July 15, 2016
GOSPORT
COMMENTARY
PA G E
3
Managing PCS orders: Budget pressures cut lead times From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs
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s the peak season for permanent change-of-station (PCS) moves begins, many Sailors are awaiting orders so they and their families can proceed to their next duty stations. However, due to the current fiscal environment and budget constraints, most Sailors will have less time to plan their moves as order release timelines are compressed. While this timeline isn’t easy on Sailors or their families, it is important for Sailors to understand why that is the case and what we are doing to improve the timeline. What’s going on? Due to budgetary pressures and a perennially decreased top line for Navy’s Manpower Account, we knew PCS funds would be tight toward the end of the fiscal year (FY). Consequently, the Navy began to carefully manage the issuance of PCS orders earlier this year, which resulted in shorter lead times for PCS moves. Each year, approximately 66,000 Sailors receive operational, rotational and training orders. The Navy also moves approximately 70,000 Sailors as they are accessed, separate, retire or
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execute organized unit moves (for homeport changes). Traditionally, operational and rotational moves have averaged three months advance notice for the past several years. However, in some cases this summer, those timelines have been shortened to one month due to budgetary pressure. What we’re doing? Navy leadership understands the impact of shortened PCS timelines and the stress this causes Sailors. As such, we convened a working group with representatives from throughout the fleet to look at a variety of measures to ensure the Navy is able to maintain current readiness, fleet manning levels and minimize additional impacts to Sailors as we carefully navigate PCS orders for the remainder of the fiscal year. The results should bring the Navy closer to its three-month average for issuing PCS orders in the coming weeks and
months ahead. The working group recommended several initiatives, most will be transparent to Sailors, to help maintain current readiness and Fleet manning levels, reduce overall costs, and minimize additional impacts to our service members as we carefully navigate PCS orders for the remainder of the fiscal year. As part of these recommendations, the Navy will shift remaining accessions for FY16 in non-critical and overmanned rates to FY17. In other words, approximately 2,100 Sailors will begin their training a few months later than previously scheduled. Also, the Navy will not recruit additional individuals to replace Delayed Entry Program Sailors who do not complete
Commentaries are the opinion of the writer and should not be interpreted as official government, Navy or command policy statements. Reader submissions are welcome but should not exceed 800 words. Submissions must be bylined and include a daytime phone number or e-mail contact for the writer. All submissions are subject to editing to comply with policy and standards. Send commentary submissions to Janet.Thomas.ctr@navy.mil.
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training as is normally the case. The Navy remains on track to meet its recruiting goals for FY16, as it has for the last 109 consecutive months. Additionally, Navy Personnel Command will continue to issue letters of intent for overseas moves. That way, while orders may not be in hand, individuals can start the process of doing overseas and medical screenings, dependent entry approval, passport applications and security clearance requests. However, given the current fiscal constraints, the Navy is prioritizing PCS moves in order to remain within budget. Highest priority moves are those to fill critical gaps at sea, billets for individual augmentees, force protection, humanitarian, safety and overseas
billets – they will be issued first. All other orders will be released following a sequenced move schedule to ensure the fleet is manned properly. We have released priority one moves (individual augmentee, immediate and OFRP deployers, numbered fleet staffs, overseas billets) and must-moves (safety, early return of dependents, humanitarian) with estimated detach dates through the end of July, and are now working on August orders and beyond. The future The Navy recognizes that these shortened lead times limit Sailors’ time to prepare for moves, and burdens them and their families. Our focus and priority remains on manning the fleet, and taking care of Sailors and their families. Leadership is engaged at all levels to develop and implement solutions to minimize the impact to our Sailors. Funding for all fourth quarter PCS moves is on the way. We will continue to work with the fleet to develop PCS phasing plans to fund priority moves and put in place processes that ensures the fleet is manned properly as we come to the end of the fiscal year and move into the next.
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