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Correspondence Course Review

N4Life

Member
Scenario: I complete a course in November. My anniversary is December. I submit the certificate in January.

The points are credited to the November year. You could turn the points in two years from now but they will still get credited to the year you completed the course. Which office at NPC did you talk to?
 

Sam I am

Average looking, not a farmer.
pilot
Contributor
I called IRR Counseler who then gaveme the number to 912. Damn it...this could seriously screw my plan up.
 

lostSeaBee

SeaBee Memorial
Sam I am. That is what I have done with the Emergency Management courses and it has worked for the last five years since I've been in the Navy IRR. The points have always counted for the year in which they were completed. I tested that theory by completing courses in my anniversary month, January, and then completing other courses the following month, February. The January courses were counted for the previous year and the February courses counted for the following year.
 

lostSeaBee

SeaBee Memorial
You guys are the most encouraging thing that I have seen out there. It is great to have stuff to bounce off of others. I've been in the IRR since 2010 and flying solo. The NETC courses were great, so I was very disapointed when Navy pulled those. This year and last year I completed courses through Emergency Management. They were fairly simple and didn't take that long. There are enough courses to get me through next year but after that I'll have to find something different. It looks like most people completed JPMO which sounds interesting, but I'm more interested in the DAU courses. Are the DAU courses/program hard to get into?
 

rob00000

Member
Incorrect. It's when they are received...they don't back credit points to the year the course was taken if the year has already closed out. I specifically asked that question of PERS. Now, that was 2 years ago...if somethings changed, I need to know because that screws up my whole plan.

Then I have a question for you. My anniversary year ends on June 23, 2015. I sent in 2 certs that I completed on June 3, 2015 worth 3 points total in August 2015 after my new year started. If you are correct then why were those 3 points credited to my year that ended on June 23, 2015?

Believe whatever you want to believe, but it's the date you completed the work NOT the date they receive the cert. It has always been that way.

I'm a procrastinator. For YEARS now, I've completed courses & waited many months to mail in the certs & I've ALWAYS received credit for them according to the DATE on the cert. I'm not new at this by the way. I have 20 years under my belt.

God......I suddenly feel old!!!
 
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lostSeaBee

SeaBee Memorial
Rob, I totally agree with you. That is the way it has worked for me as well. It is the date of the course or certification that matters, not when you send it in. I've waited a few days before my anniversary year as well, and then sent the certificates in months later, and it counted toward the anniversary year in which it was completed. You are an Old Salt, Rob, congratulations on the 20 years. I hope I and others make it as well.
 

lostSeaBee

SeaBee Memorial
Another thing that I do is get a copy of my "Statement of Service for Navy Retirement" faxed to me. Do you guys do that as well? Is that the best document for record keeping? They gripe about sending it sometimes. The department manager had a 30 minute conversation with me about how difficult it was for them, but they still faxed it. I kept saying that my records are my responsibility, same thing we use to preach to everyone in the unit. He didn't have an answer for that.
 

rob00000

Member
lostSeaBee, I get a copy of my ASOSH (Annual Statement of Service History) from PERS mailed to me from time to time. The last time I asked they mailed it to me no questions asked.

Thanks for backing me up on the whole certs crediting discussion. I'm a little surprised this conversation is even necessary to be totally honest with you. Every year we are required to get 35 points minimum along with our 15 gratuity for a good year. How does the Navy ensure you're doing your minimum of 35 a year? It's simple, by looking at the date on your certs!

Let's say the date on the cert didn't matter to them. When I got back from Kuwait in Jan 2009 I had roughly 7 years left till I hit 20. OK, 7X115=805. I was collecting unemployment & had nothing but free time on my hands. I would've spent my days doing Navy online courses till I accumulated 805 points. Then I would've separated the certs into 7 piles totaling 115 points each, placed them in envelopes, sealed them, addressed them & tucked them away. Then I could put my feet up & be done! Every year, I'd pull one of those envelopes out of the drawer & mail it in for my 115 points. Now does that make any sense that the Navy would allow a sailor to do ALL his work in one year for the REST of his career? It makes no sense at all. Of course the date on the cert matters! It's the only thing that should & does matter! To me, it's common sense. Sorry, but I had to get this off my chest. I feel better now :)

It's hard to believe that an IRR Counselor would actually tell someone here that it's credited by the date they receive it. I believe the sailor. I'm not doubting his word, but how he could tell him that just blows my mind.

Some of the counselors there are smart & others are clueless. I remember one time calling them up after the online courses were removed for retirement point purposes. I mentioned it to the counselor & he says to me, "you can still get credit for online courses." I'm thinking, "WHAT?" I told him that's not the case. We went back & forth for a while with him insisting online courses were still creditable towards retirement. Finally, he put me on hold, spoke to his boss, came back to me, and said, "oh, OK, you're right!" Are you freaking kidding me?? He didn't know that? This conversation happened MANY months after they were removed, and I had to tell him that? He didn't learn this at work during all those months talking to sailors, etc? His boss never told him? I'm told they have weekly meetings & this was never mentioned at a single meeting? This is his full time job! He should know this stuff way better then me, right?

Chief Rincon who is in charge of the IRR Counselors (very knowledgeable) once told me, "We are your NOSC." Gee, we are supposed to go to our NOSC for information not the other way around. I understand that no one knows everything, but basic info like online courses are removed is something a counselor should know. It's ridiculous. How can I trust them for more in depth info if they can't even provide me with correct basic info? The man I spoke to that day sounded very young, 20ish maybe. I've spoken to him a few times after that & he was totally clueless about EVERYTHING on those conversations as well. Don't they train these people? I recognize his voice now & end the call quick because I can't trust a word that comes out of his mouth, or I'll ask for Chief Rincon & leave a VM for her. If you get a young clueless guy on the phone over there, it's him. End the call quick & call back till someone else answers, hopefully Chief Rincon, who's word you can take to the bank!

And......they wonder why I drink? :)
 
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lSNIP
Let's say the date on the cert didn't matter to them. When I got back from Kuwait in Jan 2009 I had roughly 7 years left till I hit 20. OK, 7X115=805. I was collecting unemployment & had nothing but free time on my hands. I would've spent my days doing Navy online courses till I accumulated 805 points. Then I would've separated the certs into 7 piles totaling 115 points each, placed them in envelopes, sealed them, addressed them & tucked them away. Then I could put my feet up & be done! Every year, I'd pull one of those envelopes out of the drawer & mail it in for my 115 points. Now does that make any sense that the Navy would allow a sailor to do ALL his work in one year for the REST of his career? It makes no sense at all. Of course the date on the cert matters! It's the only thing that should & does matter! To me, it's common sense. Sorry, but I had to get this off my chest. I feel better now :)
SNIP

And......they wonder why I drink? :)

Your point is valid, but with the NETC courses you could essentially do this by doing the pen/ink answers, then just pulling out your envelope and filling in the answers the first day of your anniversary year. I also think if you could stomach 805 points of navy courses in a few months, you deserve your retirement....
 

rob00000

Member
Your point is valid, but with the NETC courses you could essentially do this by doing the pen/ink answers, then just pulling out your envelope and filling in the answers the first day of your anniversary year. I also think if you could stomach 805 points of navy courses in a few months, you deserve your retirement....

Good points on all you said.....pen/ink could've done the job, etc. That's thinking!
 

rob00000

Member
... until NETC makes a NAVEDTRA course obsolete (though they do actually give a few months' heads-up before doing so).

I agree. Many of those courses would've gone bye bye.

You know Something? I thought I'd feel kinda' sad when my 20 years were up. It's like a club. However, with all the crap going on with the removal of the NETC courses and all, I don't feel sad at all. I feel relieved to know that I made it.

I really hope things open up again so the rest of you guys who have several years left can retire as well. Many of you sweated in the desert with me & I'm hoping the best for you :)
 

Sam I am

Average looking, not a farmer.
pilot
Contributor
Thanks for backing me up on the whole certs crediting discussion. I'm a little surprised this conversation is even necessary to be totally honest with you. Every year we are required to get 35 points minimum along with our 15 gratuity for a good year. How does the Navy ensure you're doing your minimum of 35 a year? It's simple, by looking at the date on your certs!

To be totally honest with you... Nice, snarky e-dart. But to address what's in bold above, when PERS themselves tells me something that I have yet to see in writing anywhere, it's difficult not to believe it. I've come to find that what I was told was incorrect and that probably won't be the last time someone at PERS passes some bad gouge....I'll adjust. Thanks to those who chimed in...

Congrats on the retirement, rob
 

lostSeaBee

SeaBee Memorial
rob, thanks. Getting the ASOSH each year is probably a good idea. Do you think the ASOSH is better to have than a fax of the Statement of Service for Navy Retirement? Both look similar, but the ASOSH has a little more information on it. Who at PERS do you contact to get it mailed to you, the help desk?
 

lostSeaBee

SeaBee Memorial
I'm doing some JKO and DISAM courses now. They look fairly simple. I did notice that there are more courses listed on the "Reserve Retirement Point Listing 30SEP14" listing then what I have access too. Is that do to security clearance levels?
 
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