24TH Annual

Navy Counselor Association Symposium

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Are there any plans to expand eligibility for Sea Duty Incentive Pay (SDIP)?

Answer: SDIP is a special incentive pay used to encourage enlisted members in sea-intensive ratings to extend their assignment at sea or curtail a shore assignment to return to sea prior to their rotation date. The intent of the SDIP is to increase assignment flexibility to support a more sea-centric force by incentivizing Sailors to voluntarily fill gapped billets at sea.

SDIP is offered to pay grades E-5 through E-9 in numerous ratings. Eligible skills are evaluated quarterly by the Distribution Incentive Board (DIB), made up of members from FFC, PACFLT, BUPERS-3, OPNAV N130, and PERS-4. There have been eleven program updates in the five years since program inception with both additions and deletions of eligible billets occurring at each update. The last program update was approved on 19 October. A current list of SDIP eligible ratings/paygrades can be found at:

  1. How does a Sailor obtain Sea Duty Incentive Pay during the negotiating process?

Answer: Eligibility to receive this incentive is not automatic. SDIP eligible Sailors must submit their SDIP requests to their specific Rating Detailer using a NAVPERS 1306/7, with command endorsement, via BUPERS On-line or hardcopy. Applications for SDIP-E (Extension-extend on board the current sea command past the Prescribed Seat Tour) must be submitted at least 10-12 months prior to their current projected rotation date. Applications for SDIP-C (Curtailment-Sailors serving on shore duty having completed 24 months ashore, volunteers to return to sea early) must be submitted at least three months prior to their requested date of early departure. The request must state that you are requesting to extend at-sea or curtailing shore duty for a specific period of time, i.e., 6 months, 18 months, 24 months, etc., for SDIP benefits.

Sailors and career counselors are highly encouraged to visit the Navy Personnel Command website at: for a list of current eligible ratings, SDIP policy, guidelines, points of contact, and program updates.

  1. Regarding Limited Duty, the process is long and cumbersome. Are there any initiatives to improve the process?

Answer: Limited Duty (LIMDU), also known as Temporary Limited Duty (TLD) is the assignment of a member in a Limited Duty status due to a medical issue for a specified time. Recently, CNP chartered a working group established to analyze gaps in the LIMDU process, propose solutions for desired outcomes, improvethe quality of care for our injured or ill Sailors and to drive efficiency in the LIMDU process to limit fleet manning gaps.

  1. Will Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA) be offered to Sailors with over 15 years of service?

Answer: TERA is a discretionary authority, not an entitlement. It is a temporary, voluntary program that we use, upon approval by SECNAV, as part of a comprehensive Force Management Strategy to help shape our force. There are currently no plans to offer TERA.

  1. Are there any more Enlisted Review Boards (ERB) planned?

Answer: We have worked to stabilize the size of the Force over the past few years, while at the same time ensuring that we have the right mix of Sailors in each individual rating. There are no plans to conduct future ERBs. Balance across ratings in the Enlisted Force has improved significantly.

  1. As a Sailor with the Sub Force, the various policies and programs are not often received in a timely manner. Are there any plans to enhance communication to Submariners?

Answer: We recognize the importance of effective communications and have made tremendous strides to establish and maintain direct lines of communication with the various stakeholders. In addition to message traffic on policy changes, the nuclear enlisted policydirectorates and the Submarine Type Commanders haveopened upcommunications with several initiatives that include:

  • Monthly Force Nuclear Power Newsletters provide direct communications updates from the Fleet leadership to the squadrons and boats
  • Semi-annual Force Engineering Department Master Chief (EDMC) working groups provide dialogue and communications products from policy developers to Fleet leadership
  • Semi-annual Navy Manning Plan Working Group provides community updates to Fleet leadership including Type Commanders and Detailers who conduct waterfront visits and briefs.
  1. Will there be a Military Personnel Manual (MPM) article that covers Rating Entry General Apprentice (REGA)?

Answer: A proposed MPM article has been developed and is in routing to be released in the near future.

  1. With the new distribution initiatives and changes to CMS/ID, Sailor choice has decreased. How can Sailors maximize their order negotiations?

Answer: The primary impact of the recent distribution changes is to generate detailing decisions earlier in the negotiation window and narrow the focus to Fleet priority billets. The changes are consistent with the way many enlisted Sailors (nuclear trained, SPECWAR, etc.) are already detailed and reflects our requirement to fill priority billets with qualified candidates.

Sailors are encouraged touse all five of their applications each month and indicate which jobs/locations they desire most,instead of using all of their applications to select one command or location. Sailors should consider all of their alternatives to increase their chances for assignment to a desired billet. Additionally, some Sailors may want to consider the Voluntary Sea Duty Program (VSDP) for geographic choice or stability. VSDP offers Sailors the opportunity to negotiate with their detailers before they enter the CMS/ID window.

  1. In choosing or being selected for a particular billet, can Sailors still be assigned one paygrade up or one paygrade down?

Answer: Yes, paygradesubstitutions (paysubs) are considered when assigning anddistributing Sailors. However, it is not automatic and is dependent onmanning criteria set forth by the Manning Control Authorities (MCAs), whichinclude: the type of billet and its take-up month and the paygrade of the Sailorand their particular NEC or specialized training. If a Sailor is beingconsidered for a paysub, Detailers must submit that requestto the Personnel Readiness Division (formerly, the Enlisted PlacementManagement Center) PERS-4013. PERS-4013 analyzes the billet file of thecommand being considered for the paysub and the Sailorspecifics of paygrade and the Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) held. After that analysis, they can approve any paysub for E1-6 detailed to aCONUS command. For E6 or below into E7-9 billets all FDNF paysubs, PERS4013 will interface directly with the command and MCA's for their approval or disapproval. The Sailor being considered for the paysub is then notified by the Detailer.

  1. For the Delayed Affiliation Program (DAP), are Sailors automatically qualified to receive Transition Assistance Management Program (TAMP) benefits?

Answer: Sailors who utilize this program will not receive TAMP benefits. Additional TAMP information can be found at

  1. What benefits are DAP Sailors eligible for while they are in the IRR?

Answer: DAP Sailors are eligible for Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (Variable Training Unit) or Veterans' Group Life Insurance (Variable Participation Unit) eligibility; access to Commissary and Navy Exchange; access to Morale, Welfare and Recreation revenue generating facilities; a Common Access Card (CAC) and CAC reader; a Navy and Marine Corps Intranet account; access to the Navy Reserve Homeport website, and an annual medical assessment to include vaccinations. Sailors involuntarily separated from active duty may be eligible for 180 days of transitional health care benefits under the Transition Assistance Management Program (TAMP). Sailors who separate from AC/FTS voluntarily and delay their SELRES affiliation do not qualify for TAMP health care benefits, unless they are otherwise eligible under U.S. Code Title 10, section 1145. The Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) is the official system of record for benefits eligibility. Additional TAMP information can be found at

  1. Perform to Serve (PTS) questions:

Question: Currently commands can only see available quotas for the current month. Are there plans to expand visibilityfor PTS quota opportunity for future months?

Answer: The ability to view quotas for at least three months (current month plus two future months) at a time is being developed. When available a link to the Perform To Serve (PTS) Quota Table will be available on the Fleet RIDE website. The specific implementation date has not yet been determined.

Question: Can the Navy Enlisted Classifications (NEC) be moved up to take greater priority in the PTS algorithm?

Response: The PTS algorithm currently in use was developed in collaboration with the Fleet. Our Force Management Executive Steering Committee (ESC) is chartered with evaluating possible improvements to various Total Force Management Tools, including Perform to Serve (PTS). Recommend engaging your chain of command through United States Fleet Forces Command (USFF)/United States Pacific Command (USPC) to propose changes to the PTS algorithm.

Question: Will the process for revoking a quota for a Short Term Extension (STE) be changed?

Answer: When Sailors choose to extend rather than reenlist, their quota is “revoked” to that it can be given to someone else. If the Sailor decides they want to reenlist in the future, they must re-compete in PTS for a quota. There are no plans to change this policy. However, there has been a recent change in the process for corporate system updates. In the past the Enlisted Master File (EMF) had a trigger that would blank-out a PTS status code, when a STE went operative, this would update Personnel Online Listing (POLL) with a blank that appeared as if the quota was revoked (i.e. Expiration of Active Obligated Service) now matches Soft Expiration of Active Obligated Service (SEAOS). The trigger has been removed from the EMF; this should not be a problem in the future. If Fleet RIDE still has a status code of “Approved” and POLL shows no status, the Command Career Counselor should contact the Enlisted Community Manager to reinstate the quota into the EMF, which will update POLL. This will be done by the PTS Help Desk.

Question: Are there any plans to compare Sailors across several YG in the same algorithm (rack and stack)?

Answer: The PTS algorithm currently in use was developed in collaboration with the Fleet. Our Force Management Executive Steering Committee (ESC) is chartered with evaluating possible improvements to various Total Force Management Tools, including Perform to Serve (PTS). Recommend engaging your chain-of-command through either the United State Fleet Forces Command (USFF) or United States Pacific Command (USPC) to propose changes to the PTS algorithm.

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