December 11, 2015 — WASHINGTON (NNS) — NAVADMIN 285/15 released Dec. 10 announces significant changes to the nuclear enlisted sea shore flow (SSF) policy.
This policy change was designed to enhance the quality of service for Sailors while ensuring Fleet and ashore manning supports the Navy’s and the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program’s mission requirements. It also increases the opportunity for Sailors to obtain a supervisory Navy enlisted classification (NEC) code.
These changes were made after gathering feedback from the fleet and conducting a comprehensive review of the nuclear enlisted SSF policy and the instruction that governs NEC codes for nuclear propulsion plant Sailors.
Major changes announced in NAVADMIN 285/15 include:
* Decreases the first sea tour from 54 months to 48 months (40 months for Sailors who complete a junior staff instructor (JSI) tour at a nuclear power training unit).
* Changes the second sea tour one year after the release of NAVADMIN xx/15 to 40 months for all enlisted pay grades. For the first year, the second sea tour will be reduced to 48 months. All remaining sea tours will be 40 months in length for all pay grades.
* Increases the nominal shore duty tour length from 36 months to 40 months to line up with required training and qualification times (e.g., nuclear instructor duty and radiological control technician assignments). Shore duty tours that do not require additional nuclear qualification and training time will remain 36 months in length.
* Implements two “career milestone gates” which serve as a distribution mechanism to facilitate Sailors rotating back to the second and third sea duty periods at the correct time in their career, to help ensure the requisite knowledge and experience is gained over a 20-plus year career. The first gate will be at 10 years of active-duty service (a Sailor should start their second sea tour prior to this gate) and the second gate will be at 17 years of active-duty service (a Sailor should start their third sea tour prior to this gate). Sailors commencing their tours after the corresponding gates will be managed on a case basis.
* The requirement to earn a supervisory Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) is reduced from six years of active-duty service to four years of active-duty service. This allows our Sailors opportunity to earn a supervisory NEC during their first sea tour under the new SSF. It will also provide commanding officers and reactor officers more flexibility for awarding this NEC, which will result in increased pay ($2,700 per year raise) for Sailors with the requisite supervisory skill sets.