FY10 SRB REWARDS CRITICAL SKILLS AND TOP PERFORMANCE

FY10 SRB Rewards Critical Skills and Top Performance
Story Number: NNS090831-12
Release Date: 8/31/2009 2:20:00 PM

From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) award levels were announced in NAVADMIN 250/09 for active duty and Reserve full time support Sailors which are scheduled to take effect Oct. 1.

Approximately 18,000 Sailors holding 179 critical skills will be eligible to reenlist with SRB awards up to $90,000 next year.

"We value Sailors with certain skill sets - critical skill sets - and recognize that they are in high demand throughout the workforce," said Rear Adm. Dan Holloway, director of personnel plans and policy. "The SRB program allows Navy to provide top performing Sailors with an additional incentive to stay Navy and advance mission success and their careers."

In addition to announcing SRB award levels, the NAVADMIN introduces enhancements designed to not only retain personnel with critical skills, but to reward top performers within those critical skill sets.

For the first time, Sailors who receive an "early promote" rating on their most recent regular evaluation may reenlist early for SRB anytime during the fiscal year (FY) of their end of active obligated service (EAOS).

"When a Sailor says, 'I've been recognized as a top performer, I want to reenlist for a bonus, but I'm not eligible until the third or fourth quarter; isn't there an option for me?' Now our answer is, 'yes,'" said Holloway.

In addition, three tiers, have been established to formally prioritize and rank enlisted ratings/skills according to replacement costs, difficulty to replace, and existing manning shortfalls.

Enlisted community managers evaluated each skill and zone on individual manning requirements; how well reenlistment goals were achieved in FY09; prevailing market conditions; private sector competition and the costs of training; and replacing skilled Sailors. A comprehensive comparison using these criteria was balanced against the risk of not retaining enough Sailors in each skill in order to form the baseline of the three tier system.

Each tier contains a range of SRB award multiples and awards early reenlistment opportunities using different criteria. The SRB program as a whole also maintains several previous initiatives such as authorizing Sailors serving in combat zones to reenlist early at anytime during the FY of their EAOS.

Officials remind Sailors that SRB is a market-based incentive and will be monitored and strategically adjusted as retention needs dictate.

"We are going to continue to monitor the program closely next year to enhance our ability to size, shape and stabilize the force and ensure taxpayer dollars go where critical skills are needed to get the most bang for our buck," said Holloway.