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Get the member thinking and preparing well in advance
of mandatory requirement dates.
Incentive Interview
The proper time frame for conducting the group
presentation is 11 months before the individual’s
expiration active obligated service (EAOS) or projected
rotation date (PRD). The group presentation is the same
for all individuals, but the personal interviews should be
conducted on the basis of whether the member is
approaching PRD or EAOS. The personal interview
should be conducted by the division/work center career
counselor 10 months before the individual’s EAOS or
PRD.
The division/work center career counselor will
primarily be concerned with reviewing and updating the
enlisted duty preference form for the individual who is
only transferring. This is also the time to talk about
advance training for these individuals. Detailers are
more likely to give individuals advance training (C
school) with PCS orders than during the middle of a tour.
This is the time to submit an Enlisted Personnel Action
Request, NAVPERS 1306/7, for a school. Another
important issue for these people is to make sure their
training record and service record are up to date.
The incentive interview is the keystone of any
retention program for individuals approaching EAOS.
It is the point in time where the sailor is first encouraged
to make a commitment to further naval service. It is here
that the retention team’s past efforts in improving a
member’s potential for retention start to pay off, and it
is here that even the best laid efforts can fail if the
interview is not properly conducted. Again, because of
the family’s acute involvement in the retention decision,
it is recommended that the spouse be encouraged to
attend (subject to the approval of the member). The
areas that must be discussed at the incentive programs
interview are listed in the following paragraphs.
The purpose of this interview is to make sure the
individual understands the career benefits and
reenlistment incentives to allow the member to make
sound career decisions. It would be an error for the
counselor to say, “The purpose of this interview is to get
you to reenlist,” although the statement would be
partially true.
Review the member’s performance marks and
accomplishments up to the present tour/career point and
advise the member about prospects for a future
prosperous career. This may include suitability for
officer programs as well as selection board
competitiveness for chief, senior chief, and master chief
petty officer.
l Ask the member to make a career of the Navy. If
the answer is yes, go right onto “gaining a commitment.”
. Remind the member of the benefits of a career.
l Ask the member what problems a Navy career
might present. List each problem the member presents
on the left side of a sheet of paper.
l Proceed to eliminate or reduce the impact of
those items listed on the left side of the sheet by listing
corresponding good points of a Navy career on the
right-hand side. Never lie or misrepresent facts, but
always present positive points for the Navy’s side. For
example, frequent moves required by the Navy career
on the left side of the sheet can be countered with the
benefits gained from being in different parts of the
country or world and the chance of using the GUARD
III program or detailer to aid the member in getting to
or remaining at a desired location. Do not forget to
mention the travel aspects of civilian job possibilities;
civilians move around too.
l Ask the member and spouse (if present) if they
now think a Navy career would be a desirable life-style.
If the answer is yes or maybe, go on to gaining a
commitment. If the answer is an unequivocal no (and let
us face it, not everyone will choose a Navy career),
stress the importance of making preparation to start a
civilian career. If the answer is “I don’t know” or ‘We’d
like to think about it,” schedule another interview with
the member. Maintain the positive attitude of “you will
reenlist because the Navy offers the best opportunities
for you and your family,” and you will likely achieve
excellent results.
It is important to know how to gain a commitment.
All of us have seen the used car salesman pull out a blank
contract (even though we have not firmly decided to buy
a car), put our names across the top of the page, list the
identification of the car, and start taking about price.
With this action, the salesman has implied that we have
decided to buy the car and are only interested in haggling
about the price. Like the car salesman, the counselor
should try to gain an early commitment (though it can
always be changed). The counselor’s contract is the
special request chit. Start filling out the request chit with
the member’s name and ask for the member’s social
security number for use on the chit. Advise the member
that the earlier the request is submitted the better, since
it allows time for planning paper work requirements,
gaining GUARD III approval, and so forth. Word the
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