In the spirit of the Monitor billet, is that considered an IA? Or are their people that choose to do a tour as a Monitor (3 years?)?
From what I understand, you should be communicating with your monitor (via email or phone?) a year out from becoming a mover (meaning your 1st fleet tour is coming to an end). What exactly are you communicating? What you would like for the future/where you would like to go? What do you have to sell yourself with?
What is fleet credibility? What are you trying to accomplish daily in your first gun squadron? I think this answer is "Quals", but what do these quals get you? Are you unable to perform certain missions until you obtain these? Are you in control of how slowly/quickly this will come or are you still at the mercy of the scheduling gods? Or, is there a "curriculum" in place that will get you there and is it laid out with a timeline? I'm guessing the more "quals" you possess, the more opportunities you'll have when the monitor starts asking what it is you want to do when you grow up?