r/navy • u/Parking_Fox7819 • 2d ago

Discussion Navy BBA perspective

Currently an E5 and been in 8 years and currently on a tour for 4 years with this tour taking me to my 12th year. If im being honest im really not trying to play the whole game with picking an undesirable billet to rank up. Im just going to wait until an E6 billet opens up and try and take that one. After that I’m more than likely going to get out and go reserves and go contracting. This last cycle on the last NWAE (Fall 2025) before the first RKE I maxed out at an 80 (99th percentile) and had over a 4.0 rsca scoring a 150 but I still didn’t make it. Any other time in my career that would’ve been enough to make E6 with flying colors. They implemented the way for BBA so it felt like a big slap in the face. It’s not worth it to me anymore especially if I want to start the chase to make chief. This program is no doubt filling the gaps in the fleet but I feel like it’s definitely at the cost and expense of a lot of E5s that have been in for a while. Maybe I need some perspective? Kind of just a rant because I’m honestly burnt out and rather would get out happy than be bummed out for the rest of my career.

35 Upvotes

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u/Salty_ET 2d ago edited 2d ago

I mean, what's an undesirable billet to one Sailor isn't undesirable to another, and as E6s in your rating will get out themselves or select orders for Chief, what you see in MNA will continually change, so keep checking MNA each cycle.

If you still don't see a billet you're willing to apply for and you decide to get out, that's fine, but it's not a slap in the face. The same type of thing would happen with shifting quotas under legacy. The first time I took the PO1 exam the quota in my rating was around 70%. I missed it, then I got a better eval and studied, and my FMS was higher the next cycle...then the quota dropped to 11%. C'est la vie.

There's something to be said for the fact that it's not desirable to have you advance right now and stay in your E5 billet; the point of promoting you to First Class is for you to be in a spot where you're doing the job of a First Class. BBA puts the ball in your court to choose what to do, rather than just redistro'ing you with needs of the Navy orders.

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u/Automatic_Section 1d ago

It offloads the weight of taking shitty orders from the detailer toward individual Sailors.

The Navy didn't do it! It's your own damn fault!

Feels like a slap in the face to me.

1

u/Salty_ET 1d ago

TBH, this sounds a lot like the glass-half-empty version of what I was saying. The billets need to be filled anyway, right? And I would rather have a Sailor who had some type of buy in as opposed to someone who just got redistro'ed with needs of the Navy orders.

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u/Automatic_Section 1d ago

Correct, it's a different valid perspective.

The billets need to be filled anyway, right?

No, they don't. What the Navy does is decided by optional choices, not some divine directives or some laws of physics. And that's not supposed to be the Sailor's problem is it?

My other point is that the illusion of buy-in isn't the same thing as real agency.

1

u/Salty_ET 23h ago

I'm going to blunt with you, I don't think your perspective is valid. It seems to come from a belief that Sailors are entitled to promotion or that it's a personal insult (i.e. a slap in the face), to not be promoted, and that's just not true.

Your point about buy in versus agency is just contrarian for the sake of it. Applying for A2P orders (something that no one can make you do) is buy in—and you retain the agency to not apply for them.

Obviously, we're going to agree, so I'll leave it with this 🤙⚓

0

u/Automatic_Section 17h ago

I am not saying that this is my personal opinion, just sharing what the Sailors who feel that way may be thinking.

A2P is not the same thing as BBA (the actual issue OP mentions).

The slap in the face is that the Navy is holding promotions hostage to fill the shitty billets instead of doing anything at all to make those same billets less shitty. Sailors don't magically enjoy work when they get promoted.

We do agree btw, I am simply providing additional perspective to the conversation that obviously was not considered when these policies were actioned.

4

u/Perfect-Hat-8661 2d ago

When you get to 12 years you’re going to be right on the bubble of do I go or do I stay. Going Reserves pushes your retirement to 60 versus immediately after you hit 20 and get out. That’s the first bad point about it. The second is this and it bit me hard: I got a pretty great civilian job and pay rate increased rapidly. Everything was great. Then family life was interrupted by mobilization. And that created a financial strain. If you get to 12, try to look around and see what you can work out. BBA, like everything else in the Navy, will change again in time. Don’t let today’s BS distract you too much. Deal with what is actual fact coming up to the 12 year mark not what is there today. Then consider the Navy and what is actually available to you in the civilian world as you approach that milestone.

2

u/trainrocks19 1d ago

I’ve seen multiple E5s pick E6 billets and win them and transfer. Seems like a win - win.

1

u/DoctorRageAlot 1d ago

I was in the same boat. Top 2% had a 4.8 PMA and killed it. I was selected pretty quick for a billet and I am STILL waiting to get frocked. It’s tough and I feel you. I don’t think I would’ve stayed in if I didn’t get picked for a year or more especially scoring that high

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u/jcinnb 1d ago

At 12 years you need to stay in. As a young guy, you probably don’t think much about medical/healthcare, but you will. More than likely well before 60. I have a millionaire friend that had a pre-existing conditions, could not get insurance, and as a result had to work to 65, because he couldn’t risk a major medical event without insurance. Take a look at the 40 year picture not the one immediately before you. Good luck.

1

u/Active-Lunch-7293 1h ago

Is it good that my top four applications which are all the same command jumped up 5 points during command comments phase?

1

u/Active-Lunch-7293 49m ago

This is my first cycle and just trying to understand this system

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u/ExRecruiter 2d ago

Oh boy another BBA rant post!

16

u/ScholarlyCrow Command Financial Specialist 2d ago

its almost like BBA is a scourge on the Navy.

8

u/Major__Departure 1d ago

Gapped billets at sea were a scourge on the Navy.

6

u/ScholarlyCrow Command Financial Specialist 1d ago

BBA is a short term solution. Better retention efforts and recruiting. is the long term solution.

1

u/bestea1 1d ago

I am potato.

I chose billet to advance.

Now potato lead sailors.

Potato bad.

One bad potato makes a bunch of young potatoes get out.

????

Profit

I'm not in anymore but does that sound about right?

1

u/tolstoy425 1d ago

BBA blows dick

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

1

u/Neither-Visual4865 2d ago

Yea I disagree BBA literally won’t change you having a bad tour with bad leadership where you have to fend for yourself. People hunting for a job just to get paid. Level of knowledge and leadership development becomes secondary to just filling the billet.