Understand High Year Tenure to Maximize Your Career

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Andrea Perez, Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- The Navy's High Year Tenure (HYT) program is a force management tool used to size and shape the active-duty and Reserve enlisted force, officials said March 26.

HYT sets the maximum number of years an enlisted Sailor may serve based on rank before he or she must advance, separate or if eligible, retire.

"High Year Tenure assists in force management by limiting the number of years a Sailor may serve without showing professional growth via the advancement system," said Senior Chief Personnel Specialist John Gigliotti, Navy Total Force Policy Advancement Planning for HYT Policy, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

By limiting how long Sailors can remain in the Navy, the HYT program increases advancement opportunity for high-performing Sailors across paygrades and Length of Service (LOS).

"HYT policy recognizes Sailor performance by separating Sailors who have not advanced after a set amount of time," said Gigliotti. This gives other Sailors who are performing at or above Navy standards better advancement opportunities, because the Navy advances Sailors to fill openings in the next higher rank. Actively working towards advancement to the next higher pay grade is critical, because advancing is the only way a Sailor can maximize the length of their career."

The following HYT LOS gates have been established based on pay grade:

* E1/E2 - Active-duty/Full-Time Support (FTS), 4 years; Reserve, 6 years;

* E3 - Active-duty/FTS, 5 years; Reserve, 10 years;

* E4 - Active-duty/FTS, 8 years; Reserve, 12 years;

* E5 - Active-duty/FTS, 14 years; Reserve, 20 years;

* E6 - Active-duty/FTS, 20 years; Reserve, 22 years;

* E7 - Active-duty/FTS/Reserve, 24 years;

* E8 - Active-duty/FTS/Reserve, 26 years;

* E9 - Active-duty/FTS/Reserve, 30 years.

Command master chiefs may exceed 30 years of service with certain provisions, according to Gigliotti.

Continuing beyond 30 years isn't associated with the advancement system like E1 to E9, but it is associated with incentivizing professional growth and increased responsibility for senior enlisted leaders in command leadership positions for flag/general officers.

Officers are not subject to HYT, but instead limited to statutory service limits by paygrade. In addition, the Navy uses other force-shaping initiatives to manage the officer community, including the Selective Early Retirement Board and Probationary Officer Continuation and Redesignation Boards.

HYT waiver requests are considered on a case-by-case basis for approval. Requests to continue beyond a Sailor's current HYT date in support of an urgent and immediate operational requirement, in a deployed or soon to be deployed unit, or in an undermanned rating have the best chance of being approved.

All waiver requests for active-duty and Reserve Sailors must arrive at Navy Personnel Command (NPC) ten months prior to the service member's HYT date.

Gigliotti encourages Sailors to take advantage of every advancement opportunity possible. Command Career Counselors can advise Sailors on what's required to be advancement eligible, show them how to study and assist them with getting the study material they need for their rate and pay grade.

MILPERSMAN 1160-120 is a revision of the HYT policy that will incorporate both active-duty and Reserve policy, and will be effective July 1, 2012.

For more information, visit the HYT Web Page on the NPC website at www.npc.navy.mil/CAREER/RESERVEPERSONNELMGMT/ENLISTED/Pages/HYT.aspx or call the NPC Customer Service Center at 1-866-U-ASK-NPC or 1-866-827-5672.

Ensuring Sailors are fully aware of the issues that affect their careers is an important element of the continuum of service area of the 21st Century Sailor and Marine initiative which consolidates a set of objectives and policies, new and existing, to maximize Sailor and Marine personal readiness, build resiliency and hone the most combat-effective force in the history of the Department.