WATERS SOUTH OF JAPAN (NNS) – The U.S. Navy provides an opportunity for Sailors to be exposed to unique experiences in foreign countries all over the world and on the ships they live in while transiting the seven seas.
For enlisted Sailors, part of the Navy experience involves taking advancement examinations, feeling the excitement for advancement quotas to be released and awaiting advancement results play a very large and important role in every Sailor’s life.
Advancement exams are available every March and September to give qualified Sailors a chance to increase their rank and pay. After taking an exam, Sailors wait a few months for a Navy-wide message of job requirements at each rate and pay grade shortly followed by individual profile sheets with a message of “SELECTEE”, “PASS NOT ADVANCE”, or “FAIL”.
Whichever message each Sailor receives, it is important to have a full understanding of the information contained in a profile sheet.
“A profile sheet is a comprehensive record of a Sailor’s results after they’ve taken an advancement examination,” said Chief Personnel Specialist Charles Tindle, educational service office (ESO) leading chief petty officer aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington’s (CVN 73). “It identifies your score, how well you performed in certain subjects of your rating, how you ranked against your peers and, more importantly, if you’ve been advanced.”
Profile sheets also use results from previous examinations to show Sailors their weaknesses and strengths in comparison to their peers. Sailors can use their profile sheets to build a tailored study program.
“It’s important for any Sailor to review and understand their profile sheet to know what their strengths and weaknesses were on previous examinations,” said Tindle. “It can tell them what areas of their rate they need to focus on and study, which will help them perform better during the next exam.”
In addition, Sailors can review their final multiple score (FMS) to ensure their performance mark average, award and pass-not-advance points are accurate. If any part of a Sailor’s FMS is incorrect, the ESO section Personnel department can help.
“If a Sailor thinks there’s a discrepancy on their profile sheet, they need to bring it to the ESO section of the personnel office and have a subject matter expert clarify the issue or rectify the error,” added Tindle.
The most recent advancement quotas were released, May 19, and the advancement results were announced, May 21, which will result in 260 enlisted Sailors aboard George Washington advancing to the next pay grade and adding a chevron to their uniforms.
To access profile sheets via Navy Knowledge Online (NKO), log on to www.nko.navy.mil, navigate to the career management tab and select ‘Navy Advancement Center’ from the drop down menu. Then select the Advancement Profile Sheet link.
George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, are on patrol in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. George Washington will conduct a hull-swap with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) later this year after serving seven years as the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier in Yokosuka, Japan.
Editor’s note: The Navy Blue View is a series that give its readers an opportunity to have a first-person view of what Sailors experience throughout the fleet. This first chapter covers a topic that is very important to every Sailor and explains what each Sailor needs to know in the momentous occasions when advancement results are released.