PASS TO OFFICE CODES: FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// TO NAVADMIN UNCLAS //N07220// NAVADMIN 027/05 R 081528Z FEB 05 MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/-/FEB// SUBJ/NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS// GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. AS A PART OF THE HUMAN CAPITAL STRATEGY THAT SEEKS TO RETAIN HIGH-QUALITY SAILORS, THE NAVY HAS EXTENDED THE CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS TO ELIGIBLE SENIOR ENLISTED AND CHIEF WARRANT OFFICERS IN THE NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE COMMUNITY, EFFECTIVE 1 JANUARY 2005. THIS INCREASE IS PART OF AN OVERARCHING PLAN TO COMPENSATE MEMBERS OF THE SPECIAL WARFARE FORCES FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION AND SACRIFICE WHILE IN DIRECT COMBAT SUPPORT OF THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM. 2. PROGRAM OVERVIEW: THIS BONUS IS AUTHORIZED UNDER 37 U.S.C. 323. SPECIFIC CRITICAL NAVY ENLISTED CLASSIFICATIONS AND APPROVED AWARD LEVELS HAVE BEEN PRESCRIBED BY THE OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF DEFENSE. CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS (N131H) WILL ACT AS THE NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS PROGRAM MANAGER UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. ALL APPLICATIONS FOR THIS BONUS WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR PROCESSING AND TRACKING. A CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS DESIGNATED SERVICE MEMBER WHO HAS REENLISTED BEFORE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS PROGRAM WILL COMPLETE THE TERM OF THEIR EXISTING CONTRACT BEFORE BECOMING ELIGIBLE TO REQUEST A CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS. ELIGIBLE SERVICE MEMBERS WHO REENLISTED BETWEEN 1 JANUARY 2005 AND THE DATE OF THIS NAVADMIN, AND REQUESTED A BONUS, SHOULD CONTACT THE PROGRAM MANAGER. 3. PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY AND TERM LENGTHS: A. THE NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS IS AVAILABLE TO ELIGIBLE ACTIVE DUTY PERSONNEL WITH 19 TO 24 YEARS OF SERVICE. THE BONUS CANNOT BE PAID BEYOND COMPLETION OF 25 YEARS ACTIVE SERVICE. PER THE LAW, A MEMBER MAY RECEIVE NO MORE THAN $200,000 IN CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS/CONTINUATION BONUS MONIES OVER A CAREER. THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAS WAIVED THE REQUIREMENT TO COUNT SELECTIVE REENLISTMENT BONUS TOWARD THIS TOTAL CAP. B. TO RECEIVE THE NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS ENLISTED MEMBERS SHALL ENTER INTO A REENLISTMENT CONTRACT AND CHIEF WARRANT OFFICERS SHALL ENTER INTO AN ACTIVE SERVICE OBLIGATION AGREEMENT AS OUTLINED BELOW: (1) NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE ENLISTED MEMBERS WITH NAVY ENLISTED CLASSIFICATIONS 5326, 5323, 8491, 8492, 5352 IN PAYGRADES E6 AND ABOVE, AND CHIEF WARRANT OFFICERS WITH DESIGNATORS 7151 AND 7171, WHO HAVE COMPLETED AT LEAST 19 YEARS OF SERVICE SHALL BE OFFERED THE CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS. THE MINIMUM LENGTH OF ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE AGGREEMENT TO QUALIFY FOR A CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS WILL BE 2 YEARS, AND IT WILL NOT EXTEND THE MEMBER'S SERVICE BEYOND COMPLETION OF 25 YEARS. AS AN EXCEPTION TO THE MINIMUM 2-YEAR CONTRACT, MEMBERS WITH 24 YEARS OF SERVICE MAY BE OFFERED A 1-YEAR CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS CONTRACT. CONTRACTS OF LESS THAN 1-YEAR CAN NOT BE PRO-RATED. (2) THE NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS TERMS AND AMOUNTS ARE: YEARS OF SERVICE AGREEMENT CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS AMOUNT 6 $150,000 5 $75,000 4 $50,000 3 $30,000 2 $18,000 1 $8,000 (ONLY MEMBERS WITH 24 YEARS) (3) SERVICE MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE THE BONUS IN A LUMP SUM PAYMENT EFFECTIVE FROM THE DATE OF CONTRACT EXECUTION. (4) IF THE FINAL YEAR OF A 2-THROUGH SIX-YEAR NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS SERVICE AGREEMENT CANNOT BE COMPLETED BEFORE 25 YEARS OF SERVICE, THEN THE FINAL YEAR SHALL BE PAID AT A PRO-RATED AMOUNT FOR EVERY MONTH UP TO 25 YEARS OF SERVICE. C. CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS REQUESTS FOR PERSONNEL WHO ARE BEING PROCESSED FOR NAVY ENLISTED CLASSIFICATION REMOVAL OR RESTORATION WILL BE HELD IN ABEYANCE PENDING FINAL RESOLUTION. 4. APPLICATION PROCESS. ENLISTED CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS REQUESTS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED WITHIN 30-60 DAYS OF THE DESIRED REENLISTMENT DATE TO ENSURE TIMELY PROCESSING. MEMBERS WHO DESIRE TO REENLIST MORE THAN 60 DAYS BEFORE THEIR EXPIRATION OF ACTIVE OBLIGATED SERVICE MUST CONTACT THE PROGRAM MANAGER. CHIEF WARRANT OFFICERS SHOULD SUBMIT CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS AGREEMENTS WITHIN 30-60 DAYS OF COMPLETION OF 19 YEARS OF ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE OR AS SOON THEREAFTER. A. UNTIL THE OFFICER PERSONNEL INFORMATION SYSTEM FORMAN PROGRAM HAS BEEN UPDATED TO PROCESS THE TERMS OF THIS CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS, ALL REQUESTS MUST BE MANUALLY PROCESSED THROUGH THE PROGRAM MANAGER, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS (N131H). ALL ELIGIBLE PERSONNEL ARE REQUIRED TO EMAIL SCANNED COPIES OR FAX THE MEMBER S SIGNED APPLICATION FOR A CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS TO THE PROGRAM MANAGER UTILIZING THE BELOW FORMAT. ENLISTED MEMBERS MUST ATTACH A COPY OF THE COINCIDING REENLISTMENT CONTRACT TO THE BONUS APPLICATION. ENSURE REENLISTMENT TERM LENGTHS MATCH THE TERM LENGTHS OF THE BONUS REQUEST. BONUS CALCULATIONS WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE ADDITIONAL OBLIGATED SERVICE INCURRED UP TO 25 YEARS OF SERVICE. B. USE THE FOLLOWING APPLICATION FORMAT FOR THE NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE CRITICAL SKILL RETENTION BONUS: ****************************BEGIN FORMAT**************************** 7220 DATE FROM: (ELIGIBLE SERVICE MEMBER) TO: CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS (N131H) VIA: (CHAIN OF COMMAND) SUBJ: REQUEST FOR CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS REF: (A) 37 U.S.C. 323 (B) NAVADMIN XXX/XX 1. I HEREBY APPLY FOR THE CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS AUTHORIZED PER REFERENCE (A). I HAVE READ, UNDERSTAND, AND AGREE TO THE PROVISIONS OF REFERENCE (B), INCLUDING ALL PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE TERMINATION OF PAYMENTS TO BE MADE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH RECOUPMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT OF SUMS PAID IS REQUIRED. 2. I UNDERSTAND THAT RECOUPMENT OF THE UNEARNED PORTION OF THE CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS IS REQUIRED ON A PRO RATA BASIS IF I FAIL TO MAINTAIN ELIGIBILITY, OR FAIL TO COMPLETE THE FULL CONTRACTUAL PERIOD OF ADDITIONAL OBLIGATED MILITARY SERVICE EXCEPT FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: A. SEPARATION BY OPERATION OF LAWS OR BY OPERATION OF MILITARY SERVICE OR DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE POLICIES. B. DEATH OR DISABILITY THAT IS NOT THE RESULT OF MISCONDUCT, WILLFUL NEGLECT, AND NOT INCURRED DURING A PERIOD OF UNAUTHORIZED ABSENCE. 3. CONTINGENT UPON ACCEPTANCE OF MY APPLICATION FOR THIS SPECIAL BONUS, I AGREE NOT TO TENDER A RESIGNATION OR REQUEST RETIREMENT FOR A PERIOD OF (NOTE 1) YEARS BEYOND THE DATE OF ACCEPTANCE OF THIS REQUEST. I UNDERSTAND THAT, UPON ACCEPTANCE, THIS APPLICATION IS BINDING, AND THAT THEREUPON I SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE (NOTE 2) IN BONUS PAY AS DESCRIBED IN REFERENCE (B). (SIGNATURE)" ***************************END FORMAT******************************* NOTE 1: ENTER 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, OR 6. NOTE 2: ENTER RATE OF $8,000 FOR A ONE-YEAR CONTRACT; $18,000 FOR A TWO-YEAR CONTRACT; $30,000 FOR A THREE-YEAR CONTRACT; $50,000 FOR A FOUR-YEAR CONTRACT; $75,000 FOR A FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT; $150,000 FOR A SIX-YEAR CONTRACT. C. IF OPERATIONAL COMMITMENTS LIMIT THE ABILITY TO SUBMIT CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS APPLICATIONS VIA THIS MANNER, COMMANDS SHOULD SUBMIT REQUESTS THROUGH THEIR IMMEDIATE SUPERIOR IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, WHO CAN SUBMIT THE REQUEST TO THE PROGRAM MANAGER. D. CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS APPROVAL WILL NOT CURRENTLY UPDATE THE DEFENSE JOINT MILITARY PAY SYSTEM OF THE SAILOR'S INTENT TO REENLIST. UNTIL DEFENSE JOINT MILITARY PAY SYSTEM CAN BE PROGRAMMED TO ACCEPT CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS REENLISTMENT PAYMENTS, MANUAL PROCESSING IS REQUIRED. PAYMENT SHOULD POST TO THE MEMBER'S ACCOUNT BY THE SECOND PAY PERIOD FOLLOWING THE DAY THE CRITICAL SKILLS RETENTION BONUS PROGRAM MANAGER RECEIVES NOTIFICATION OF REENLISTMENT OR OBLIGATED SERVICE FOR CHIEF WARRANT OFFICERS. 5. POCS: - LCDR NIEDERBERGER AT KENNETH.NIEDERBERGER@NAVY.MIL - LCDR R. SMITH AT ROBERT.E.SMITH4@NAVY.MIL - MARGARETHE FULLER AT MARGARETHE.FULLER@NAVY.MIL OR (703)614-2673/8327/DSN 224 OR FAX (703)614-1189. 6. RELEASED BY VADM G. L. HOEWING, N1.// BT NNNN