Welcome to the Great Place to Serve Initiative Website
“The goal I have set is to be recognized as one of the top 50 employers or places to work in the United States”
- ADM Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations 2007-2011
CNO’s tenets are clear: Warfighting First, Operate Forward, and Be Ready. To successfully execute these priorities, Navy must continue to offer world-class training and education opportunities, competitive pay, and recognition for contributions to the Navy’s mission.
The Great Place to Serve initiative seeks to enhance the awareness of Sailors and their families of the mission and benefits that make our Navy, not only a Global Force for Good, but a “Great Place to Serve.”
To ensure we recruit and retain top talent, all leaders must reemphasize not just initiatives cited for recognition but also all the benefits and programs which provide daily support to our Sailors and their families. Ultimately, it is the cumulative effect of all we provide the Navy family that makes the Navy a “Great Place to Serve.”
Highlight of the Month:
Navy’s Operational Fitness and Fueling Series (NOFFS) was recently selected to receive an ASTD Excellence in Practice citation in the Performance Improvement category. The ASTD Excellence in Practice award program recognizes results achieved through the use of practices and solutions from the entire scope of workplace learning and performance.
NOFFS contributes to achieving the goals of strengthening PRT requirements and providing better nutrition options through its physical fitness training and nutritional plans including recipes and commissary shopping lists. NOFFS uses the latest sports science methodologies, combining both human performance and injury prevention strategies, resulting in safer training which yields positive Sailor performance outcomes. NOFFS uses exercises designed to replicate the activities Sailors conduct in their operational duties: lifting, pushing, pulling, and carrying. A complete fitness package, NOFFS also provides Sailors with the tools required to make healthy nutrition choices in both shore-based and operational environments.
Education:
Tuition Assistance (TA) provides active duty personnel funding for tuition costs for courses taken in an off-duty status at a college, university or vocational/technical institution, whose regional or national accreditation is recognized by the Department of Education. Navy TA pays for both classroom and independent study/distance learning courses, regardless of course length. Courses must be offered in semester or quarter hours. The credit earned must show on the institution's transcript. Navy TA pays tuition and fees charged by educational institutions for course enrollments up front. Navy pays 100% of tuition costs for high school or equivalent, college, and vocational training that leads to a degree or certificate. TA will be limited to 16 semester hours, or 24 quarter hours, or 240 clock hours per fiscal year. Both credit and clock hours can be funded by TA; however, the combined total cost for an individual Sailor cannot exceed the maximum allowable annual TA caps.
Sailor and Family Support:
Career Intermission Pilot Program (CIPP), recently extended through 2015, provides a one-time temporary transition from active duty to the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) for service members to pursue personal or professional growth outside the Service while providing a mechanism for their seamless return to active duty. The program allows approximately 20 officers and 20 enlisted per year the ability to transfer out of the AC and into the Individual Ready Reserve for up to 3 years. Participants retain their full medical/dental benefits for themselves and their dependents, as well as NEX/Commissary benefits. Participants will also receive a small reserve stipend equal to two times 1/30th of their basic pay.
