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FM CNO WASHINGTON DC

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INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC

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NAVADMIN 302/17

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/DEC//

SUBJ/NOTIFICATION OF THE START OF THE BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM ENROLLMENT 
PERIOD AND ENROLLMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPT-IN ELIGIBLE SERVICE MEMBERS//

REF/A/DOC/NDAA/13APR15//

REF/B/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/271444ZSEP16//

REF/C/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/281546ZNOV16//

REF/D/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/311929ZJAN17//

REF/E/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/062134ZJUN17//

NARR/REF A IS SECTIONS 631 THROUGH 635 OF NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT, 
SUBTITLE D - DISABILITY PAY, RETIRED PAY, AND SURVIVOR BENEFITS.  REF B IS 
NAVADMIN 217/16, ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM FOR THE 
UNIFORMED SERVICES.  REF C IS NAVADMIN 259/16, NOTIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY TO 
OPT-IN TO THE BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM.  REF D IS NAVADMIN 020/17, 
NOTIFICATION OF AVAILABILITY OF THE BLENDED RETIREMENT SYSTEM OPT-IN 
TRAINING.
REF E IS NAVADMIN 133/17, NOTIFICATION OF AVAILABILITY OF THE BLENDED 
RETIREMENT SYSTEM OPT-IN COMPARISON CALCULATOR.//

RMKS/1.  This NAVADMIN announces the Blended Retirement System (BRS) 
enrollment period for opt-in eligible service members will be open from 1 
January 2018 until 31 December 2018, in line with references
(a) through (e).  During this window, opt-in eligible service members may 
enroll in the BRS via the myPay website.  Opt-in eligible service members who 
do not choose to enroll in BRS will remain in the current legacy retirement 
system.  However, if a service member elects to enroll in the BRS, that 
election is irrevocable.

2.  In line with references (a) and (c), opt-in eligibility is as
follows:
    a.  Active Component (AC) service members are opt-in eligible if their 
Date Initially Entered Military Service (DIEMS) is on or before 31 December 
2017, and they have less than 12 years of service
(YOS) as of 31 December 2017, based on their Pay Entry Base Date (PEBD).
    b.  Reserve Component (RC) service members, to include Full Time Support 
(FTS) members, are opt-in eligible if their DIEMS is on or before 31 December 
2017 and they have accumulated fewer than
4,320 retirement points as of 31 December 2017.
    c.  United States Naval Academy (USNA), Reserve Officer Training Corps 
(ROTC) Midshipmen, and Delayed Entry Program (DEP) members are opt-in 
eligible if their DIEMS is on or before 31 December 2017, and they have less 
than 12 years of service (YOS) as of 31 December 2017, based on their PEBD.

3.  As outlined in references (b) through (e), whether an opt-in eligible 
service member chooses to enroll in the BRS or not, training is mandatory for 
all opt-in eligible service members and must be completed by 31 December 
2017.  All Navy commands shall ensure that opt-in eligible service members 
complete the Blended Retirement System Opt-In Course and log completion in 
the Fleet Training Management and Planning System (FLTMPS).  If the BRS Opt- 
In Course is completed in a classroom setting, commands must ensure that 
training is manually documented in FLTMPS.

4.  To enroll in the BRS during the 1 January 2018 to 31 December
2018 enrollment period, opt-in eligible service members must be in a paid 
status.  If a service member meets eligibility criteria in paragraph 2, but 
is not in a paid status during the election window, that service member will 
be given an opportunity to enroll during their first period of paid status.  
Additionally, hardship extensions to the enrollment window for opt-in 
eligible service members who are unable to enroll in BRS during the 2018 
enrollment period will be considered on a case-by-case basis per reference 
(a).  Midshipmen who are opt-in eligible and commissioned after 1 December 
2018 will be given 30 days to opt-in following reporting to their first duty 
station.  Delayed Entry Program (DEP) personnel who are opt-in eligible and 
report to Recruit Training Command (RTC) after 1 December 2018 will be given 
30 days to opt-in.

5.  Enrollment in the BRS can only be completed on the myPay website
(https://mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx) and will be conducted in accordance with 
procedures promulgated separately by the Defense Finance and Accounting 
Service (DFAS).  Prior to making the election to enroll in the BRS, members 
of the Navy who are eligible to opt-in and who choose to enroll in the BRS 
will be required to affirm on the myPay website that they have completed the 
mandatory opt-in training and that they acknowledge and understand that the 
decision to enroll in the BRS is irrevocable.

6.  Those opt-in eligible service members who have an up-to-date email 
address in Navy Standard Integrated Personal System (NSIPS) will receive an 
email notification concerning their opt-in eligibility.  Additionally, 
commands should notify all opt-in eligible Service members within their 
command that they are eligible to enroll in the BRS and that the opt-in 
window will open on 1 January 2018.  To facilitate this notification, command 
administration departments must contact their supporting personnel office on 
a regular basis to access a list of all opt-in eligible service members 
within their command.

7.  To ensure all AC opt-in eligible service members are able to enroll in 
the BRS when the opt-in window opens, each service member should ensure that 
their DIEMS, the earliest date of enlistment, induction, or appointment in a 
uniformed service is accurately reflected on their Leave and Earning 
Statement (LES) and in their NSIPS Electronic Service Record (ESR).  The 
DIEMS is critical in determining an AC and RC service member's BRS opt-in 
eligibility status.  Additionally, AC service members should ensure the PEBD, 
status in a uniformed service is correct.  RC service members should ensure 
their retirement point total is correctly reflected in their NSIPS ESR.
    a.  If the PEBD or DIEMS date is not correct on the service members LES 
or NSIPS ESR, or a service member believes their BRS opt-in eligibility 
status is incorrect, the member should contact their Command Career Counselor 
(CCC) or Command Pay and Personnel Administrator (CPPA).
    b.  CCCs or CCPAs should report the BRS eligibility discrepancy via an 
encrypted email to mill_BRS@navy.mil.  The subject line should read "FOUO BRS 
Eligibility Discrepancy - DIEMS," "FOUO  BRS Eligibility Discrepancy - PEBD," 
or "FOUO  BRS Eligibility Discrepancy  Unknown."
    c.  Each BRS eligibility discrepancy submission should include 
substantiating documents to include one of the following documents:
The members DD Form 214 "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active 
Duty", DD Form 215 "Correction to DD 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge 
from Active Duty", NGB 22 "Report of Separation and Record of Service", DD 
Form 4 "Enlistment/ Reenlistment Document Armed Forces of the United States, 
DD Form 1966 "Record of Military Processing - Armed Forces of the United 
States, and Cadet/Midshipman contracts or contracts with the Army, Air Force, 
Marine Corps, Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration or 
Public Health Service.

8.  For certain opt-in eligible service members, there are additional opt-in 
concerns to consider prior to the enrollment period.  First, opt-in eligible 
service members who are eligible for BRS continuation pay (CP) in CY18 and 
desire to elect CP, must enroll in the BRS first and elect to take CP prior 
to reaching 12 YOS.  Second, opt-in eligible service members who choose to 
enroll in the BRS, and who will reach 12 YOS within the first 90 days of 
CY18, may be required to manually elect CP through their CCC due to systems 
processing time.
Third, opt-in eligible service members who will be eligible to retire with 
pay in CY18, and who choose to enroll in the BRS, must opt-in to the BRS and 
elect the lump sum payment option, if desired, at least 90 days prior to 
reaching their eligible retirement age.  If the lump sum option is not 
elected prior to the 90 day requirement, the member will be limited to the 
full pension option under the BRS.

9.  BRS information can be found on the Navy BRS page at
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-
npc/support/21st_Century_Sailor/readiness/Pages/Personal-Financial-
Management.aspx.

10.  As stated in references (b) through (e), the opt-in decision is likely 
the most important financial decision of an eligible service members Navy 
career.  A concerted effort by the Navy Total Force must be made to ensure 
that BRS opt-in training is complete and that service members are prepared to 
make an informed financial decision when the opt-in window opens on 1 January 
2018.

11.  Released by Vice Admiral R. P. Burke, N1.//

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