The Navy announced a pilot program in NAVADMIN 178/22 on August 5 designed to keep deploying units mission-ready by filling billets in Naval Air Forces and Surface Forces. The program, Senior Enlisted Advancement to Position (SEA2P), offers an advancement incentive to active component E-7 and E-8 Sailors willing to take critical at-sea billets.  

“Navy Chiefs are essential to the operation and readiness of our fleet,” said Vice Adm. Rick Cheeseman, Chief of Naval Personnel. “SEA2P aims to reward Senior Enlisted who are willing to take the hard jobs where their experience and leadership mean the most, while ensuring our deploying units have the people they need to accomplish the mission.”  

Senior Enlisted Advancement to Position (SEA2P) awards advancement to eligible Sailors who are willing to take critical at-sea billets. The process for SEA2P will be transparent and objective. Senior Fleet and type commander staff representatives will convene a selection board to select Sailors who are best and fully qualified for priority sea billets primarily within the Nimitz Strike Group, the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, and USS George Washington. 

“Sailors need our Chiefs, our Senior Chiefs, and our Master Chiefs, to lead from the front,” said Chief of Naval Personnel Fleet Master Chief Delbert Terrell. “Our Sailors expect it and require their continued leadership, experience, and mentorship.  SEA2P helps us make that happen, while offering promotion to those motivators who apply.” 

Applicants must be an active component E-7 or E-8; must have been selected or screened as a non-select for advancement to E-8 or E-9 by the respective FY-23 selection boards, or be advancement-eligible for the respective FY-24 boards. Time-in-Rate (TIR) waivers will be approved for FY-24 advancement-eligible Sailors who are selected for SEA2P.  

Applicants must possess any required Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) codes associated with the billet(s) for which they apply.  Waivers will be considered for applicants who have pre-requisite experience necessary to obtain required NECs and can do so while also meeting the required arrival date for the SEA2P billet. All Sailors selected for SEA2P billets should expect to receive permanent change of station orders with a transfer date as early as 30-45 days after selection. 

The NAVADMIN announced a timeline for the process: 

·       Timeline 1st Screening: 

o   31 AUG | Deadline to submit 1306 

o   12-16 SEP | Selection Screening 

o   26-30 SEP | Announcements posted 

o   3 OCT | SEA2P selected Sailors receive orders 

·       Timeline 2nd Screening 

o   30 SEP |Second call for any unfilled SEA2P positions 

o   17 OCT | Deadline to submit 1306 second call 

o   31 OCT-4 NOV | Second call screening 

o   14-18 NOV | Announcements posted 

o   21 NOV | SEA2P selected Sailors receive orders 

Senior Enlisted Sailors selected for SEA2P will be advanced to the paygrade associated with the billet and receive pay commensurate with the paygrade when they report to their ultimate duty station.