Limited Duty Officer (LDO) Program COMPONENTS OF THE NAVY ENLISTED ADVANCEMENT SYSTEM Learning  Objectives:    Upon  completion  of  this chapter, you should be able to identify the Navy Enlisted Advancement  System  (NEAS)  and  determine  how  it differs from the other services; identify advancement as a milestone in a naval career; determine the objectives of the NEAS; identify the qualifications necessary for advancement;  identify  the  different  methods  and programs of advancement; identify the responsibilities of  the  ESO  necessary  for  advancement;  identify  the methods of obtaining a change in rate or rating; and identify the paths leading to a commission as a naval officer. The objective of the NEAS is to advance the best qualified  petty  officers  to  operate  the  Navy’s  ships, planes,  and  shore  stations.    Advancements  provide opportunities  for  qualified  enlisted  personnel  to progress  to  higher  levels  of  responsibility  and authority throughout their Navy careers. The  Advancement  Manual ,  BUPERSINST 1430.16, governs the NEAS.  In addition to this basic reference,  a  NAVADMIN  message  is  issued  before each advancement cycle.  This message announces the schedule  of  the  examinations  and  provides  other pertinent information. T h e    E S O    s h o u l d    c a r e f u l l y    r e v i e w    t h e Advancement  Manual  and  NAVADMIN  message  to ensure the command follows the proper procedures for each cycle. Q1. What  is  the  primary  objective  of  the  Navy Enlisted Advancement System? DEFINITIONS USED IN THE NAVY ENLISTED ADVANCEMENT SYSTEM Definitions basic to an understanding of the Navy rating structure and the NEAS include such terms as occupational fields; general, service, and emergency ratings;  petty  officers;  apprenticeships  (designated strikers); and so forth.  These are the basic terms that are used in the NEAS as defined below. Occupational Fields   Broad  grouping  of  similar  occupations  used  by manpower,  personnel,  and  training  managers  to o r g a n i z e     t h e     a n a l y s i s ,     m a n a g e m e n t ,     a n d administration  of  Navy  ratings.    There  are  24  such groupings.  Examples are General Seamanship (BM and SM); Ordnance Systems (GM, MN, MT, and TM); and Logistics (AK, DK, MS, SH, and SK). Ratings Ratings  are  broad  enlisted  career  fields.    They identify  occupational  specialties  that  encompass related aptitudes, training, experience, knowledge, and skills  for  the  purpose  of  career  development  and advancement.    The  three  types  of  ratings  (general, service, and emergency) are described below: General  Ratings.    General  ratings  identify personnel  by  occupation.    They  provide  the p r i m a r y   m e a n s   o f   i d e n t i f y i n g   b i l l e t ed requirements  and  personnel  qualifications. Boatswain’s  Mate  (BM)  is  an  example  of  a general  rating.    Some  ratings  are  combined  at paygrades  E-7,  E-8,  or  E-9  to  form  broader career  fields  when  the  occupational  content  is similar.  This provides for progressively higher levels and scopes of authority and responsibility. An  example  of  this  is  the  combination  of  the Construction  Electrician  (CE)  rating  and  the U t i l i t i e s m a n    ( U T )    r a t i n g    t o    f o r m    t he Utilities/Constructionman  (UC)  at  the  Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO) level. S e r v i c e    R a t i n g s .       S e r v i c e    r a t i n g s    a re subdivisions  of  certain  general  ratings.    The service  rating  may  be  established  at  any paygrade  up  to  E-9.    Gas  Turbine  Systems Technician  (GS)  is  an  example  of  a  general rating, which contains two service ratings.  Gas Turbine Systems Technician (Electrical) (GSE) a n d    G a s    T u r b i n e    S y s t e m s    Te c h n i c i an (Mechanical) (GSM). Emergency  Ratings.    Emergency  ratings  are c a r e e r    f i e l d s    e n c o m p a s s i n g    s k i l l s    or qualifications that do not require identification by a rating during peacetime, but are required in wartime.    Currently,  there  are  no  emergency ratings. Rate Rate  identifies  personnel  occupationally  by paygrades  E-1  through  E-9.    Rate  reflects  levels  of aptitude,  training,  experience,  knowledge,  skill,  and responsibility.    Enlisted  rates  are  divided  into  three groups:  General  (E-1  through  E-3  apprenticeships), 5-2