PERFORMANCE EVALUATION IN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY The Navy evaluates every Navy member’s support of   the   equal   opportunity   program.   Personnel   in paygrades  E-1  through  E-9  receive  numeric  grades, based on a number scale, on overall annual performance evaluations   of   specific   traits.   Your   performance evaluation  will  reflect  your  attitude  toward  and  your conduct  in  support  of  the  Navy’s  equal  opportunity program. PROCEDURES CONCERNING INSENSITIVE PRACTICES When people enter the Navy, they have their own feelings, attitudes, prejudices, and ideas based on their individual   personal   backgrounds.   An   insensitive practice is behavior that is prejudicial to another person because of that person’s race, religion, creed, color, sex, or national origin. To ensure teamwork and to fulfill the Navy’s   mission,   individuals    must    put   aside   their personal feelings, attitudes, prejudices, and ideas about other people and how they act around others. Commanding officers take proper action to correct insensitive practices. If a person takes part in insensitive practices,  that  person  receives  counseling  about  their responsibilities with regard to equal treatment. If such counseling   is   not   effective   or   if   further   action   is warranted,   personnel   may   receive   administrative   or disciplinary action or both. DUTY ASSIGNMENTS The  unfair  assignment  of  general  administrative and   support   duties   (food   service,   compartment cleaning,   and   work   details)   outside   the   normal requirements  of  a  rating  frequently  lowers  morale.  It also weakens the efficiency and overall effectiveness of a command. Based  on  Navy  policy,  supervisors  should  assign work not included in a specific rating on a fair, rotational basis.   They   should   make   such   assignments   without regard to race, creed, color, sex, age, or national origin. Although   supervisors   may   consider   the   seniority   of personnel   in   detailing   such   duties,   they   must   make positive efforts to ensure fair treatment. Assignment to duty on ships or stations should also comply with the Navy’s equal opportunity goals. The repeal of the combat exclusion law potentially opens all classes   of   surface   ships   to   women.   The   Naval Construction   Force,   or   Seabees,   has   also   received women   in   sea   duty   construction   battalions.   All construction   battalions   are   now   open   to   women, opening more than 4,000 seagoing billets to women. The expanded opportunity for women in the Navy ensures a more equitable rotation between sea and shore duty   for   all   Sailors   and   provides   career    paths   for women  that  are  consistent  with  those  of  their  male counterparts. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND ADVANCEMENT The  Navy  expects  everyone  who  enters  the  naval service to increase his/her knowledge and skills. Your command will provide the necessary training so you can develop   a   skill   and   properly   prepare   yourself   for advancement. Although advancement is an individual effort,  the  command  has  the  responsibility  to  provide you   with   an   equal   opportunity   for   training   and advancement. How far you advance depends primarily on your own initiative, capabilities, and qualifications. The Department of the Navy sets the requirements for  advancement  for  paygrades  E-1  through  E-9.  To advance   to   E-4   through   E-7,   Sailors   must   pass   an advancement-in-rate  exam.  However,  just  meeting  all the   requirements   does   not   guarantee   advancement. Only the most qualified will be advanced, and they will be advanced  only if vacancies exist  for that paygrade. Improving  yourself,  your  skills,  and  your  education increases your chance for advancement. MILITARY JUSTICE To   assure   equal   justice   and   treatment,   your command will continuously review charges, dismissed cases, issued warnings, and all nonjudicial punishment 1-15 Student Notes: