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Z-Gram #42; dated 13 October 1970

Junior Officer Requests for Sea Duty

R 131400Z OCT 70
FM CNO (Z-42)

TO NAVOP

UNCLAS //N01331//
JUNIOR OFFICER REQUESTS FOR SEA DUTY

1. THE PURPOSE OF THIS NAVOP IS TO ESTABLISH A POLICY WHICH ENSURES APPROVAL OF A REQUEST FOR SEA DUTY SUBMITTED BY AN ENS OR LTJG SERVING ON AN INITIAL ACTIVE DUTY ASSIGNMENT ASHORE, EXCLUSIVE OF IN-TRAINING BILLETS.

2. IT IS THE DESIRE OF CNO AND CHNAVPERS THAT OFFICERS INTERESTED IN A NAVAL CAREER BE GIVEN EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE NECESSARY QUALIFICATIONS DURING INITIAL OBLIGATED SERVICE. FOR OFFICERS OF DESIGNATORS WHICH REQUIRE SHIPBOARD EXPERIENCE, MOST INITIAL ASSIGNMENTS ARE TO SEA DUTY. OF NECESSITY, HOWEVER, SOME OFFICERS OF THESE DESIGNATORS ARE INITIALLY ASSIGNED ASHORE TO FILL JUNIOR OFFICER REQUIREMENTS OR TO FILL REQUIREMENTS WRITTEN FOR UNAVAILABLE MORE SENIOR OFFICERS. ALTHOUGH THESE BILLETS ASHORE OFFER INTERESTING AND CHALLENGING ASSIGNMENTS, THEY DELAY THE EARLY SEA QUALIFICATION OF THESE OFFICERS.

3. A REQUEST FOR SEA DUTY FROM AN ENS OR LTJG SERVING ASHORE WILL BE SUBMITTED VIA THE COMMANDING OFFICER ENCLOSING AN OFFICER PREFERENCE AND PERSONAL INFORMATION CARD (NAVPERS 1301/1). THE MINOR TURBULENCE WHICH MAY BE GENERATED BY THE RESULTING ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED AS THE PRICE FOR REINFORCING DECISIONS REFLECTING CAREER INTERESTS.

A. 110X, 140X, 163X, 310X. UPON RECEIPT OF THE REQUEST, ASSIGNMENT TO DUTY AFLOAT WILL BE MADE WITH FULL CONSIDERATION BEING GIVEN TO THE DESIRES OF THE INDIVIDUAL, HIS DEMONSTRATED PERFORMANCE, AND THE VACANCIES AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE REQUEST. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE REQUEST WILL BE MADE IMMEDIATELY AND ORDERS WILL BE PREPARED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT THE REQUESTING INDIVIDUAL RECEIVES A SIGNIFICANT TOUR AFLOAT PRIOR TO THE COMPLETION OF HIS OBLIGATED SERVICE. TO THIS END, REQUESTS SHOULD BE RECEIVED BY BUPERS 21 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE END OF THE INDIVIDUAL’S OBLIGATED SERVICE OR SHOULD INDICATE HIS WILLINGNESS TO EXTEND HIS OBLIGATED SERVICE IN ORDER TO HAVE 18 MONTHS SERVICE REMAINING AFTER REPORTING TO HIS ULTIMATE DUTY STATION.

B. 131X, 132X. THE LIMITED NUMBER OF SQUADRON BILLETS AVAILABLE AND THE URGENCY OF FILLING SHORE REQUIREMENTS DICTATE THAT SOME NAVAL AVIATORS MUST RECEIVE DUTY ASHORE AS THEIR INITIAL ASSIGNMENT. ACCORDINGLY, THE FOLLOWING LIMITATIONS APPLY IN THE CASE OF NAVAL AVIATORS AND NAVAL FLIGHT OFFICERS:

(1) IF A LENGTHY TRAINING CYCLE OR AIRCRAFT QUALIFICATION IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF A CONUS SHORE BILLET, ELIGIBILITY FOR REASSIGNMENT TO A FLEET SQUADRON WILL OCCUR UPON COMPLETION OF 2 YEARS OF DUTY AT THE INITIAL SHORE ASSIGNMENT.

(2) IF THE INITIAL ASSIGNMENT IS TO A CONUS SHORE ACTIVITY, WITHOUT REQUIRING A TRAINING CYCLE OR AIRCRAFT QUALIFICATION, ELIGIBILITY WILL OCCUR UPON COMPLETING 18 MONTHS OF DUTY ON STATION.

(3) IF THE INITIAL ASSIGNMENT IS TO AN OVERSEAS SHORE ACTIVITY, ELIGIBILITY WILL OCCUR UPON COMPLETION OF DOD PRESCRIBED OVERSEAS TOUR OR 18 MONTHS, WHICHEVER IS SHORTER.

(4) REASSIGNMENT TO A FLEET SQUADRON WILL BE CONTINGENT UPON AN AGREEMENT TO SERVE ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR 2 YEARS AFTER REPORTING TO THE SQUADRON.

4. THIS NAVOP WILL BE INCORPORATED IN A BUPERS INSTRUCTION IN THE NEAR FUTURE. E. R. ZUMWALT, JR., ADMIRAL, U. S. NAVY, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.
BT

__________

ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS:
BUPERS: Bureau of Naval Personnel
CHNAVPERS: chief of Naval Personnel
CNO: Chief of Naval Operations
CONUS: continental United States
DOD: Department of Defense
ENS: ensign
LTJG: lieutenant junior grade
NAVPERS: Navy Personnel Command

[END]
Published: Mon Oct 03 07:22:06 EDT 2016