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New, flexible career options provide opportunities for lifetime of service

  • Published
  • By Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrea Perez
  • Navy News Service
MILLINGTON, Tenn. --  Continuum of service programs provide Sailors more flexibility to move between the active and Reserve components, allowing for a lifetime of service, officials said in a message released Aug. 7, 2013.

NAVADMIN 198/13 applies to eligible officer and enlisted Sailors who currently serve on active duty or in the Reserves.

The message provides an overview of various COS programs which allow Sailors to transition between the components. The message also details rating and designator conversion programs for enlisted and officer personnel, and the Career Intermission Pilot Program, which allows Sailors to temporarily transition to the Individual Ready Reserve.

Applications for CoS programs can be submitted by detailers, command career counselors or anyone with prior access to Fleet-RIDE through the new Career Waypoints information technology system. A NAVPERS 5239/8 is required to access C-WAY.

The C-WAY system is a part the Career Navigator Program and combines all Navy career management processes together to provide Sailors with tools that are more transparent and integrated, and give them a more active role in managing their careers.

Sailors considering any rating conversion may improve their opportunity for selection by taking the Armed Forces Classification Test to improve their initial Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery score. This may expand the number of ratings for which they qualify.

Active-duty Sailors not granted an in-rate or conversion opportunity can always request to join the Navy Reserve five-to-three months prior to their end of active obligated service. The Navy Reserve also offers a two-year deployment deferment for Sailors who join within six months of leaving active duty.

The Career Transition Office at Navy Personnel Command provides counseling and support to active-duty officer and enlisted Sailors considering a transition to the Reserves. Interested Sailors can contact a CTO representative by phone at (901) 874-4192, or email at cto.officer@navy.mil or cto.enlisted@navy.mil.

Visit the C-WAY Web Page on the NPC website at www.npc.navy.mil/career/careercounseling/Pages/CareerWaypointSystem.aspx for more detailed information on COS programs and the Career Navigator Program.