About
"Push Button" Advancement
A first
enlistment is
for a total of 6 years. Usual that is for 4 years of
active duty followed by 2 years of stand-by (non-drilling)
reserve. Naval Reservists usually serve 2 years of active duty
and 4
years of
reserve duty. There are other programs of varying amounts of
active and
reserve duty,
but the total commitment is still 6 years.
After basic
training,
qualified sailors may be sent to a Class "A" school
for training in a specific rating. Upon graduation from
Class "A" school they
are sent to the fleet, to work in that rating.
There are various technical ratings needing manpower and the Navy
offers advancement incentives to get more people into those
ratings. Basically, if a Class "A" school student in one these
ratings
extends his active duty for the full 6 years, he
is given additionally schooling and upon graduation he is automatically
advanced to E-4. No tests, no
nothin'. Thus the
tern, "Push Button." In some ratings (such as nuclear ratings)
the
additional schooling results
in automatic advancement to E-5.
The problem is that these "Push Button" Petty Officers may have the
technical
knowledge, but they have little or no fleet experience and no
leadership skills, yet
they
are filing most of the billets. This means that shipboard seamen,
who have proven their qualification and are trying for
advancement in these rates must score almost perfect test scores in
order to win the
few remaining billets available.