RAAUZYUW RUENAAA0700 1282340-UUUU--RHMFIUU. ZNR UUUUU ZUI RUEWMCS8725 1282339 R 082340Z MAY 06 FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1NT// TO NAVADMIN INFO RHMFIUU/CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1NT// RUENAAA/CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1NT// BT UNCLAS //N01300// NAVADMIN 132/06 MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1NT/MAY// SUBJ/ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR (SO) RATING// GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. CNO HAS APPROVED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR (SO) GENERAL RATING. THE SO RATING WILL IMPROVE NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE READINESS, SUPPORT OPTIMAL MANNING, AND ALIGN NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE ENLISTED PERSONNEL WITH THE SKILL SETS DEMANDED FOR THE GWOT. BY ALLOWING SAILORS TO FOCUS ON RATING SPECIFIC TECHNOLOGY AND TRAINING SYSTEMS, THE NAVY WILL REDUCE TRAINING INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS, WHILE BROADENING THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND QUALITY OF SERVICE FOR OUR SAILORS. 2. CONVERSION FROM SOURCE RATINGS TO THE SO RATING FOR NEC 5320, 5323, 5326, 8491, AND 8492 DESIGNATED PERSONNEL WILL BE AUTOMATIC. CONVERSION FOR ACTIVE E1-E9 AND RESERVE E6-E9 PERSONNEL WILL OCCUR ON 1 OCT 06, AND CONVERSION FOR RESERVE E1-E5 WILL OCCUR ON 1 MAR 07. NO INDIVIDUAL ACTION BY THE MEMBER WILL BE REQUIRED. ONLY SELECTED RESERVES E1-E9 CURRENTLY SERVING IN VALID NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE RESERVE BILLETS BY BILLET IDENTIFICATION NUMBER AND RESERVE BILLET SEQUENCE CODE WILL BE CONVERTED TO THE SO RATING. SELECTED RESERVES HOLDING NEC 5320, 5323, 5326, 8491, AND 8492 NOT CURRENTLY SERVING IN A VALID NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE RESERVE BILLET HAVE UNTIL 1 SEP 06 TO TRANSFER TO A VALID RESERVE NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE BILLET. ALL OTHERS WILL REMAIN IN THEIR SOURCE RATING AND NEC WILL BE REMOVED BY EPMAC. 3. ACTIVE DUTY PERSONNEL WITH NEC 5320, 5323, 5326, 8491, AND 8492 WHO DO NOT DESIRE TO CONVERT TO THE SO RATING MUST SUBMIT A NAVY ENLISTED CLASSIFICATION CHANGE REQUEST (EPMAC 1221/2) TO REMOVE THE 5320, 5323, 5326, 8491, AND 8492 NEC AND AN ENLISTED PERSONNEL ACTION REQUEST (NAVPERS 1306/7) TO REMAIN IN THEIR SOURCE RATING NOT LATER THAN 1 JUL 06. PERSONNEL NOT APPROVED TO REMAIN IN THEIR SOURCE RATING MUST REQUEST LATERAL CONVERSION TO A CREO 1 OR CREO 2 RATING FOR WHICH THEY QUALIFY. THESE CONVERSIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED DIRECTLY TO COMNAVPERSCOM (PERS-4811). 4. THE SO RATING BADGE WILL BE ALL BLACK CONSISTING OF AN ANCHOR CROSSED HORIZONTALLY BY A TRIDENT AND DIAGONALLY BY A FLINTLOCK PISTOL. ALL ACTIVE E1-E9 AND RESERVE E6-E9 DESIGNATED NEC 5320, 5323, 5326, 8491, AND 8492 PERSONNEL CAN CONVERT TO THE NEW SO RATING BADGE ON 1 OCT 06, AND RESERVE E1-E5 DESIGNATED NEC 5320, 5323, 5326 8491 AND 8492 PERSONNEL CAN CONVERT TO THE NEW SO RATING BADGE ON 1 MAR 07. 5. PER UNIFORM REGULATIONS, PARA 4235, ALL ACTIVE E1-E9 AND RESERVE E6-E9 PERSONNEL MAY CONTINUE WEARING THEIR SOURCE RATING BADGE UNTIL THEIR NEXT ADVANCEMENT OR UNTIL 30 SEP 08, AND RESERVE E1-E5 PERSONNEL MAY CONTINUE WEARING THEIR SOURCE RATING BADGE UNTIL THEIR NEXT ADVANCEMENT OR UNTIL 28 FEB 09. 6. THE ENLISTED SO WARFARE DESIGNATION WILL BE SEAL (SEA, AIR, LAND). THE SEAL SPECIAL WARFARE INSIGNIA CURRENTLY EXISTS AND WILL NOT CHANGE. THE SEAL INSIGNIA WILL BE WORN IN THE SUPERIOR POSITION (ABOVE THE RIBBONS) WHEN SERVING IN AN SO BILLET FULFILLING SO DUTIES, AND WARFARE DESIGNATOR (SEAL) WILL NOW BE PLACED NEXT TO THE SO MEMBERS RATING DESIGNATOR (I.E. SOCM(SEAL) SMITH). 7. FOLLOWING IS THE NAVY-WIDE EXAM ADMINISTRATION SCHEDULE: E7 (ACTIVE DUTY) LAST SOURCE RATING EXAM - JAN 06 FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR RATING EXAM - JAN 07 E7 (SELECTED RESERVE) LAST SOURCE RATING EXAM - FEB 06 FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR RATING EXAM - FEB 07 E4 - E6 (ACTIVE DUTY) LAST SOURCE RATING EXAM - SEP 06 FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR RATING EXAM - MAR 07 E4 - E6 (SELECTED RESERVE) LAST SOURCE RATING EXAM - FEB 07 FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR RATING EXAM - AUG 07 8. FOLLOWING IS THE E7 AND E8/9 SELECTION BOARD SCHEDULE: E8/9 (ACTIVE) FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE PANEL BOARD - SPRING 2006 (FY-07 BOARD) E8/9 (RESERVE) LAST SOURCE RATING PANEL BOARD - SPRING 2006 (FY-07 BOARD) FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR RATING PANEL BOARD - SPRING 2007 (FY-08 BOARD) E7 (ACTIVE) FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE PANEL BOARD - SUMMER 2006 (FY-07 BOARD) E7 (RESERVE) LAST SOURCE RATING PANEL BOARD - SUMMER 2006 (FY-07 BOARD) FIRST SPECIAL WARFARE OPERATOR RATING PANEL BOARD - SUMMER 2007 (FY-08 BOARD) 9. COMNAVCRUITCOM WILL RECRUIT TO THE SO RATING IN FY-07. RECRUITS SHIPPED IN FY-06 UNDER THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS CHALLENGE PROGRAM - SEAL OPTION WILL REMAIN IN CONTRACTED SOURCE RATING UNTIL COMPLETION OF SO "A" SCHOOL. 10. MONTHLY STATUS UPDATES, FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND OTHER WEB-BASED RESOURCES WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE SEAL AND SWCC LEARNING CENTER PAGE ON NAVY KNOWLEDGE ONLINE AT WWW.NKO.NAVY.MIL AND THE SPECWAR ENLISTED COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT PAGE AT WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL/ENLISTED/COMMUNITYMANAGERS/SPECIALWARFARE. 11. THIS NAVADMIN DOES NOT MODIFY ANY PREVIOUS GUIDANCE CONCERNING EARLY SEPARATION, FLEET RESERVE, OR CONVERSION PACKAGES. SELECTIVE REENLISTMENT BONUS AND SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENT PAY APPLICABLE TO NEC 5320, 5323, 5326, 8491, AND 8492 WILL CONTINUE TO BE PAID AFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SO RATING. 12. POCS: - ENLISTED COMMUNITY MANAGERS: CDR DANE THORLEIFSON, (901) 874-2858 / DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT DANE.THORLEIFSON@NAVY.MIL SKCM(EOD) JOHN SIEGEL, (901) 874-2827 / DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT JOHN.SIEGEL@NAVY.MIL ENCM(DSW/SW/SS/MDV) MIKE WINTER, (901) 874-3116 / DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT LEONARD.WINTER@NAVY.MIL - RESERVE ENLISTED COMMUNITY MANAGERS: LCDR TOM SIMPSON, (901) 874-4511/DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT THOMAS.SIMPSON@NAVY.MIL PSCS DEAN CHEVES, (901) 874-4508/DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT DEAN.CHEVES@NAVY.MIL - NSW OPERATIONAL SUPPORT GROUP CAPT B. J. KEEPERS, (619) 437-5196/DSN 577 OR EMAIL AT BJ.KEEPERS@NAVSOC.NAVY.MIL CDR ROGER MEEK, (619) 437-0787/DSN 577 OR EMAIL AT ROGER.MEEK@NAVSOC.NAVY.MIL - CENTER FOR SEAL AND SWCC MR. RON COOPER, (619) 437-5999/DSN 577 OR EMAIL AT RONALD.COOPER@NAVSOC.NAVY.MIL MR. RICK ROGERS, (619) 437-3620/DSN 577 OR EMAIL AT RICHARD.ROGERS@NAVSOC.NAVY.MIL - ADVANCEMENT POLICY: LCDR JULIET COOK, (703) 695-0888/DSN 225 OR EMAIL AT JULIET.COOK@NAVY.MIL - DETAILER: CMDCM(SEAL) DOUG MCNUTT, (901) 874-35643/DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT DOUGLAS.MCNUTT@NAVY.MIL - SRB/SDAP MMC JOHN DOVEL, (901) 874-3193/DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT JOHN.DOVEL@NAVY.MIL - CONVERSIONS YNC(SW) DANIEL BOUCHER, (901) 874-3908/DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT MILL_CONVERSIONS@NAVY.MIL 13. RELEASED BY VADM J. C. HARVEY, JR., N1.// BT #0700 NNNN