ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE ROUTINE R 152111Z OCT 02 ZYB MIN PSN 339864J33 FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// TO NAVADMIN INFO DFAS CLEVELAND OH//JJJ// DFAS CLEVELAND OH//JJJ// UNCLAS //N07220// NAVADMIN 0346/02 MSGID/GENADMIN/N1// SUBJ/INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION PAY FOR HIGH YEAR TENURE// REF/A/DOC/TITLE 10 USC SECTION 1174/02JAN2001// REF/B/INST/DOD 1332.29/23FEB1996// REF/C/INST/SECNAV 1900.7G/30JUL1991// REF/D/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/290405ZFEB1996// REF/E/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/081623ZJUL2002// NARR/REF A IS THE LAW REGARDING SEPARATION PAY UPON INVOLUNTARY DISCHARGE OR RELEASE FROM ACTIVE DUTY. REF B IS DODINST REGARDING ELIGIBILITY OF REGULAR AND RESERVE PERSONNEL FOR SEPARATION PAY. REF C IS SECNAVINST REGARDING SEPARATION PAY FOR INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION FROM ACTIVE DUTY. REF D IS NAVADMIN 049/96. REF E IS NAVADMIN 208/02.// RMKS/1. THIS NAVADMIN CLARIFIES/AUGMENTS INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION PAY (INVOL SEP PAY) POLICIES CONTAINED IN REFS A THROUGH D WITH RESPECT TO ITS PAYMENT TO MEMBERS AFFECTED BY HIGH YEAR TENURE (HYT) ADJUSTMENTS ANNOUNCED IN REF E. 2. IAW REFS A THROUGH D, FULL INVOL SEP PAY MAY BE PAID TO MEMBERS WHO MEET INVOL SEP PAY ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, ARE IN ALL OTHER RESPECTS RETENTION/ADVANCEMENT ELIGIBLE, AND ARE INVOLUNTARILY SEPARATED DUE TO REACHING HYT LIMITS. REF E RETURNED TO TRADITIONAL HYT LIMITS FOR SOME PERSONNEL AND PROVIDED FOR A TRANSITION PERIOD SUCH THAT AFFECTED MEMBERS WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO SEPARATE OR TRANSFER TO THE FLEET RESERVE PRIOR TO 30 SEP 03. 3. THIS NAVADMIN IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. IT PROVIDES ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE THAT AUGMENTS REFS A THROUGH D AND IS APPLICABLE ONLY DURING THE CURRENT HYT TRANSITION PERIOD (8 JUL 02 - 30 SEP 03). FURTHER, THE GUIDANCE CONTAINED BELOW APPLIES ONLY TO E4 PERSONNEL AFFECTED BY THE NEW HYT LIMITS STATED IN REF E. SINCE HYT LIMITS FOR E3 AND E5 PERSONNEL HAVE NOT BEEN ADJUSTED BY REF E, AND SINCE E6 PERSONNEL WHO REACH NEW HYT LIMITS WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR INVOL SEP PAY (BY LAW INVOL SEP PAY CANNOT BE PAID TO A MEMBER WHO HAS 20 OR MORE YEARS OF SERVICE), ADDITIONAL POLICY GUIDANCE REGARDING PERSONNEL IN THESE PAY GRADES IS NOT NECESSARY. EXCEPT AS NOTED IN THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS, INVOL SEP PAY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES CONTAINED IN REFS A THROUGH D REMAIN IN EFFECT. A. E4 PERSONNEL WHO REACH HYT LIMITS AND WHO MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY FOR INVOL SEP PAY (AS MODIFIED BY PARA 3B BELOW) MAY BE PAID FULL INVOL SEP PAY EVEN IF THEY OPT TO SEPARATE PRIOR TO 30 SEP 03. OPTING TO SEPARATE PRIOR TO THE END OF THE TRANSITION PERIOD (BUT NOT BEFORE REACHING THE APPLICABLE HYT LIMIT) DOES NOT CHANGE THE INVOLUNTARY NATURE OF THE SEPARATION AND THEREFORE DOES NOT, IN AND OF ITSELF, DISQUALIFY A MEMBER FROM RECEIVING INVOL SEP PAY. B. REF C STATES THAT MEMBERS WHO ARE SEPARATED BECAUSE THEY REACH HYT LIMITS MUST HAVE PASSED THE MOST RECENT ADVANCEMENT EXAM PRIOR TO THE DATE OF SEPARATION. IT FURTHER STATES THAT FAILURE TO EXTEND ON ACTIVE DUTY (FOR UP TO FOUR MONTHS) TO AWAIT ADVANCEMENT RESULTS WILL DISQUALIFY A MEMBER FROM RECEIVING INVOL SEP PAY. THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE HEREBY WAIVED WRT E4 PERSONNEL SEPARATED DUE TO REACHING HYT LIMITS DURING THE CURRENT HYT TRANSITION PERIOD. IN CASES WHERE AN E4 AT HYT LIMITS IS TO BE SEPARATED BEFORE RESULTS OF THE MOST RECENT EXAM HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED, IT IS NOT REQUIRED THAT THE MEMBER BE EXTENDED TO AWAIT RESULTS. IN SUCH CASES, THE PRIOR EXAM RESULTS WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE IF THE MEMBER HAS MET THE REQUIREMENT TO BE ADVANCEMENT ELIGIBLE IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR INVOL SEP PAY. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE MEMBER IS TO BE SEPARATED ON 30 NOV 02 AND PARTICIPATED IN THE SEP 02 EXAM CYCLE, THE MEMBER IS NOT REQUIRED TO EXTEND TO 30 JAN 03 TO AWAIT SEP 02 RESULTS. IN THIS EXAMPLE, THE RESULTS OF THE MAR 02 WOULD BE USED TO DETERMINE IF THE MEMBER IS ADVANCEMENT ELIGIBLE. 4. COMMANDING OFFICERS REMAIN AUTHORIZED TO EXTEND AN E4 SERVICE MEMBER AT HYT LIMITS ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR UP TO FOUR MONTHS TO AWAIT EXAM RESULTS (EXTENSIONS OF THESE MEMBERS BEYOND 30 SEP 03 IS NOT AUTHORIZED), IF THE MEMBER REQUESTS TO DO SO. ADDITIONALLY, THIS NAVADMIN IS NOT INTENDED TO LIMIT, IN ANY WAY, THE TRANSITION PERIOD AUTHORIZED BY REF E. 5. IAW REF E, THIS NAVADMIN IS CANCELLED ON 30 SEP 03. 6. INVOL SEP PAY POLICY QUESTIONS MAY BE REFERRED TO LT BRYANT AT (703)695-3304/DSN 225 OR E-MAIL N130C4@BUPERS.NAVY.MIL. REFER TO REF E FOR POC'S REGARDING HYT POLICY AND PROCEDURES. 7. RELEASED BY VADM G. L. HOEWING, N1.// BT