Filling IA billets a top priority for the Navy

[unhappycamper]

Filling IA billets a top priority for the Navy
By Jennifer H. Svan, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, January 19, 2008

NAVAL AIR FACILITY MISAWA, Japan — As the Navy transitions individual augmentee duty into the job-assignment process, some sailors may find their only option for their next duty station is downrange, sailors were told Thursday at the Navy’s Career Management Symposium here.

“Over the next five to seven months, (global war on terrorism support assignments) are our first priority until they get filled up,” said Command Master Chief Kenneth Ellenburg, aviation team command master chief liaison for the Navy Personnel Command’s Center for Personal and Professional Development in Millington, Tenn.

Individual augmentee billets are being called global war on terrorism support assignments, or GSAs.

As of December, the Navy had more than 14,000 sailors supporting the war in locations including Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. About 2,700 assignments still need to be filled, according to Ellenburg.

GSAs supplement other services and vary in length from a few months to a year or more.


rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51729



uhc comment: Downrange is slang for Iraq.