SEPTEMBER 3, 2014, MILLINGTON, Tenn (NNS) – Life just got easier for Navy families going overseas with their Sailor with the release of a Navy message Sept. 3.
Previously Sailors and their families had to wait for hard-copy orders to start their overseas screening. Now a Letter of Intent (LOI) will allow them to start the process.
“A working group was convened to evaluate the current overseas screening process and it came up with some recommendations. They recommended Navy Personnel Command issue a Letter of Intent (LOI) once a Sailor is identified for an overseas billet,” said Capt. Chris Harris, director, Distribution Management. “The LOI would go to the Sailor’s command and allows the Sailor and dependents to begin the overseas screening process immediately, instead of waiting for orders.”
According to NAVADMIN 203/14, official orders will not be released until by Navy Personnel Command (NPC) until screening is complete and the Sailor and family members are eligible. Sailors have to complete overseas screening within 30 days of receiving the LOI. Their families have 60 days. If they don’t complete the screening within that window, they will automatically be considered for reassignment to a needs-of-the-Navy assignment.
“We know that delays are sometimes unavoidable, due to circumstances beyond a Sailor’s control, so waiver requests will be considered by NPC,” said Harris.