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R 021652Z OCT 07
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
TO NAVADMIN
INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
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UNCLAS //N01223//
NAVADMIN 250/07
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/OCT// 
SUBJ/OPERATIONS SPECIALIST (OS) AND QUARTERMASTER (QM) PATH AHEAD// 
RMKS/1.  THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES THE PATH AHEAD RESULTING FROM A 
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY INTO THE BENEFITS AND RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH 
CONSOLIDATING THE OPERATIONS SPECIALIST (OS) AND QUARTERMASTER (QM) 
RATINGS.  THE STUDY REVEALED SIGNIFICANT FACTORS WHICH LED TO THE FINAL 
DECISION TO COMBINE THE TWO ?A? SCHOOLS, WHILE MAINTAINING THE 
REMAINING UNIQUE CAREER PATHS AND RATINGS.  
2.  WHILE OS AND QM RATINGS SHARE SOME COMMON SKILL SETS, ESPECIALLY 
RELATIVE TO TASKS THEY PERFORM AS JUNIOR SAILORS ON SHIPS, WE FOUND AS 
SAILORS BECOME MORE SENIOR, EACH RATING FOCUSES ON DIFFERENT 
OPERATIONAL AND WARFARE PRIORITIES.  IN FACT, CAREFUL ANALYSIS AND 
CONSIDERATION OF OPERATIONAL AND WARFIGHTING NEEDS CONFIRMED A 
SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF SKILLS, ABOUT 32 PERCENT, WERE STILL UNIQUE TO 
EACH RATING.  ADDITIONALLY, A BUSINESS-CASE ANALYSIS REVEALED THE COST 
OF TRAINING WAS ABOUT THE SAME, WITH OR WITHOUT A MERGER, AFTER 
INVESTMENTS HAD BEEN MADE IN IMPROVED CURRICULUM AND TRAINING PROCESSES.  
DURING THE COURSE OF THE STUDY, DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR SENIOR ENLISTED 
LEADERS REVEALED A STRONG BELIEF THAT THE QUARTERMASTER, AS ONE OF THE 
OLDEST RATINGS IN THE NAVY, IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE CULTURE OF OUR 
NAUTICAL HERITAGE.  
THESE FACTORS, COMBINED WITH THE FUNDAMENTAL ROLE OF POSITIONAL 
ACCURACY IN SAFE NAVIGATION, LED TO THE DECISION TO MAINTAIN THE 
UNIQUENESS OF THESE TWO RATINGS.  
3.  TRAINING PROCESS IMPROVEMENT IS KEY TO DELIVERING SKILLS AND 
FLEXIBILITY NEEDED BY SHIPS AT SEA.  SAILORS WHO CAN OPERATE AND 
NAVIGATE FROM BOTH THE BRIDGE AND CIC, AS WELL AS IN FLEXIBLE
(HYBRID) NAVIGATION OR SURVEILLANCE ENVIRONMENTS, ARE INVALUABLE TO OUR 
WORKFORCE.  OUR STUDY REVEALED A TREND IN THE FLEET TO BLEND THE 
UTILIZATION OF OUR OS AND QM JUNIOR SAILORS IN THE SHIPBOARD WATCH 
ENVIRONMENT, ESPECIALLY ABOARD OUR MORE LEAN MANNED SHIPS (PC AND NOW 
LCS).  IT BECAME CLEAR COMBINING THE ENTRY LEVEL TRAINING (?A? SCHOOL) 
OF THESE TWO RATINGS WOULD YIELD IMMEDIATE BENEFITS.  CONSEQUENTLY, WE 
EMBARKED ON A PLAN TO INTEGRATE THE TWO SCHOOLS.  ?A? SCHOOL TRAINING 
FOR OS AND QM RATINGS WILL BE TAUGHT USING A COMBINED CURRICULUM WHICH 
INCLUDES ADDITIONAL TRAINING DAYS
(68 TOTAL TRAINING DAYS) VICE THE QM ?A? SCHOOL OF 40 DAYS AND OS ?A? 
SCHOOL TRAINING OF 47 DAYS.  FOR THE SAILOR, THIS MEANS BETTER CAREER 
FIELD DIVERSITY AND GREATER FLEXIBILITY.  THE INITIAL INVESTMENT WE 
MAKE IN THIS EXTENDED ?A? SCHOOL TRAINING PIPELINE SUPPORTS AN 
APPRENTICE, JOURNEYMAN, AND MASTER (AJM) LEVEL CONSTRUCT FOR OS AND QM 
SAILORS WITH A FOCUS ON OPERATIONAL SKILLS UP FRONT, SUPPORTING 
TRAINING TOWARD QUALIFICATION.  ADDITIONALLY, THE "OS ?C? SCHOOL" AND 
THE "SENIOR QUARTERMASTER REFRESHER" COURSES ARE BEING UPDATED AS 
JOURNEYMAN LEVEL COURSES FOR EACH RATING TO REFLECT THE MOST RECENT 
CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY AND FLEET REQUIREMENTS.  THESE TWO COURSES ARE 
SCHEDULED FOR INTRODUCTION IN JAN 08. 
4.  ANALYSIS OF RATING MERGERS ACROSS NAVY WILL CONTINUE TO BE 
CAREFULLY CONSIDERED.  WHERE IT MAKES SENSE, RATING MERGERS WILL OCCUR.  
WHERE IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE, AS THE CASE WITH THE OS AND QM RATINGS 
TODAY, THE MERGER WILL NOT OCCUR.  MERGING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES 
SERVES AS ONE METHOD BY WHICH WE DEVELOP OUR SAILORS TO KEEP PACE WITH 
THE CONSTANTLY CHANGING WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE AND THE ADVANCING 
TECHNOLOGY WITH WHICH WE WORK.  
5.  POCS FOR ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE OS/QM PATH AHEAD:
    A.  ENLISTED COMMUNITY MANAGER:  LCDR SCOTT FAIRBANK, SURFACE 
ENLISTED COMMUNITY MANAGER (BUPERS 322) AT (901) 874-2356/DSN 882 OR 
EMAIL AT scott.fairbank@navy.mil.
    B.  OPNAV RATING MERGER LIAISON OFFICER:  LCDR MELISSA SHORT,
(N131E3) AT (703) 693-2328/DSN 223 OR EMAIL AT 
melissa.short@navy.mil.
    C.  RATING TECHNICAL ADVISORS:  ITCS STANLEY GREENE, SURFACE 
OPERATIONS TECHAD (BUPERS 322E) AT (901)874-3784/DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT 
stanley.greene@navy.mil.
    D.  DETAILERS:  OSC(SW) RICKY CALDWELL, OS DETAILER (PERS 406) AT
(901) 874-3789/DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT ricky.caldwell@navy.mil OR
QMCM(SW) ANDY MILLAR, SENIOR QM DETAILER (PERS 405) AT (901) 874-3728/ 
DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT andy.millar@navy.mil
    E.  OS COP URL ON NAVY KNOLWDGE ONLINE IS
HTTPS://WWWA.NKO.NAVY.MIL/PORTAL/PAGE?PAF_COMMUNITYID=CO50630013
    F.  QM COP URL ON NAVY KNOWLEDGE ONLINE IS
HTTPS://WWWA.NKO.NAVY.MIL/PORTAL/PAGE?PAF_COMMUNITYID=CO52860013
    G.  CSCS OS RATING LEAD:  CAPT CLAY HARRIS COMMANDING OFFICER, 
CSCSU DAM NECK (N00) AT (757) 492-7755/DSN 492-7755 OR EMAIL AT 
clay.harris@navy.mil.
    H.  CSCS QM RATING LEAD:  CDR ROBERT SULLIVAN COMMANDING OFFICER, 
CSCSU GREAT LAKES (N00), (847) 688-3166/DSN 792 OR EMAIL AT 
robert.s.sullivan@navy.mil.
6.  RELEASED BY VADM J. C. HARVEY, JR., N1.// 

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