPPROVED. IF DISAPPROVED THEY WILL HAVE TWO MONTHS TO NEGOTIATE FOR SHORE DUTY ORDERS. APPROVALS OF B2B SEA DUTY TOURS SHOULD NOT CREATE A BILLET GAP FOR THE LOSING SEA DUTY COMMAND PRIOR TO THE SAILOR'S ORIGINAL PRD, UNLESS READINESS REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROSPECTIVE COMMAND OVERRIDE THIS CONSIDERATION. F. SAILORS REQUESTING AN EXTENSION AT THEIR CURRENT SEA DUTY COMMAND SHOULD DO SO PRIOR TO ENTERING THEIR ORDER NEGOTIATION WINDOW NO LATER THAN NINE MONTHS PRIOR TO THEIR PRD. REQUESTS TO EXTEND AT SEA MAY BE SUBMITTED AT ANY TIME DURING THE TOUR PROVIDED PTS GUIDELINES IN PARA 3(B) ABOVE ARE FOLLOWED. G. SHORT TERM EXTENSION (STE) INFORMATION AND PTS DEFERMENT. STE INCREMENTS OUTLINED IN MILPERSMAN 1160-040 ARE WAIVED FOR VSDP. SAILORS CURRENTLY IN SEA DUTY ASSIGNMENTS MUST EXTEND BEYOND THEIR PST FOR A MINIMUM OF 12 MONTHS, BUT NOT TO EXCEED 24 MONTHS OF ADDITIONAL PST. A PTS QUOTA IS NOT REQUIRED TO EXECUTE A STE IN ORDER TO ACCEPT ORDERS OR EXTEND IN PLACE BEYOND CURRENT PST UNDER THE VSDP PROGRAM PROVIDED APPLICANTS MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS PER REF A. PTS DEFERMENT IS NOT AUTHORIZED SOLELY TO COMPLETE THE ORIGINAL PST; AT LEAST 12 ADDITIONAL MONTHS OF SEA DUTY IS REQUIRED. IF TRANSFERRING TO A NEW COMMAND AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE STE, A PTS QUOTA WILL BE REQUIRED TO NEGOTIATE ORDERS AND REENLIST. H. SAILORS IN A LIMITED DUTY STATUS ARE INELIGIBLE FOR VSDP. I. SAILORS IN AN OPERATIONAL DEFERMENT STATUS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR VSDP PER NAVADMIN 256/08 WHICH STATES: "SERVICEWOMEN ON POST-BIRTH 12-MONTH OPERATIONAL DEFERMENT MAY REQUEST TO TERMINATE DEFERMENT AT ANY POINT AFTER CONVALESCENT LEAVE. WAIVERS WILL BE GRANTED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND MUST INCLUDE ENDORSEMENTS FROM THE MEMBER, CURRENT OR PROSPECTIVE OPERATIONAL COMMAND, AND MEMBER'S HEALTH CARE PROVIDER." THESE SAILORS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PTS DEFERMENT OR GEOGRAPHICAL PREFERENCE IF THEY RETURN TO SEA AT LEAST SIX MONTHS EARLY. J. SAILORS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE SEA DUTY INCENTIVE PAY (SDIP) SHOULD REQUEST TO RECEIVE IT IN CONJUNCTION WITH VSDP. ANNOTATE SDIP ON THE VSDP 1306/7 REQUEST. K. TO CLARIFY REF A, PARA 9(D), SAILORS SERVING OVERSEAS OR IN A DOD AREA TOUR CAN REQUEST TO EXTEND THEIR CURRENT SEA TOUR, CURTAIL THEIR CURRENT SHORE TOUR IF THEY REMAIN IN THE SAME GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, OR REQUEST B2B SEA DUTY IN ANY AREA OF THEIR CHOICE. PER REF B, POLICY REGARDING COTS (CONSECUTIVE OVERSEAS TOURS) REMAINS IN EFFECT. L. TO CLARIFY REF A, PARA 9(E), SAILORS ASSIGNED TO SPECWAR SUPPORT (ALL RATINGS) CAN REQUEST TO EXTEND THEIR CURRENT SEA TOUR OR REQUEST A B2B SEA TOUR. ALSO, SAILORS SERVING ON AN INDIVIDUAL AUGMENTATION (IA) TOUR CAN REQUEST A B2B SEA DUTY TOUR. IN NEITHER CASE, HOWEVER, WILL SAILORS BE AUTHORIZED TO CURTAIL THEIR CURRENT TOUR VIA VSDP. M. SAILORS ON A SPOUSE CO-LOCATION TOUR ARE ELIGIBLE FOR VSDP; HOWEVER, A REQUEST WILL BE CONSIDERED A CANCELLATION OF THEIR SPOUSE CO- LOCATION REQUEST. IF BOTH SPOUSES WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VSDP THEY SHOULD FIRST CONSULT THEIR RESPECTIVE DETAILERS. N. SAILORS CURRENTLY SERVING IN A SPECIAL PROGRAM COMMAND ASHORE, BUT NOT IN A SPECIAL PROGRAMS BILLET, MAY SUBMIT A VSDP REQUEST. IN THOSE CASES EXTRA CONSIDERATION AS TO THE IMPACT ON THE LOSING COMMAND WILL BE GIVEN. FOR EXAMPLE, SAILORS ATTACHED TO AN ADMIN STAFF AT A SCHOOL COMMAND MAY BE ELIGIBLE, BUT IMPACT TO THE COMMAND'S MISSION WILL BE CAREFULLY PRIORITIZED. O. VSDP REQUESTS WILL NOT BE APPROVED FOR SAILORS HOLDING A NUCLEAR NEC (33XX). 4. QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS PROGRAM SHOULD BE REFERRED TO THE NPC CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER AT 1-(866)-U-ASK-NPC/(866) 827-5672 OR VIA E-MAIL AT cscmailbox@navy.mil. 5. RELEASED BY VICE ADMIRAL S. R. VAN BUSKIRK, N1.// BT #0000 NNNN