Service Ratings

general rating. That is called compressing. For example, the two ratings Electrician’s Mate and Interior C o m m u n i c a t i o n s E l e c t r i c i a n c o m p r e s s i n t o Electrician’s Mate at the E-9 level. Service Ratings Some general ratings are subdivided into service ratings to allow for special training or the assignments of personnel who have received special training. Service ratings indicate specialties within a general rating; for example, Aviation Boatswain Mate is a general rating, but Aviation Boatswain Mate is divided into three service ratings: Catapults and Arresting Gear Equipment (ABE), Handling (ABH), and Fuels (ABF). Service ratings may be established within a general rating at any paygrade and may extend to any other paygrade. For example, a general rating may have service ratings at E-4 and E-5 but not at E-6 through E-9. Service ratings are not identified by special rating badges. They use the rating badge of the general rating to which they belong. Designated Strikers A designated striker is a person in paygrade E-1, E-2, or E-3 who has been designated (appointed or specified) as technically qualified for a particular rating. Personnel in the general apprenticeships (E-1, E-2, and E-3) are identified as strikers for ratings for which they— have demonstrated their technical qualifications through on-the-job training (OJT) or have received formal school training. Commanding officers may designate personnel in their commands as strikers if certain qualifications are met. These qualifications are spelled out in the Navy’s advancement manual. For more information on the requirements to be a striker in a rating, go to your career counselor or personnel office. QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADVANCEMENT Before you are advanced, you must fulfill (meet) the qualifications for the paygrade you wish to be advanced to. You must also fulfill other eligibility requirements, and then you must be selected to be advanced. How can you find out what is required of you for you to be considered qualified for the next paygrade? The Navy has created standards for every enlisted paygrade and rate. These standards are of two types: Naval Standards (NAVSTDs) and Occupational Standards (OCCSTDs). The NAVSTDs and OCCSTDs are published in the Manual of Navy Enlisted Manpower and Personnel C l a s s i fi c a t i o n s a n d O c c u p a t i o n a l S t a n d a rd s , NAVPERS 18068. This publication should be available at your ESO or personnel office. Parts of this publication are reprinted in booklet form. There are two different types of booklets. One type lists the occupational standards for a particular rating. The other booklet lists the naval standards for all paygrades and the occupational standards for AN, CN, FN, and SN. These booklets are helpful when you are preparing for advancement and are available at your educational services office (ESO). To h e l p y o u s t u d y a n d p r e p a r e f o r y o u r advancement examination, refer to the Advancement Handbook (AH) for your rate. Also, information about advancement can be found in the Navy Enlisted Advancement System (NEAS). Navy Enlisted Advancement System (NEAS) The NEAS contains general information about the enlisted advancement system, exam study tips, how exams are developed, final multiple computations, and explanation of the tear sheet and the profile form, and other information useful to all Navy enlisted advancement candidates. Advancement handbooks (AHs) provide the occupational skills for a rating, the knowledge factors that relate to those skills, and references to read to understand the knowledge factors. Also, AHs contain a section titled “Exam Expectations,” a narrative that describes how knowledge factors could be tested. 16-4 Student Notes: