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TAB A - NAVADMIN PFA Separations-1
R XXXXXXZ DEC 17

FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//

TO NAVADMIN

INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//

BT

UNCLAS

NAVADMIN XXX/17

MSGID/GENADMIN CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/DEC//

SUBJ/PHYSICAL READINESS PROGRAM POLICY CHANGE//

REF/A/DOC/OPNAV/11JUL11//

REF/B/DOC/NAVPERS/22AUG02//

REF/C/DOC/BUPERS/01MAY15//

REF/D/DOC/BUPERS/6MAY14//

REF/E/DOC/SECNAV/26AUG15//

NARR/REF A IS OPNAVINST 6110.1J, PHYSICAL READINESS PROGRAM.  REF B IS NAVPERS 15560D, NAVAL MILITARY PERSONNEL MANUAL.  REF C IS BUPERSINST 1610.10D, NAVY PERFORMANCE EVALUATION SYSTEMS.  REF D IS BUPERSINST 1430.16F CH-1, ADVANCEMENT MANUAL FOR ENLISTED PERSONNEL IN THE U.S. NAVY AND U.S. NAVY RESERVE.  REF E IS SECNAVINST 1920.6C CH-5, ADMINISTRATIVE SEPARATION OF OFFICERS.//

RMKS/1.  This NAVADMIN announces revised Physical Readiness Program separation policies.  Adjustments to Physical Readiness Program policies reflect a continued emphasis to invest in and retain our most important resource, our Sailors.  Retention of every capable Sailor is critical to the operational readiness of the Navy.  The goal of the Navy’s physical readiness program is to maintain a minimum prescribed level of fitness necessary for world-wide deployment and to maintain a Sailor’s long-term health and wellness.  Revisions to references (a), (b), and (c) are forthcoming and will be published at a later date.

2.  Effective immediately:

    a.  All commands will discontinue processing members for separation as a result of Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) failures.  Separation orders resulting from PFA failures prior to Soft End of Active Obligated Service (SEAOS) with approved dates after 31 March 2018 are cancelled.  Officers with approved separation orders for PFA failure with a directed separation date prior to 1 March 2018 can request their separation orders be cancelled in order to remain in the Navy by contacting PERS-834, subject to Secretary of Navy (SECNAV) approval.

    b.  MILPERSMAN 1910-170, Separation by Reason of PFA Failure, is cancelled.

3.  The following applies to all enlisted members:

    a.  Enlisted members who:

        (1) Fail one PFA will:

            (a) Be issued a NAVPERS 1070/613 via Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS) to inform them of the PFA failure.

            (b) Be enrolled in the Fitness Enhancement Program (FEP) until passing the next official PFA.

            (c) Not be frocked or advanced.  Members may regain eligibility for promotion by passing a command-directed monthly FEP mock PFA.  However, they must still remain enrolled in FEP until passing the next official PFA.

        (2) Fail two or more consecutive PFAs will continue service until SEAOS.  Additionally these members:

            (a) Will be ineligible for advancement under reference (a).

            (b) Will be ineligible to reenlist or extend under reference (b).

            (c) Will receive an adverse report that states Significant Problems on evaluation under reference (c).

            (d) Will be detailed as required.  Changes to any program that has specific PFA requirements will be announced via revision to its governing instruction.

            (e) May regain eligibility for advancement and reenlistment by passing one subsequent official PFA.  In line with references (c) and (d), members must obtain the recommendation of their CO for advancement and retention on their most recent evaluation.  This may require a special evaluation to restore retention or advancement recommendations after a member passes an official PFA.

    b.  For those members who currently have approved separation or Fleet Reserve dates as a result of the previous PFA separation policy, the following information and guidelines are provided:

        (1) Members who currently have approved separation dates not aligned to their SEAOS on or before 31 March 2018 must contact their chain of command and decide no later than 1 February 2018 whether to cancel their separation/reserve orders and remain on active duty or execute their orders as originally planned.  Every effort will be made to retain Sailors who desire to stay Navy.

        (2) Enlisted members with SEAOS between 1 January 2018 and 30 June 2018 who are ineligible for retention or cannot submit a Career Waypoints (C-WAY) application due to adverse evaluations as a result of past PFA failure history and desire to stay Navy are authorized an extension to regain eligibility with command endorsement as follows:

            (a) Requested extension length should be of sufficient duration to allow for processing of a future special evaluation and application in C-WAY (if applicable), but must not exceed 30 September 2018.

            (b) Because this is an exception to policy, this action will not require a C-WAY quota (if applicable).

            (c) Once the member successfully passes the official Cycle 1, 2018 PFA, and has retention eligibility restored from the CO, the member can submit their reenlistment/extension request directly to their CO, or Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) Enlisted Community Manager (BUPERS-32) for enlisted members who must use C-WAY.  For Nuclear-trained members, all requests must be submitted via their CO to Deputy Chief of Naval Operations Nuclear Program Manager (OPNAV (N133)).  In all cases, PRIMS results must show the Cycle 1, 2018 results.

    c.  Members with approved Fleet Reserve dates on or after 31 July 2018 who pass Cycle 1, 2018 and desire to remain on active duty must first submit a cancellation request no later than 1 May 2018 to Commander, Navy Personnel Command (COMNAVPERSCOM) Enlisted Retirements Office (PERS-836) at the following e-mail address:  enlisted_active_duty_retirements(at)navy.mil.  Once received, approval of the Fleet Reserve cancellation request serves as authority to cancel previously issued retirement orders, which are issued by the local supporting personnel office.  PERS-836 will forward all approved cancellation requests to COMNAVPERSCOM, Enlisted Assignment Division (PERS-40), and to OPNAV (N133) for all nuclear-trained members.

    d.  Enlisted personnel affected by this change to PFA separation policy, who desire to stay Navy, must maintain advancement eligibility as outlined in reference (d) to participate in the Navy-Wide Advancement Exam (NWAE).  This may require a special evaluation to restore advancement recommendation once the member passes an official PFA.

    e.  Members who desire to stay Navy:

        (1) Who are not in receipt of separation/retirement orders but are within seven months of their Projected Rotation Date (PRD) must contact their detailer who can make a Career Management System Interactive (CMS-ID) application for them in the next CMS-ID cycle.

        (2) Who are in their normal 7-12 month negotiation window should submit an application via CMS-ID.  Those affected members beyond 12 months from their PRD will follow the normal detailing processes.

4.  The following applies to all officers:

    a.  Officers who:

        (1) Fail one PFA will:

            (a) Not eligible for promotion.  Commands are required to delay promotion and inform PERS-834.  Members will regain eligibility for promotion by passing the next command-directed monthly FEP mock PFA.

            (b) Be issued a Letter of Notification to inform them of the PFA failure.

            (c) Be enrolled in the FEP until passing the next official PFA.  

        (2) Fail two or more consecutive PFAs will be submitted to PERS-834 for administrative separation processing under reference (e).

            (a) If SECNAV determines the officer is to be separated (or retired), this action will occur at the PRD of the officer or upon the determination of SECNAV, whichever is later.

            (b) If an officer passes an official PFA prior to the decision of SECNAV on retention or separation, processing will cease and the member will be retained upon notification to PERS-834.

            (c) Additionally, officers who fail two or more consecutive PFAs will receive an adverse report that states Significant Problems on their fitness report under reference (c).

5.  Additional information that applies to all members:

    a.  Effective 1 January 2018 all PFA failures will reset to zero.

    b.  All members must have a Body Composition Assessment (BCA) completed within five work days of reporting to a new command.  This BCA spot-check will not count as the official BCA for newly reported members during the command PFA cycle, regardless of the status of the official command PFA cycle.  Members exceeding Age Adjusted Body Fat Standards (AAS) during spot-checks must be enrolled into Command FEP.

    c.  FEP enrollment and disenrollment determination:  Upon either a BCA spot-check failure or PFA failure, members must participate in FEP until they pass an official PFA and are within AAS.

6.  The Nuclear Propulsion Program Manager, OPNAV (N133), will remain the single point of contact on all PFA failure policy matters relating to Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP) personnel.  

    a.  Nuclear-trained members may be granted an exception to the criteria of paragraphs 3 and 4 with approval of OPNAV (N133).

    b.  All recommendations for administrative separation processing for nuclear-trained officers will be submitted to OPNAV (N133) for review and approval.

7.  Points of contact.  Physical Readiness Program, Mr. Bill Moore at (901)874-2210 or PRIMS(at)navy.mil.  For all other personnel related policies:  NAVPERSCOM at 1-866-827-5672 (U-ASK-NPC).

8.  Released by Vice Admiral Robert P. Burke, N1.//