{"id":22714,"date":"2015-06-21T18:02:04","date_gmt":"2015-06-21T18:02:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2015\/06\/21\/navy-to-double-on-the-spot-advancements-for-sailors\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:14:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:14:06","slug":"navy-to-double-on-the-spot-advancements-for-sailors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2015\/06\/21\/navy-to-double-on-the-spot-advancements-for-sailors\/","title":{"rendered":"Navy to double on-the-spot advancements for sailors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>ABOARD DESTROYER RAMAGE, NORFOLK NAVAL STATION, Va. \u2014 A radical overhaul of the enlisted advancement system begins now<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">next year<\/span>, and the biggest beneficiaries will be fleet sailors and the skippers who lead them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting July 1, the Command Advancement Program will go away, replaced by a new Meritorious Advancement Program <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">\u2014 MAP \u2014 <\/span>that <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">is fundamentally different <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">in focus <\/span>and<\/span> will enlarge the role of no-test promotions, where commands can mint new petty officers or add a chevron on the spot. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">radically <\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">change how sailors see and commands use spot advancements on the deckplates.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that&#8217;s only the beginning. Officials are laying out a bold plan that calls for doubling the number of spot advancements, expanding them to shore duty and allowing commands to transfer quotas so the most deserving sailors get picked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;This will really give me many more options<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> for my command<\/span>,&#8221; said Cmdr. Joel Lang, this destroyer&#8217;s commanding officer. &#8220;With a command of 300, it&#8217;s not always a sure thing that we&#8217;ll have eligible sailors at all levels, so being able to give an E-5 quota or two back into the pool and be able to get an E-6 quota in exchange will be huge for us in managing our program \u2014 and ensure all quotas get used.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For years, commands have been wanting more control over sailor&#8217;s advancements and and has been bending leadership&#8217;s ear about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Navy leadership from Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus on down want to give CO&#8217;s more ability to reward top talent and performance on the job by allowing these top sailors to bypass the test if their command leadership believes them ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year, MAP will <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">start<\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">the program&#8217;s rework with the name change as well as controls and an initial system to account for each of these advancements by<\/span> track who is advanced and how many quotas are used so other commands can <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">commanders can ask for more advancements, <\/span>take<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">ing<\/span> advantage of unused quotas elsewhere<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> at one command and turning them into advancements between their lifelines<\/span>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Next year, officials will <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">look to <\/span>expand the numbers. They plan to boost spot advancement slots from roughly 2,500 a year to 5,000 <\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\"><span class=\"rte rte-comment\"><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">next year<\/span> from <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">looking to initially double the percentage of those advanced without the text<\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\"><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">from<\/span> roughly 2,500 a year to 5,000<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> 2.5 percent of all advancements to 5<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">five<\/span> percent<\/span>. That<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">&#8216;s TK more spots, which<\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">will <\/span>includes the expansion to shore duty, a change for which sailors have long clamored. Right now the only non-sea duty spot advancements are for <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Navy <\/span>recruiters.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">\u200b<\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The chief of naval personnel sees the revamp as a way to delegate more advancement authority to those who know sailors best \u2014 their commanders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4896\" height=\"3264\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341740518929-nav-spot-advancement-program-8jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-48511\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341740518929-nav-spot-advancement-program-8jpg.jpg 4896w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341740518929-nav-spot-advancement-program-8jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341740518929-nav-spot-advancement-program-8jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341740518929-nav-spot-advancement-program-8jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341740518929-nav-spot-advancement-program-8jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341740518929-nav-spot-advancement-program-8jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4896px) 100vw, 4896px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Naval Station, Norfolk Va. (June 17, 2015) \u2014 Sailors work on the fantail of the guided missile destroyer Ramage Pierside at Norfolk Naval Staion. The Ramage just returned from an at-sea period and the crew is cleaning, repairing and preparing the ship  for an INSURV inspection in the next month. \r\rPhoto by Mark D. Faram Times Staff<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>The commander of the destroyer Ramage says MAP will give him many more options. Here, sailors work on the fantail to clean, repair and prepare the ship for an INSURV inspection.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Photo Credit: Mark D. Faram\/Staff<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Initially this means that starting next year, 5,000 advancements come without a test and officials will begin to expand the program to some shore commands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year&#8217;s changes were just announced June 18 in NavAdmin 141\/15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starting July 1, the Command Advancement Program will go away, replaced by a new Meritorious Advancement Program \u2014 MAP \u2014 that is fundamentally different in focus and will radically change how sailors see and commands use spot advancements on the deckplates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;MAP is an effort to use an existing authority in policy, which allows CO<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">&#8216;<\/span>s to selectively determine \u2014 based on performance and skill set requirements \u2014 to advance sailors to a paygrade at which they&#8217;re already operating<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> at<\/span>,&#8221; said Vice Adm. Bill Moran <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">said<\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">, chief of naval personnel<\/span> in a June 16 interview<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> with Navy Times<\/span>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It&#8217;s very much about trying to give as much authority to our triads, our COs, XOs and CMCs, who know their people better than the system does.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>New rules<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last year, Moran ordered skippers to limit spot advancements to a three-month window between the t<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">he decision was made to limit the annual timeframe when skippers are allowed to make their advancements from year-round to a three-month window situated in the summer and between the <\/span>spring and fall advancements.This allows advancement <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">quota <\/span>planners to account for who is advanced as they lay out exam cycle quotas. Moran said that overhaul was a move to save CAP authority, which was widely criticized for worsening the Navy&#8217;s overmanning crisis. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">they plan for the next two advancement exam cycle&#8217;s quotas. Meritorious Advancements will come off the top, those competing on the exam will compete for what&#8217;s left.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last year, all spot advancements under the old CAP ceased on October 1, 2014 and any unused quotas from the calendar year 2014 went away, shifting the program to a fiscal year schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">new <\/span>first Meritorious Advancement Program <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">open <\/span>season starts July 1<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> and will close August 31<\/span>. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">To lock in their advancements. <\/span>The final month of the window, September, will allow commands to turn in <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">is being called a &#8220;redistribution season&#8221; and will run from September 1 through 31, during which commands will turn in <\/span>unused quotas or request more<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> to advance additional sailors<\/span>. This means that <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">all a As a result, <\/span>each command&#8217;s quotas must be used or <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">accounted for through advancements or <\/span>given back, along with a letter explaining why they weren&#8217;t used.<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">an explanation in the letter as to why they weren&#8217;t used.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">To formalize advancements <\/span>Commands must submit a &#8220;MAP certification letter&#8221; in which they will list all of their requested advancements, account<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">ing<\/span> for <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">any <\/span>returned quotas and, if necessary, request more, according to naval message 141\/15<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> any request for more quotas, too<\/span>. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">The message states that <\/span>Giving back a quota this year won&#8217;t impact quotas given for next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, returning some <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">giving back <\/span>quotas doesn&#8217;t hurt the ability to ask for others. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">impact the ability to ask for more, either. <\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">For example, <\/span>Commands can request to swap quotas, like returning <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">such as returning say <\/span>two E-4 spots<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">quotas<\/span> and requesting one more for an <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">additional <\/span>E-5<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> quota<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;This will really give me many more options for my command,&#8221; said Ramage CO Lang. &#8220;With a command of 300, it&#8217;s not always a sure thing that we&#8217;ll have eligible sailors at all levels \u2014 so being able to give an E-5 quota or two back into the pool and be able to get an E-6 quota in exchange will be huge for us in managing our program \u2014 and ensure all quotas get used.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The message is clear, all requests for more quotas must come in the initial letter and all initial letters must reach personnel command by Aug. 31. Second letters accounting for reused quotas must arrive by Sept. 30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Extra quotas will be issued by the type or echelon two commander, for example, Naval Surface Force Pacific for a ship or Navy Expeditionary Combat Command for a riverine group. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> Issuing out the extra quotas will be done by that unit&#8217;s Type II commander. Once approved, commmands will then have to submit another letter to NPC accounting for how the new quota or quotas were used.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting new quotas isn&#8217;t guaranteed, the message cautions. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">says and officials say <\/span>It&#8217;s essentially a first-come, first-serve<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">d<\/span> basis. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Officials encourage commands to submit their letters as early as possible and commands can even submit their letters today in advance of the July 1 opening.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also, if a command chooses not to use only of their quotas, they must simply send a letter stating they are giving the quotas back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Navy officials will make it easy for commands and will post an example letter at http:\/\/www.npc.navy.mil\/bupers-npc\/career\/enlistedcareeradmin\/Pages\/Advancement.aspx.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The message states that e-mail is the preferred method for submitting certification letters to NPC and the address is advancements-active@navy.mil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can expect a response within four business days by email, too An e-mail responsevalidating the MCL should be received within four business days of submission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Who&#8217;s eligible<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To level the playing field between spot promotions and promotions through the twice-a-year test<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">advancements methods<\/span>, officials have <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">also <\/span>aligned the rules so that <span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> for meritorious advancements to that of the Navy-wide advancement exam cycles<\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">. In short,<\/span> if sailors can<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> is eligible to <\/span>compete on the test <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">through the text <\/span>cycle, they can also be <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">&#8216;re also fully qualified to be <\/span>advanced by their skipper<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">s<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>COs can waive <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">ability for CO&#8217;s to waive <\/span>a year of required time in grade to be eligible for the next paygrade for those with an early promote recommendation on their annual evaluation. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">This has long been in place for taking the test, but it&#8217;s new this year under the new MAP.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once approved, all MAP advancements will be effective July 1, meaning sailors will be paid from that date, which will also be their date of rank<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> going forward towards the next advancement cycle an seniority<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Also, though an expansion to shore duty is in the works, <\/span>This year spot promotions are <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">it&#8217;s still <\/span>limited to sea duty commands. You can check out what commands are eligible at <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">If you know your command&#8217;s unit identification code you can see if your command is eligible by reviewing the list in <\/span>NAVADMIN 245\/14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Currently, <\/span>Pre-commissioning units are not authorized to submit <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">any <\/span>certification letters until on or after <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">actual <\/span>their ship&#8217;s delivery date or in-service date, whichever is sooner, the message said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Culture change<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Officials want to deep-six more than the Command Advancement Program name, but the troublesome culture that often went along with it, where commands advanced <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">the going away, Moran also wants to deep-six the culture that the program fostered where commands have mostly treated it as a niche program, using it to advance <\/span>those struggling to pass <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">advancement <\/span>tests or bumping up against high-year tenure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s a vestige of the program&#8217;s origin in the late 1960s, when <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">at&#8217;s because of the program&#8217;s roots Moran said, which began in the late 1960&#8217;s when <\/span>the Navy was largely a conscript force and many sailors couldn&#8217;t read or write well. CAP empowered skippers to recognize those <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">gave sea duty CO&#8217;s the chance recognize those sailors who were<\/span> disadvantaged by limited education. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">reading and writing skills allowing them to level the paying field to some extent.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those days are over, Moran said. You need a <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">With a force today that must have a minimum of a <\/span>high school diploma or an equivalent to even walk in the door today. Moran <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">So the days of , he says, those days of a charity program are over. <\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Navy leadership says they <\/span>wants commands to use the new MAP to advance their best performing <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">eligible <\/span>sailors \u2014 <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">through meritorious advancements <\/span>and not wait for the exam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4896\" height=\"3264\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341734434851-nav-spot-advancement-program-4jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-48514\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341734434851-nav-spot-advancement-program-4jpg.jpg 4896w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341734434851-nav-spot-advancement-program-4jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341734434851-nav-spot-advancement-program-4jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341734434851-nav-spot-advancement-program-4jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341734434851-nav-spot-advancement-program-4jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341734434851-nav-spot-advancement-program-4jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4896px) 100vw, 4896px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aboard the USS Ramage, Naval Station, Norfolk Va. (June 17, 2015) \u2014 [I\u201dm getting these sailors names] work on to eliminate rust and prepare the starboard side of the guided missile destroyer Ramage pierside at Norfolk Naval Staion. The Ramage just returned from an at-sea period and is preparing for an INSURV inspection in the next month. \r\rPhoto by Mark D. Faram Times Staff<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>The change from command to meritorious advancement will require a culture change across the Navy. Here, BMSN Ethan Giannolla, front, and SR Anthony Mares bust rust on the starboard side of the destroyer Ramage.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Photo Credit: Mark D. Faram\/Staff<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;That culture has survived in CAP throughout the past decades, but what we&#8217;re really talking about now is changing the culture to recognize<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">d<\/span> our best talent through meritorious advancement, much as we do with meritorious advancement of the sailors of the year to chief petty officer,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Why not give <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">door <\/span>more of that type of authority to commanding officers, both at sea and ashore?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>COs are weighing the changes ahead and say they are likely to increase the impact of a valuable program. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Aboard the Norfolk-based guided-missile destroyer Ramage, Cmdr. Joel Lang, the ship&#8217;s commanding officers says the program&#8217;s change will have a tremendously positive impact on the ship and it&#8217;s sailors.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;This truly does look like a meritorious advancement now,&#8221; Lang said in a June 17 interview in his stateroom on the Ramage. &#8220;We&#8217;re always telling them that performance matters, that what you do day to day is important and can impact your future. Now we can show those sailors and their shipmates just how true that is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Take that number one E-4 on the ship and make them an E-5 in front of the whole crew, even before they take the test, and everyone knows that sailor is the top performer and what the standard is.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Until now, <\/span>Command Master Chief (SW\/AW) Terry Wylie said spot promotions have typically been conferred only after <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">commands he&#8217;s been at used CAP only after the dust settled from <\/span>the regular <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">the <\/span>advancement process, and that <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">meant <\/span>those picked were sometimes those who missed the cut rather than those who are the <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">command&#8217;s <\/span>top sailors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The advancement results came out and then you started talking about who you wanted to CAP \u2014 picking sailors to move up from those who were not advanced,&#8221; he recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sure, he said, the scrutiny of the command would generally pick CAP sailors from those who ranked well in the command \u2014 but didn&#8217;t measure up in Navy-wide competition for one reason or not \u2014 either lack of quotas to move up or poor test taking skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;But here&#8217;s the thing, using a CAP to advance someone who didn&#8217;t make it on the exam cycle, we were, in essence putting them in front those who made it off the test,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s because spot promotions take effect immediately and those sailors are paid right away, whereas others <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">sailors <\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">is is because, when you get advanced through CAP, it&#8217;s immediate and you get paid right away, where sailors <\/span>might get frocked <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">not long <\/span>after the exam but don&#8217;t see the pay until weeks or months later.<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">, when they get paid is phased in across the fiscal year.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It&#8217;s important to me that sailors recognize what this means because now it&#8217;s a straight up competition based on performance, on who we can advance here, on the spot,&#8221; Wylie said. &#8220;I plan to leverage that fact as much as possible.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both Wylie and Lang say this shows the rest of the command that they, too, can get that meritorios advancement and bypass the test \u2014 buy upping their day to day game a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It&#8217;s going to be the best and brightest \u2014 the folks who are doing the most for us \u2014 and all our sailors will see that now that you can truly earn your way to to that advancement,&#8221; Wylie said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Boosted quotas<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For this summer, the CAP quotas will remain the same as last year. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">fiscal year&#8217;s program, the existing CAP quota plan is in effect, meaning the numbers of advancements you had under last year&#8217;s CAP is what you have this year and no more.<\/span>But <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">that will change <\/span>next year <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Moran says as <\/span>the service will <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">starts <\/span>expand the number of quotas<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> offered in what&#8217;s expected to be a gradual increase, year over year<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">t<\/span><\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">o skippers<\/span>. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">But officials say they&#8217;re going to increase gradually \u2014 watching the program and how commands are using their quotas or not.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Moran is clear \u2014 he wants more meritorious advancements and the quota expansion will begin next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Right now, there are <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">a total of <\/span>2,238 <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">CAP <\/span>quotas available Navy-wide for fiscal year 2015. But in past years, many of these weren&#8217;t used. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">not all of them get used, <\/span>In fiscal 2014, COs only advanced about 1,600 sailors, down from about 1,700 the year before. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">in fiscal 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The plan is to roughly double the spot advancement quotas to nearly 5,000 in fiscal 2016, which would amount to roughly 12.5 percent of the 40,000 sailors who move up to E-4, E-5 and E-6 annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each year, <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">the Navy advances an average of <\/span>about 40,000 sailors move up between the three petty officer grades. This means that if all the quotas were used, it would mean that 2.5 percent of the Navy&#8217;s advancements would come through these spot advancements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The initial plan is to expand to five percent our roughly to 5,000 advancements annually coming through the meritorious program. Plus, he&#8217;s open to more if they&#8217;re warranted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And we have this going part of the force that are shore centric ratings in the information dominance and cyber communities, security and others who under the current policy don&#8217;t get the same. opportunity to be recognized meritoriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re going to take it slow, just as we did when modifying the final multiple for the exam cycles last year,&#8221; Moran said. &#8220;We tweaked it and want to watch it over a couple of cycles and see what it does for our advancements opportunity and get feedback from COs on how it worked<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> and do we need to adjust it more<\/span>.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;ll be the same way for MAP and adding in more quotas<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> as well as expanding it to shore duty commands as well<\/span>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We&#8217;ll open up the valve a little bit here next year and expand it a bit to shore,&#8221; Moran said. &#8220;We&#8217;ll give a bit more authority to those at sea, too.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moran says the exact details and quotas will be worked out after this season<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> is in the books<\/span>, but he sees some fundamental differences in how he wants these programs to be tweaked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re going to look at the pay grade split between shore and sea and, based on our early assessment, advancing primarily from E-3 to E-4 and from E-4 to E-5 is probably where we&#8217;re going to focus the shore piece,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;ll <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">and <\/span>continue to have the same kind of spread at sea, with advancements to E-4 to E-6.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Officials say they want to see how the program works before they vastly expand the percentage of spot promotions across the force. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">say leadership isn&#8217;t opposed to expanding it even further to a greater percentage of the total advancements, but say they need the program and it&#8217;s procedures to mature over a year or two so they can assess the impact to advancements overall \u2014 and the reaction of the fleet to this change, too.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For this year, however, the formula and numbers are the same as for CAP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Command quotas are based on size. A command <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">How many sailors a CO is authorized advancemenis based on the size of the command. Those<\/span> with 100 or fewer authorized enlisted billets can spot advance two sailors: one to E-5 and one to E-6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those with more than 100, but fewer than 1,000, billets, get two E-5 quotas and one for E-6. Those between 1,000 and 2,000 get four E-5s and two E-6s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The biggest sea duty commands, like aircraft carriers, with upward of 2,000 billets, can spot-advance six E-5s and two E-6s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are no quotas for E-4, so commands can use E-5 or E-6 billets to <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">instead <\/span>advance someone to E-4<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">, but they&#8217;re still limited to the total number of quotas allowed by their command size<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Going forward, officials expect the expanded quotas to be doled out in a similar manner, though actual spread won&#8217;t be clear until next fiscal year. But a new quota plan will be in effect next year, Moran says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Shore duty spots<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Just how far this could go has yet to be determined. <\/span>The shore duty expansion will <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">first<\/span> look at ratings that are currently shore-centric and don&#8217;t have many <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">significant <\/span>sea duty billets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We have this growing part of the force that are shore-centric ratings in the information dominance and cyber communities, security, as well as others who, under the current policy, don&#8217;t get the same opportunity to be recognized meritoriously through advancements,&#8221; Moran said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4446\" height=\"2805\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341740518929-nav-spot-advancement-program-6jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-48517\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341740518929-nav-spot-advancement-program-6jpg.jpg 4446w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341740518929-nav-spot-advancement-program-6jpg.jpg?resize=300,189 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341740518929-nav-spot-advancement-program-6jpg.jpg?resize=768,485 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341740518929-nav-spot-advancement-program-6jpg.jpg?resize=1024,646 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341740518929-nav-spot-advancement-program-6jpg.jpg?resize=1536,969 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635702341740518929-nav-spot-advancement-program-6jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1292 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4446px) 100vw, 4446px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aboard the USS Ramage, Naval Station, Norfolk Va. (June 17, 2015) \u2014 Cryptologic Technician 3rd Class Trenton Phillips grinds non-skid from the decks of the  guided missile destroyer Ramage pierced at Norfolk Naval Staion. The Ramage just returned from an at-sea period and the crew is preparing the ship  for an INSURV inspection in the next month. \r\rPhoto by Mark D. Faram Times Staff<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Cryptologic Technician 3rd Class Trenton Phillips grinds non-skid from the decks of the destroyer Ramage.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Photo Credit: Mark D. Faram\/Staff<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The shore expansion won&#8217;t happen all at once and some shore commands \u2014 depending on their missions \u2014 may not see MAP at all, officials say. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Each command and type of command will be evaluated separately<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;It is significant that we will now open up this authority for selected shore commands,&#8221; Moran said. &#8220;We&#8217;re not going to open it up big, but we&#8217;re going to open it up to start giving shore commanders the same opportunity to shape the workforce with the best talent<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> by giving them this authority<\/span>.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At nd both fleet and shore commands, officials say are telling leadership they&#8217;re anxious for the change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The feedback I&#8217;m getting from the fleet on this authority is very positive,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They see that as an unfairness in the distinction between sea and shore.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Officials will double the number of spot advancements, expand them to shore duty, in advancement overhaul.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":48507,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":65,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[12,65],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3087],"class_list":["post-22714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-your-navy"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"HTC5K4BOKZG4PE57SXJLAMMHQQ","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-navy\/2015\/06\/21\/navy-to-double-on-the-spot-advancements-for-sailors\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Navy to double on-the-spot advancements for sailors - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Officials will double the number of spot advancements, expand them to shore duty, in advancement overhaul.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Navy to double on-the-spot advancements for sailors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Officials will double the number of spot advancements, expand them to shore duty, in advancement overhaul.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2015\/06\/21\/navy-to-double-on-the-spot-advancements-for-sailors\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-06-21T18:02:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T19:14:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark D. 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