Decreased Funding Reduces Orders Timeline
By DoD News
Citing the impact of reduced funding, Navy announced Feb. 8 that Sailors should expect to receive orders with shorter lead times and based on operational priority.
NAVADMIN 049/11 informed the Fleet of the impact to permanent change of station (PCS) orders while operating under a continuing resolution (CR), which is a Congressional budget authorization that allows for continuous normal operations while a final budget is approved.
“Due to the way resources are phased and allocated under a CR, Navy currently does not have sufficient funds in our manpower accounts to allow for normal lead times for Sailors to receive PCS orders,” explained Vice Adm. Mark Ferguson, chief of naval personnel. “The measures we are taking are absolutely necessary in order to remain within budget. Our goal remains to mitigate the impact to Sailors and their families as funds become available.”
Navy Personnel Command’s (NPC) ability to release approximately 10,000 orders at the end of fiscal year 2010 minimized the impact of the CR until now. To date, NPC has received 40% less funding than planned and is currently releasing priority orders for members with detachment dates between February and May 2011. Sailors detaching in the next few months who have not yet received orders will likely have less than two months lead time when the orders are released.
Navy has utilized this prioritization strategy in previous PCS funding-constrained periods with the intent to minimize impact to Fleet readiness, career timing, and families. Emphasis will remain on global support assignment rotations, career milestone billets, critical readiness fills, minimizing gaps at sea for deployed units and those working up to deploy, and keeping the training pipelines moving.
Anticipating a heavy volume of Fleet questions and concerns, Navy leadership reminds the Fleet that the Sailor to detailer ratio is 1500:1 which means there may be a delay in response to individual questions.
“We remain committed to providing Sailors with as much information and lead time as possible,” said Ferguson. “Thank you for your patience as we work through the continuing resolution funding challenges.”
