Navy announced Dec. 20 the enrollment process for eligible Sailors who choose to opt into the Blended Retirement System (BRS) during the enrollment period of Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2018 in NAVADMIN 302/17.

When the BRS enrollment period begins, opt-in eligible Sailors who want to enroll into BRS can do so via the "myPay" website. Those eligible to opt-in that do not choose to enroll in the BRS will remain in the current "High-3" retirement system. However, if a Sailor elects to enroll in the BRS, that election is irrevocable.

Sailors are eligible to opt-in to BRS if they are an Active Component member and will have fewer than 12 years of service as of Dec. 31, or are a Reserve Component member, to include Full Time Support personnel, and will have fewer than 4,320 points as of Dec. 31.

Eligible Sailors must be in a paid status in order to enroll in BRS during the enrollment period. If eligible Sailors are not in a paid status during the election window, they will be given an opportunity to enroll during their first period of service in a paid status.

According to the NAVADMIN, hardship extensions to the enrollment window will be considered on a case by case basis for opt-in eligible Sailors who are unable to enroll in BRS during the 2018 enrollment period.

The election to enroll in the BRS can only occur through the Defense Finance and Accounting service (DFAS) my Pay website at https://mypay.dfas.mil/.

As part of the process to enroll in the BRS, eligible Sailors will be required to affirm in the myPay website that they have completed the mandatory BRS Opt-in Training and acknowledge that they understand the decision to enroll in the BRS cannot be reversed.

Commands are required to document that all of their Sailors have completed the required BRS Opt-in Training through Fleet Management and Planning System (FLTMPS). The training is available on Navy eLearning at https://www.nel.navy.mil and Joint Knowledge Online at https://jkodirect.jten.mil , http://jko.jten.mil/courses/brs/OPT-IN /launch.html (no common access card (CAC) required) or face-to-face using the Department of Defense syllabus.

If Sailors take the training through the non-CAC option, they must print and turn in the BRS Opt-in Training certificate to their command's training department to ensure it is recorded in FLTMPS.

Mandatory training provides Sailors with information that compares the benefits of the current retirement system and BRS and must be completed by all opt-in eligible Sailors by Dec. 31.

Opt-in eligible Sailors with a current email address in Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS) will be receiving another notification of opt-in eligibility via email.

Sailors should check that their Date of Initial Entry to Military Service (DIEMS) information is accurate on their LES and in their NSIPS Electronic Service Record (ESR). Additionally, Active Component Sailors should ensure their Pay Entry Base Date (PEBD), the date they entered a paid status in a uniformed service, is correct. Reserve Component Sailors should ensure their retirement point total is accurately recorded in their service record.

Along with ensuring all Sailors have received the mandatory training, Navy is also asking commands to notify their opt-in eligible Sailors of their eligibly to opt-in to BRS and that opt-in window opens Jan.1, 2018. Command administration department can contact their personal support division for a list of all opt-in eligible Sailors within their command.

For more information on BRS, eligibility, training and the opt-in process see NAVADMIN 302/17.

More information on BRS can be found on the Navy BRS webpage at: http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/21st_Century_Sailor/readiness /Pages/Personal-Financial-Management.aspx or talk with your Command Career Counselor.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.