Allan just got back last week from a training mission...

All I can say is - better him than me!

http://www.i-mef.usmc.mil/DIV/1MAR/2BN/gal_bridgeport10.asp#0

Way to go Allan!

Posted : Thursday May 27, 2010 12:06:35 EDT 

Active-duty petty officer second class (HM2)

Winger Allan D

By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer, Navy Times

The petty officer advancement list is out, and more than 18,000 sailors have something to crow about: They will be move up to become petty officers first, second or third class.

Even as sailors celebrate, there is sobering news: The Navy has active-duty quotas to advance fewer than 15,000 to E-4, E-5 and E-6.

Navy-wide, there is a 16.42 percent chance to advance, with 88,715 sailors passing their tests and 14,570 quotas available to move up. That is down from 19.86 percent last fall and a 24.08 percent chance just a year ago.

Part of the problem is more competition, with 1,758 more sailors passing their tests than the 86,957 who passed in September, and 2,740 more than a year ago, when 85,975 became eligible to advance by passing advancement exams.

But the real killer is fewer quotas, down 2,808 from the 17,378 available slots to move up last fall. That’s also 6,087 fewer than last year’s spring cycle, when 20,657 got a new chevron.

At the E-5 level, opportunity is also down for the third cycle in a row. The overall opportunity to make second class dipped to 15.52 percent, down from the 18.97 percent last fall and 22.6 percent just a year ago.

It’s the lowest chance at making E-5 since fall 1997, when opportunity was 15.06 percent, but still a bit above the 12.57 percent in the fall of 1996, when the Navy was drawing down.

Here, too, competition is rising. Since the spring 2009 cycle, the numbers of test-passers has increased by 1,011 while quotas dropped by 2,109, causing the slide in opportunity.

Although the quotas dropped from last fall by 130, to 3,233, it’s still higher than the 2,787 quotas available last spring. But the drop in quotas was offset by fewer eligible sailors — 1,31l fewer test passers than last fall.

I'm one proud mama!

My daughter Elena just graduated cum laude (with honors) from Arizona State University with a batchlor's degree in social service. I know my FB friends have already seen these pics, but I'm not finished bragging yet, so it's your turn now!