2019 Personnel and Policy Changes

Whether you’re looking for your next billet, upcoming exam requirements or you’re curious if you can apply pay grades or just wondering about policy concerning family needs, this blog is for you.

We’re compiling personnel and policy announcements made during 2019 to help Sailors and their families find important career information.

Go to All Hands Magazine online for information on the Navy’s culture and heritage, and feature information for Sailors.

For your mobile phone and tablet, check out the latest editions of the Navy App Locker where you can find information on uniform regulations, education, fitness and more.

Click the categories below for announcements presented in reverse chronological order.

CAREER	CIVILIANS	EDUCATION
EXAMS	HEALTH	PERFORMANCE
RELOCATION	RESERVES	SPOUSES/FAMILY
TECH TOOLS	UNIFORMS

Follow this page for updates.

CAREER

Navy Announces FY20 Senior Enlisted Advancement-to-Position Selection Board

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) — Active duty senior enlisted Sailors looking for their next billet in a higher paygrade will soon have the opportunity to get a jump on the process thanks to the Advancement-to-Position (A2P) selection board, the Navy announced July 17. Read more on Navy.mil

Navy Accepts Continuous Applications for Enlisted Women in Submarines

WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Navy is now continuously accepting applications for female enlisted Sailors in pay grades E1-E8 to convert to Submarine Force non-nuclear trained ratings, as announced in NAVADMIN 159/19, July 15. Read more on Navy.mil

Do You Want to be a Career Recruiter?

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) — The Navy announced the convening of the Career Recruiter Force (CRF) selection board to allow select enlisted Sailors to serve as Navy recruiters in NAVADMIN 139/19, June 25. Read more on Navy.mil

Navy Launches Advancement-to-Position Program

WASHINGTON (NNS) — Navy announced the creation of a program with an advancement incentive to fill priority recruiter and recruit division commander (RDC) billets June 3, in NAVADMIN 122/19. Read more on Navy.mil

Meritorious Advancement Program Gains a Season, Quotas Increase

WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Navy released the calendar year (CY) 2019 Meritorious Advancement Program (MAP) plan, Feb. 8, in NAVADMIN 031/19, announcing the transition from one to two MAP seasons and increasing quotas in a continuing effort to empower command triads to recognize their most highly-talented Sailors through immediate advancement. Read more on Navy.mil

FY19-20 Tours with Industry Applicants Sought

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) — Navy announced Feb. 7 that select Sailors can apply to participate in the Secretary of the Navy Tours with Industry (SNTWI) program. Read more on Navy.mil

No Ordinary Day, Flag Writers Get the Job Done

There are speeches to write, naval correspondence on your desk to be edited and travel plans to be scheduled. Days are a balancing act between meticulously scheduled events and last-minute changes, but no day is ever the same as the one before. It’s a fast-paced environment at times, but you have what it takes. Why? Because you are a Navy flag writer. Read more on Navy.mil

CIVILIANS

U.S. Fleet Forces Command Kicks Off Navy Civilian Acculturation Program

NORFOLK (NNS) — The Chief of Navy Operations (CNO) announced the rollout of the Navy Civilian Acculturation Program (NCAP) in NAVADMIN 158/19 July 15, providing details of a new orientation program that is now available for newly hired civilians with no prior experience or background in the Navy. NCAP is designed to provide the Navy’s newest employees exposure and familiarization to naval culture to enable them to better integrate into the organization. Read more on Navy.mil

EDUCATION

Post-9/11 GI Bill Education Benefits Transfer Deadline Extended for Members with 16 Years of Service

WASHINGTON (NNS) — The deadline for Sailors who have over 16 years of service to transfer their Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits to dependents has been extended to Jan. 12, 2020 based on recently revised guidance issued by the Department of Defense (DoD). Read more on Navy.mil

Navy Implements Change to Education Program Announcements

WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Navy announced that education program information, application processes and deadlines will be announced through personalized notifications to eligible Sailors in NAVADMIN 106/19, May 10. Read more on Navy.mil

Department of the Navy Announces New Education Initiatives

WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Department of the Navy (DoN) released its Education for Seapower report Feb. 12, along with the Secretary of the Navy’s action memorandum providing the way forward for the new education initiatives for the department. Read more on Navy.mil

DoD Announces Post-9/11 GI Bill Education Benefits Transfer Exception

WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Department of Defense (DoD) has granted a temporary exception to policy to allow select service members to transfer their Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits to dependents until July 12, 2019. Read more on Navy.mil

EXAMS

More Ways to Complete Professional Military Knowledge Eligibility Exam

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) — Sailors eligible for advancement to paygrades E-4/5/6/7 can now complete their Professional Military Knowledge Eligibility Exam (PMK-EE) requirements anytime, anywhere in the world, through a self-service app announced in NAVADMIN 140/19, June 26. Read more on Navy.mil

Mobile App Lets Sailors Prepare for and Take Advancement Exams

WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Navy’s Professional Military Knowledge Eligibility Exam (PMK-EE) mobile application conveniently allows Sailors to prepare for and complete these exams, which they must pass to advance through the E4/5/6/7 paygrades. Read more on Navy.mil

Going Digital: MyNavy Portal Introduces Advancement Dashboard for Enlisted Sailors

WASHINGTON (NNS) — It just got a lot easier for Sailors preparing for the Navy-wide Advancement Exam (NWAE) with the roll-out of the Advancement Dashboard on MyNavy Portal (MNP), March 8. Read more on Navy.mil

HEALTH

Navy Announces Expansion of Urinalysis Testing Program

WASHINGTON (NNS) — Navy announced that the Department of Defense has expanded its ability to conduct random drug testing for manufactured opiate drugs June 3, in NAVADMIN 125/19. Read more on Navy.mil

Navy Announces Universal Training Precautions for Physical Exercise

WASHINGTON (NNS) — Navy released NAVADMIN 108/19, May 10, alerting Sailors and command leadership of the importance of universal training precautions (UTP) to reduce the risk of exercise-related collapse and death during physical exercise, to include the Physical Readiness Test (PRT) and command physical training. Read more on Navy.mil

Navy Updates Medical Waiver Process

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (NNS) — U.S. Navy surgeon general Vice Adm. Forrest Faison, on behalf of the Department of the Navy (DoN), instituted a new policy regarding the medical waiver process. The changes were officially signed Feb. 15, and impacts all applicants, with greater emphasis on enlisted to officer commissioning programs. Read more on Navy.mil

PERFORMANCE

June 2019 SRB and Pay for Performance Pilot Update Announced

WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Navy updated the Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) award plan for Active Component and Full Time Support Sailors and announced the continuation of an incentivized performance program in NAVADMIN 129/19, released June 11. Read more on Navy.mil

Enlisted Supervisor Retention Pay Update Announced

WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Navy updated Enlisted Supervisor Retention Pay (ESRP) award levels for senior active-duty nuclear-trained Sailors in NAVADMIN 085/19, released April 8. Read more on Navy.mil

RELOCATION

Navy Modernizing PCS Move Process

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) — Continuing efforts to improve the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) experience for Sailors and their families, the Navy is launching the MyPCS Mobile app July 17. Read more on Navy.mil

Navy Announces Spouse Licensure and Certification Reimbursement Policy

WASHINGTON (NNS) — As part of ongoing Navy Family Framework efforts to expand and improve the experience for spouses, Navy announced Sailors may be reimbursed up to 500 dollars for state licensure and certification costs of a spouse arising from relocation to another state due to a permanent change of station (PCS) move in NAVADMIN 134/19, June 24. Read more on Navy.mil

RESERVES

Navy Updates Mobilization Deferment Policy for Selected Reserve Affiliation

WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Navy announced updates to the mobilization deferment policy for Sailors and veterans of other military services who choose to affiliate with the Selected Reserve (SELRES) in NAVADMIN 145/19, July 1. Read more on Navy.mil

SPOUSES/FAMILY

Navy Announces Spouse Licensure and Certification Reimbursement Policy

Service Secretaries Tackle Employment Challenges for Overseas Spouses

WASHINGTON (NNS) — All three military service secretaries signed a memorandum today to jointly explore how military spouses can find employment and sustain careers at overseas bases. Read more on Navy.mil

MyNavy Family App Focuses on Stronger Families and Fleet

WASHINGTON (NNS) — Navy families navigating military life can now find support by downloading the MyNavy Family application which was released in the days leading up to Military Spouse Appreciation Day, May 10. The free app can be found in the Navy App Locker, https://applocker.navy.mil. Read more on Navy.mil

TECH TOOLS

New Uniform Mobile App Has New Name, Guidance

ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) — One of the more popular mobile applications the Navy has is the OPNAV Uniform Regulations app released in October 2017. Just like your worn out uniforms, the app needed updated. With a new name and more information, the OPNAV Uniform Regulations is now MyNavy UNIFORMS which hit app stores, July 18. Read more on Navy.mil

MyNavy Family App Offers One-Stop Shop for Various Needs

WASHINGTON (NNS) — From military installation searches to special family needs, relocation and retirement, the MyNavy Family mobile application is a one-stop shop for Navy spouses and Sailors’ families, combining official information from more than 22 websites. Read more on Navy.mil

Navy Announces Officer Photo Electronic Submission Capability

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) — Officers now have another way to submit their official photographs to their Official Military Personnel File (OMPF), Navy leaders said May 13. Read more on Navy.mil

CONUS Sailors Have New Leave Scheduling Tool

WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Navy launched an “eLeave” self-service tool capability within MyNavy Portal (MNP) Jan. 17, which allows CONUS-based Sailors to manage their ordinary leave using MNP. Read more on Navy.mil

UNIFORMS

New Uniform Mobile App Has New Name, New Guidance

Navy Uniform Policy Update Announced

WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Navy announced updates to uniform policy, grooming standards, uniform item availability and mandatory possession dates for new uniform items in NAVADMIN 075/19, released March 25. Read more on Navy.mil