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Z-Gram #75; dated 25 February 1971

Sea/Shore Rotation

R 251400Z FEB 71
FM CNO (Z-75)

TO NAVOP

UNCLAS //N01306//
SEA/SHORE ROTATION

A. NAVOP Z-11, REQUESTS TO REMAIN ON SEA DUTY

1. I HAVE BEEN DEEPLY CONCERNED FOR A LONG TIME THAT A GOODLY NUMBER OF OUR HIGHLY VALUED CAREER MEN AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE BEEN ASKED TO ENSURE LONG PERIODS OF SEPARATION BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE SEA TOUR LENGTHS. THEREFORE, A MAXIMUM SEA TOUR OF SIX YEARS IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED FOR ALL ENLISTED PERSONNEL.

2. THIS WILL GREATLY REDUCE THE SEA TOURS OF 122 RATES AND NEC’S. PERSONNEL FOR WHOM SEA TOURS HAVE BEEN REDUCED MAY EXPECT TRANSFER ASHORE DURING THE SUMMER OR EARLY FALL OF 1971. SPECIFIC SEA TOUR REDUCTIONS WILL BE PROMULGATED BY RATE AND NEC IN A SEPARATE NAVOP.

3. THESE POLICY DECISIONS DO NOT MEAN THAT THERE IS NOT MORE TO BE DONE. THOUGH THIS WILL ELIMINATE SEA TOURS OF OVER SIX YEARS, 95 RATES AND NEC’S REMAIN WITH SEA TOURS 4 TO 6 YEARS LONG. WE WILL STRIVE TO IMPROVE SEA TOUR LENGTHS FOR THESE MEN. IN THE MEANTIME, AN OPTION FOR REASSIGNMENT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS OF A SEA TOUR WILL BE PROVIDED TO PO2 AND ABOVE WHOSE SEA TOURS REMAIN IN THE 4 TO 6 YEAR CATEGORY. IF THEY HAVE SERVED CONTINUOUSLY AND CONSECUTIVELY ON SEA DUTY TYPE 2 (DEPLOYING SHIPS HOMEPORTED IN CONUS AND SHORE BASED UNITS WHERE LONG FAMILY SEPARATION IS NORMAL), ON NON-ROTATED SEA DUTY TYPE 4 (SHIPS HOMEPORTED OVERSEAS, FBM SUBMARINES AND SHIPS WITH 12-MONTH RVN TOURS) WHERE ABSENCE FROM THE HOMEPORT AND FAMILY HAS BEEN EXCESSIVE, OR ON OVERSEAS SHORE DUTY TYPE 3 WHERE DEPENDENTS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED. THEY MAY, AT THE TIME THEY ARE WITHIN TWO YEARS OF COMPLETING THEIR SEA TOUR, REQUEST THE FOLLOWING, AND EVERY EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO HONOR THESE REQUESTS:

A. ASSIGNMENT TO PREFERRED SEA DUTY, TYPE 5, (SHIPS THAT ARE NORMALLY NOT ABSENT FROM HOMEPORT).

B. ASSIGNMENT TO AN OVERSEAS AREA WHERE DEPENDENTS ARE AUTHORIZED WITHOUT ENTRY APPROVAL, OR IF ENTRY APPROVAL IS REQUIRED IS ACCEPTABLE TO THE APPLICANT.

C. ASSIGNMENT TO ANOTHER SEA UNIT (TYPE 2) OR NON-ROTATED SEA UNIT (TYPE 4) IF THE FIRST TWO OPTIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE.

4. THE FOLLOWING ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THIS ANNOUNCED POLICY:

A. THOSE SERVING ON OVERSEAS TOURED DUTY WHOSE PRD’S EXCEED THEIR PUBLISHED SEA TOUR.

B. THOSE SERVING IN HIGH PRIORITY BILLETS, SUCH AS IN NUCLEAR SUBMARINES OR OTHER SENSITIVE SPECIALTIES, WHOSE SERVICES CANNOT BE SPARED.

C. PERSONNEL WHO WANT TO REMAIN ON SEA DUTY MAY REQUEST IT UNDER REFERENCE A.

5. IT IS DIRECTED THAT ALL COMMANDS GIVE THE CONTENTS OF THIS Z-NAVOP WIDE AND IMMEDIATE DISSEMINATION. E. R. ZUMWALT, JR., ADMIRAL, U.S. NAVY, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.

BT

__________

ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS:
CONUS: continental United States
FBM: fleet ballistic missile
NEC: Navy enlisted classification (code)
PO: petty officer
PRD: projected rotation date
RVN: Republic of Vietnam

[END]
Published: Mon Sep 26 07:03:50 EDT 2016