When I got out in 1978, getting orders to PAX was hard. Same for Annapolis and a few other choice places. But there was also a ratio of sea/shore duty that the detailers somehow were supposed to try and meet. Is it like that now, still, or has the ratio been trashed in favor of "the needs of the Navy?" Do we still have "neutral duty?"

Choose your rate choose your fate

Most Sailors have very few choices for orders selection... and a small window to pick them... until they roll into "needs of the Navy".

The only ratio I know of is sea/shore rotation which is broke down by rate and the number of sea/shore duties the Sailor is on... and in some cases NEC. Detailers attempt to have personnel stick with these rotations. The enlisted community managers and detailers are the ones working to align manpower to requirements.

Keep in mind there are force shaping efforts underway... http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/career/staynavy/toolbox/Documents/Plain%20Talk%20-%20Force%20Shaping%20(16JUN2011).pdf

Neutral Duty was converted to shore duty back in Oct 2000 as per NAVADMIN 277/00

http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/messages/documents/navadmins/nav2000/nav00277.txt

Thanks, Dustin! So it's still a hard life for our folks, and my hat's off to all of them.