Posted on 01/03/2015 6:30:58 AM PST by Timber Rattler
Thousands of sailors get out of the Navy every year because they want to start a family. Or to enroll in school. Or because they are burned out on frequent deployments and months away from home.
With the national unemployment rate dropping and more service members leaving for the private sector, the chief of naval personnel says he wants to do everything he can to keep the best sailors in uniform longer — even if that means letting them go for a while.
“We need to offer meaningful incentives to keep the best talent we can, both men and women,” said Vice Adm. Bill Moran, whose job is best summarized as the Navy’s director of human resources.
One way to keep the best, Moran says: Let service members take a sabbatical from service.
I was thinking the same thing
I see no problem with this. If someone wants to take a break, then why not? This could always be rescinded during wartime.
>>Hey Admiral, the Navy already has such a program...it’s called the Reserves!
That’s still a commitment. When I got out after 8 years as a submariner, I wanted a clean break. A year later, I missed it and tried to join the reserves. The reserves have no submarines and no nuclear power, so I had to change my job in the Navy to join. The only unit in my town was a cargo-handling unit, so I would have had to change my rate from EM1(SS) to BM1. I declined.
I looked at going back in on active duty, but only on an open contract. I couldn’t talk to a detailer until after I had rejoined because I was officially a civilian now.
A sabbatical program where I could have left for a year and then returned as if it was just a set of PCS orders might have been something that I would have tried.
> Hey Admiral, the Navy already has such a program...it’s called the Reserves!
And the reserves doesn’t work. I got off active duty and went into the reserves. I then went to college. Between the weekly meetings and the annual cruise, I could not go to all my classes. Then 3-1/2 years later and with only 4 months left for my degree, I was reactivated and sent overseas because they needed my occupational rating. It took me another 6 years before I finished the last 4 months of engineering school and finally got my degree.
Typically, a sabbatical is a leave *with* pay, and a hiatus is a leave *without* pay. The Stars & Stripes article doesn’t say if those in the program continue receiving a taxpayer-provided paycheck. It does say that there has not been much interest in the Navy’s pilot program, and that, as expected, the majority taking advantage of it are females wanting to have children. Of course, lack of interest (or effectiveness) is no barrier to any govt. program...the other Services are developing pilots.
The national unemployment rate is dropping? I haven’t noticed it locally. Anybody else see lots of people starting new jobs?
It’s a good idea for the Navy and probably the Air Force, too.
We used to have this type of program in the Navy. It was known as SHORE DUTY! After 3 or more years of sea duty, sailors (enlisted and officer) were eligible for a few years (usually 2 or 3) of easy duty, few or no deployments and often a different type of job. With the “reduction of forces”, the Navy all but eliminated shore duty billets, hiring civilian contractors and GS personnel instead.
How about we eliminate the civilian positions that Sailors could fill on shore billets and instead of reinventing the wheel, we just use the one that has worked for decades?
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