The following is a Sept. 29, 2016 NAVADMIN message outlining planned changes to the Navy’s enlisted personnel system obtained by USNI News. A previous version of this post featured a draft version of the message.
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RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN announces the first phase of a multi-
year implementation effort to transform current Navy Enlisted
Career Management processes.
2. This modernization effort is the result of a review of
Navy rating titles completed this year by the Master Chief
Petty Officer of the Navy and his leadership mess. As a
result, the Secretary of the Navy announced that the Navy will
develop a new approach to enlisted ratings that provides
greater detailing flexibility, training and credentialing
opportunities, and ultimately translates Navy occupations more
clearly to the American public. The intent is to transform
our enlisted personnel business processes to maximize talent
management and career flexibility, while arming our Sailors
with superior training and widely recognized credentials that
will convey to the civilian workforce.
3. Navy will move from Rating Titles to alpha-numeric Navy
Occupational Specialty (NOS) codes. This change is a first
step on the way to providing Sailors the opportunity to move
back and forth between occupations. This change represents a
significant cultural shift and it is recognized that it will
not happen overnight, but will take time to become fully
implemented.
4. Effective immediately, enlisted Navy Sailors will be
addressed by rank vice by rating. E1 through E3 Sailors will
be addressed as “Seaman,” E4 through E6 will be called “Petty
Officer Third/Second/First Class” as appropriate and senior
enlisted paygrades of E7 through E9 will be called “Chief,
Senior Chief, or Master Chief” depending on their paygrade.
For example, a Sailor will no longer be called YN2. Instead,
he or she will be called a “Second Class Petty Officer,” or
simply “Petty Officer.” There will no longer be a distinction
between “Airman, Fireman, and Seaman.” They will all be
“Seamen.” As we move toward a Navy where Sailors may hold
multiple occupations, rating titles will no longer be
applicable. Addressing our Sailors by rank also brings us
more in line with the other services.
5. NOS codes will be grouped under logical and broader career
fields. These career fields will enable flexibility to move
between occupational specialties within career fields and they
will be tied to appropriate training and qualifications. Each
NOS will be matched with similar civilian occupations to
enable the Navy to identify credentials and certifications
recognized and valued within the civilian workforce. The Navy
will aggressively pursue opportunities for Sailors to earn
credentials recognized and held by their civilian counterparts
and incorporate those credentials into Sailors professional
development.
6. A working group was formed in July to identify personnel
policies, management programs, and information technology
systems that may require modification to support this effort.
The working group has developed recommendations and a plan of
action and milestones to fully implement the transformation to
NOS. Changes to personnel management processes, policies,
programs and systems will proceed in deliberate and thoughtful
phases that will enable transitions that are seamless and
largely transparent to the fleet. Fleet involvement and
feedback will be solicited during each phase of the
transformation. All aspects of enlisted force management to
include recruiting, detailing, advancements, training, and
personnel and pay processes are being carefully considered as
we move forward.
7. This change is one step in a larger effort to modernize
our personnel systems, and will benefit all Sailors with
greater career flexibility while in the Navy and after they
depart the Service.
8. Released by Vice Admiral R. P. Burke, N1.//
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