Summary of the National Call to Service (NCS)

[NCMEDIC]

Eligibility Requirements for Incentives


There is a three-tiered service requirement to qualify for incentives under the National Call to Service program:

First, after completion of initial entry training, individuals must serve on active duty in a military occupational specialty designated by the Secretary of Defense for a period of 15 months.
After this, and without a break in service, these individuals must serve either an additional period of active duty as determined by the Secretary of Defense, or a period of 24 months in an active status in the Selected Reserve.
After completion of this period of service, and also, without a break in service, the remaining period of obligated service specified in the agreement will be served as follows:
on active duty in the armed forces
in the Selected Reserve
in the Individual Ready Reserve
in Americorps, or another domestic national service program jointly designated by the Secretary of Defense and the head of such a programAny combination of the service referred to above may also be approved by the Secretary of the military department concerned pursuant to regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense and specified in the agreement.

Choice of Incentives

Individuals who participate in this new program have a choice of incentives as follows:

Cash bonus of $5,000
Repayment of a qualifying student loan not to exceed $18, 000
Entitlement to allowance equal to the 3-year monthly chapter 30 rate for 12 months ($1,034 effective Oct 1, 2005)
Entitlement to allowance equal to fifty percent of the less than 3-year monthly chapter 30 rate for 36 months (Fifty percent of $840 effective Oct. 1, 2005)Coordination with Montgomery GI Bill Benefits

The basic rule is that National Call to Service (NCS) participants are not entitled to additional assistance under chapter 1606 or chapter 30 benefits. However, if the NCS participant has eligibility under either of these chapters, he or she may be paid the amount of chapter 1606 or chapter 30 benefits minus any amounts paid under the NCS program. The education benefit options will be administered to the extent possible like chapter 1606 of title 10.

Period of the National Call to Service Program

The effective date of this program is October 1, 2003. The program will end on December 31, 2007.

[glennsmom]

Wow, thanks for the info. I've read his contract so I am basically familiar with what it states. What I don't know is what does being active in the Selected Reserves entail for the second phase and what does being in the Individual Ready Reserves entail for the third phase if that is what he chooses?

I don't understand how they can state in his contract that he has a choice of re-enlisting after his 15 months so he can stay active but that they are not allowing them to do so?

I look forward to hearing from everyone who has experience with this contract.

[Navy GM]

I'm currently NCS, and the original plan was, if you wanted to re-enlist and stay active, you'd submit a request, and it would be judged on a case to case basis. right now we've only got 2 GM's, and i'm going to be out in october, so i'd say my case especially would lead them to let me stay in. The first attempt proved fruitless and was denied within two weeks. The MCPON was on my base recently, and this was brought up to him a few times, and he seemed pretty mad that this was happening. i just submitted another request, and from what i'm hearing, i'm going to get to stay this time. if i could go back in time, i would have never done this NCS crap, it's just been a headache since i joined.

[Foy]

I'm currently NCS, and the original plan was, if you wanted to re-enlist and stay active, you'd submit a request, and it would be judged on a case to case basis. right now we've only got 2 GM's, and i'm going to be out in october, so i'd say my case especially would lead them to let me stay in. The first attempt proved fruitless and was denied within two weeks. The MCPON was on my base recently, and this was brought up to him a few times, and he seemed pretty mad that this was happening. i just submitted another request, and from what i'm hearing, i'm going to get to stay this time. if i could go back in time, i would have never done this NCS crap, it's just been a headache since i joined.

GM,

Thanks for adding your real-life experience with NCS. I'm glad for you that it's looking like you can stay active for the addn'l 24 months. I hope you can stay with NMCB 74 if that's what you want.

It's interesting you mentioned the MCPON's reaction to hearing about NCS practices. I was in an exchange of correspondence with a CCC petty officer last month and he cited a number of instances where fleet CPOs and officers were aghast at the prospects of losing their NCS sailors just when they were becoming productive E3s and up. The CCC said he would forward our correspondence to MCPON Campa. Even though there are only a few thousand NCS enlistees out there, many have expressed a great deal of satisfaction with Navy life and a desire to serve longer terms. After 15 months active, and after the combat deployment you experienced, I can only imagine weekend drills, spent in a classroom, would not be the kind of duty you'd re-enlist in the Navy to perform. I don't see the Reserve keeping many of these NCS guys after the 24 months, so might as well let them stay active for the 24 months or let them leave the Reserve altogether in favor of an active duty contract.

I hope you'll continue to shed light on the process of staying active for the 24 months. My guy is going to seek release from NCS altogether in favor of an active contract, which, with 20/20 hindsight, he should have done from the get-go.

Foy

[KarlsMom]

I need to send this info to my son! He's a member of the National Call and put in his request for extension. He was denied!! He was pretty disappointed. His Senior Officer couldn't believe it was denied!! Especially when he's told that they're short-handed in his field. It really doesn't make any sense to me, that the Navy goes to such lengths to train these Sailors only to deny extensions.
Plus the fact that you've got Sailors who want to extend and you're denying them. Why? It was my understanding that this program was designed in order to increase the number of recruits and keep them. He hasn't been impressed with the program either.

[Navy GM]

This program was actually enacted in order to beef up the reserves with fully qualified sailors. The reserves were undermanned and didn't have enough quality sailors with active duty experience, hence everyone getting denied when attempting to stay active.

[PANavyMom]

Navy GM, What happened with your second request that you mentioned back in July?

Carol.

[Navy GM]

Second request was denied, number three is on the way. one of my senior chief's is supposedly in direct contact with the people who say yes and no, so we'll see what happens. i've all but given up on staying active for now, but we'll see what happens. either way, i'm just going to do my time as a reservist, and come back active duty once that is over.

[glennsmom]

Good for you. Hope it is a yes though.

[KarlsMom]

I hope your 3rd request is approved. I love your positive attitude! :biggrin:

[Navy GM]

my third request was approved. i'm staying active. go navy!

[glennsmom]

Wow, that is great news. It pays to be tenacious and not take no for an answer. I am so happy for you. Did you have to change your job?

[KarlsMom]

Hurray!!!!! I am so happy for you!!! I read your message and got goose bumps!!
That is so awesome!

[Navy GM]

I kept my same job and my same orders. ended up working out pretty well for me. thanks for all the support!

[Foy]

Way to Go, Navy GM,

That's the best news I've heard from the bowels of NCS in a whole year. Way to go, son (and pardon me for using the term "son", but you're much closer to my son's age than my own, and I've been "looking after" your case for nearly as long).

By staying active, are you saying your next 24 month period will be active, or are you out of NCS altogether?

And by "original orders", does that mean you're headed to the special warfare unit, but as an active duty sailor? Or, will you still be working with NMCB 74 as an armorer?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Many congrats, many thanks for your continued service, and now go out and have yourself a big (but safe) holiday weekend.

I look forward to learning some of the details about your case, GM. You Da Man!

Foy

PS- NASCAR fans should look for the #88 Seabee Chevy during Saturday's Busch Series race in California. The US Navy is the sponsor for this season, but tomorrow the car will have a special "Seabee" paint scheme honoring the 65th Anniversary of the Seabees. OOORAHHH, #88, CAN DO!

[Navy GM]

As for orders, i'll be staying with NMCB 74. The whole reason i'm being allowed to stay is because 74 is so short on GM's right now. As far as the program goes, as soon as i extend i'm out of NCS. I'm able to do what i want, as far as re-enlisting goes, and i plan on doing four years, two more with 74, and two years of shore duty, hopefully somewhere overseas. After that, i'll decide what i'm doing with my life, but i'm happy i got to stay, and thank you to everyone who supported me. The only way they are letting people stay is for command needs, not individual, so my advice is this: if your son/daughter wants to stay active as NCS, they need to get someone high ranking in their command to voice how badly in need they are of your son/daughter, that is what worked for me.

[RightHereWaiting]

Wow. My boyfriend was trying to encourage me to go for this rather than active enlisted... but dang-- after seeing all this. Anything positive that anyone can see out of it?

Silly boyfriends... they should know that I'm going to do what I want anyway. My life. My goals. Though I'll listen to what they have to say [hence my being in this thread], just usually I already have my mind set.
Oh well, it was worth a look-see. I hadn't known it existed before, so that's cool.

[glennsmom]

The positives about this contract is if it is what you want. The problem for those like my son who signed it was they didn't understand that they probably wouldn't have a choice to stay active, that they were joining the reserves with a brief stint of active duty when they thought it was just another active duty contract. For some people it is exactly what they want.

[RightHereWaiting]

No. I want to be active joining.

[adelfjohanason]

The positives about this contract is if it is what you want. The problem for those like my friends could not understand probably wouldn't have a choice to stay active, that they were joining the reserves with a brief stint of active duty when they thought it was just another active duty contract. For some people it is exactly what they want.